(di ko alam may picture-taking :)… Kung alam ko lang na kukunan kami ng picture habang nagtatrabaho … nagpa-facial sana ako, pinaplantsa ang truvenized polo shirt 🙂 at nagpa-shine ng sapatos 🙂 )
Now playing here: Tchaikovsky, Waltz of the Flowers, for the #Summer2017Playlist
Text: Fragments of the Notes of Mary of Magdala, one of 15 leading followers of Jesus of Nazareth from 2,000 years ago. It was written in the third person voice, or maybe by a third person.
Since I accidentally found this last Wednesday, I might as well finish it: Here is the text of what was found of the notes of Mary of Magdala, who was one of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth (these extant notes are more famously known as the “Gospel of Mary”). According to the resource person of CNN at: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/06/living/finding-jesus-mary-magdalene-qa/
two of its fragments were carbon-dated to the Third Century AD (300 AD) while the rest were carbon-dated to the Fifth Century AD (500 AD), and experts estimate that it was written “in the middle to late second century,” as follows: “Chapter 4 “(“Pages 1 to 6 of the manuscript, containing chapters 1 – 3, are lost. “The extant text starts on page 7…) “. . . Will matter then be destroyed or not? “22) The Savior said, All nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots. “23) For the nature of matter is resolved into the roots of its own nature alone. “24) He who has ears to hear, let him hear. “25) Peter said to him, Since you have explained everything to us, tell us this also: What is the sin of the world? “26) The Savior said There is no sin, but it is you who make sin when you do the things that are like the nature of adultery, which is called sin. “27) That is why the Good came into your midst, to the essence of every nature in order to restore it to its root. “28) Then He continued and said, That is why you become sick and die, for you are deprived of the one who can heal you. “29) He who has a mind to understand, let him understand. “30) Matter gave birth to a passion that has no equal, which proceeded from something contrary to nature. Then there arises a disturbance in its whole body. “31) That is why I said to you, Be of good courage, and if you are discouraged be encouraged in the presence of the different forms of nature. “32) He who has ears to hear, let him hear. “33) When the Blessed One had said this, He greeted them all, saying, Peace be with you. Receive my peace unto yourselves. “34) Beware that no one lead you astray saying Lo here or lo there! For the Son of Man is within you. “35) Follow after Him! “36) Those who seek Him will find Him. “37) Go then and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. “38) Do not lay down any rules beyond what I appointed you, and do not give a law like the lawgiver lest you be constrained by it. “39) When He said this He departed. “Chapter 5 “1) But they were grieved. They wept greatly, saying, How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare Him, how will they spare us? “2) Then Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her brethren, Do not weep and do not grieve nor be irresolute, for His grace will be entirely with you and will protect you. “3) But rather, let us praise His greatness, for He has prepared us and made us into Men. “4) When Mary said this, she turned their hearts to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the Savior. “5) Peter said to Mary, Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. “6) Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them. “7) Mary answered and said, What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you. “8) And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me, “9) Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure. “10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit? “11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision and it is […] “(pages 11 – 14 are missing from the manuscript) image from wiki commons, artist not indicated
“Chapter 8: “. . . it. “10) And desire said, I did not see you descending, but now I see you ascending. Why do you lie since you belong to me? “11) The soul answered and said, I saw you. You did not see me nor recognize me. I served you as a garment and you did not know me. “12) When it said this, it (the soul) went away rejoicing greatly. “13) Again it came to the third power, which is called ignorance. “14) The power questioned the soul, saying, Where are you going? In wickedness are you bound. But you are bound; do not judge! “15) And the soul said, Why do you judge me, although I have not judged? “16) I was bound, though I have not bound. “17) I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly things and the heavenly. “18) When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms. “19) The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of wrath. “20) They asked the soul, Whence do you come slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space? “21) The soul answered and said, What binds me has been slain, and what turns me about has been overcome, “22) and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died. “23) In an aeon I was released from a world, and in a Type from a type, and from the fetter of oblivion which is transient. “24) From this time on will I attain to the rest of the time, of the season, of the aeon, in silence.”
The following are accounts of the events, or of one event, that transpired during what is now known as “Holy Wednesday”. The female person of the anointing was not named by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in their accounts. Some theologians/ interpreters of the Gospels say it was Mary Magdalene; others say it was Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus (many women were named Mary at that time). The accounts of the four also vary in the description of the place (who hosted the dinner at whose house) and the guests in said dinner —
here is a sample of the debate:
From agapebiblestudy.com: “There is controversy among Bible scholars over how many times Jesus was anointed and the apparent discrepancy over what day St. John recorded Jesus’ dinner in Bethany as opposed to the Synoptic Gospels. The accounts agree that there were two different dinners at Bethany the last week of Jesus’ life recorded in the Gospels and 3 different anointings at 3 different times by 3 or possibly 2 different women (Mary of Bethany may have anointed Christ twice: once on Saturday and a second time on Wednesday of the last Passover holy week). xxx
“Anointing # 1: Early in Jesus’ ministry an unnamed “sinful” (quotes supplied by blog admin) woman at the home of the Simon, a wealthy Pharisee, anointed His feet with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair (Lk 7:36-38). “Anointing #2: Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair on Saturday, Nisan the 9th. The next day on the 10th of Nisan, the day the sacrificial lambs or kids were to be chosen (Exodus 12:3), Jesus rode into Jerusalem-the sacrificial Lamb of God, there for all to see and judge His perfection (Jn 12:1-3). “Anointing #3: An unnamed woman anointed Jesus’ head at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany two days before the Passover. As the ancients counted this is Wednesday, Nisan the 13th (Matthew 26:1-16: Mark 14:1-11) There are similarities and differences between the two accounts of Jesus being anointed His last week in Jerusalem in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark during the dinner at Bethany two days before the Passover sacrifice compared with the Gospel of John’s account of the dinner at Bethany six days before the Passover:
“John 12:1-13 “The event takes place six days before Passover at Bethany before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm [Passion] Sunday (Jn 12:1; 12-19).
“Matthew 26:1-16
“The event takes place two days before Passover (Mt 26:2) at Bethany (Mt 26:6) after Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm [Passion] Sunday (Mt 21:8-11).
“Mark 14:1-11
“The event takes place two days before Passover at Bethany (Mk 14:1) after Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm [Passion] Sunday (Mk 11:1-10).” xxx
In the interest of balance and fairness, here are the apostles’ versions of the event … plus an investigation by the National Geographic (in video format from Youtube) on the background of Mary Magdalene (second video, at the foot of the apostles’ account. The first video, “Jesus of Nazareth” clip, depicts the dinner as described by St. Luke)
Matthew 26:6-13
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor. Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14:3-9
“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Luke 7:36-50
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[5] and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
John 12:1-8
“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
From the National Geographic: “Published on Mar 13, 2014 The Real Mary Magdalene: The true life of Mary Magdalene is revisited in this Nat Geo documentary. For 1,500 years, Christians regarded the woman so close to Jesus as a reformed prostitute. Now, evidence suggests this may have been part of a devious smear campaign by the early church to remove women from the clergy. Who was the real Mary Magdalene?”
image from wiki commons, artist not indicated
