Mary Magdalene saw everything in her world fall apart - she had no idea that a miracle was going to happen Sunday morning. That same test of faith and courage is what people are facing today. Mary Magdalene's experience gives us hope!
NEW YORK (PRWEB) April 06, 2020
"Mary Magdalene's Stations of the Cross" is a surprising, beautiful and uplifting little book that brings fresh energy to a centuries-old Good Friday tradition reframing the events from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, interweaving them with history, archeology and gorgeous photos of the actual sites on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.
"Perhaps surprisingly, there is a great deal the Stations that can help us in dealing with a crisis, once you humanize the Stations and bring them to life", notes author Ann Regimbal "The people we encounter - Mary Magdalene, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, Joseph of Arimathea - these were all ordinary people who stepped up and did something noble amidst a horrific situation - even if it was something small. Each of the 14 Stations in the book are designed to help people tap into that nobility - to bring the very best of themselves to the tough issues that we confront in facing a crisis."
Regimbal largely avoids the age-old debate over WHAT Mary Magdalene was - the penitent prostitute of European art of the secret wife of the Da Vinci Code - and focuses instead on WHO she was: A strong courageous woman, virtually unstoppable at the time of the crucifixion! But the author notes that Mary Magdalene, herself, probably faltered at times, "Easter Saturday must have been a 'dark night of soul' for her. She had just seen everything in her world fall apart. She had no idea what was going to happen the very next day! That same test of faith and courage amidst an entirely different sort of crisis is what people are facing right now. And they need hope. Mary Magdalene's experience gives us hope."
Perhaps equally important at the time of COVID-19, "Mary Magdalene's Stations of the Cross" enables those who can't attend church this year to partake in a unique Good Friday/Easter experience - an armchair spiritual exercise using the actual sites of the Stations in Jerusalem with plenty of history and archeology woven in. A final chapter is devoted to the archeological finds at Magdala, Israel and the insights they provide on Mary Magdalene's life there, including a first century synagogue where Jesus undoubtedly preached and a Jewish purification bath, or miqva'ot, she may even have bathed in, herself. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the ongoing archeology at Magdala.