Irina Kuzminsky presented a
paper of some of her work on Mary Magdalene to the Spiritual Reading Group in
the Carmelite Library on Tuesday the 18th of July. Here are the texts
from that presentation, in order. They include works from Scripture and Tradition,
and poems by Irina Kuzminsky
1. Kontakion
When God, who is transcendent in essence,
Came with flesh into
the world, O Myrrhbearer,
He received you as a
true disciple, for you turned all your love toward Him;
Henceforth you would
yourself work many healings.
Now that you have
passed into heaven, never cease to intercede for the world!
Kontakion
Standing before the
Cross of the Saviour,
Suffering with the
Mother of the Lord,
The most glorious
Mary Magdalene offered praise with tears.
She cried out: What
is this strange wonder?
He who holds the
whole creation in His hand chooses to suffer:
Glory, O Lord to
Your Power!
2. Pope Gregory I, Homily 33, 591 AD
She whom Luke calls
the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom
seven devils were ejected according to Mark. And what did these seven devils
signify, if not all the vices? ... It is clear, brothers, that the woman
previously used the unguents to perfume her flesh in forbidden acts. What she
therefore displayed more scandalously, she was now offering to God in a more
praiseworthy manner... She had displayed her hair to set off her face, but now
her hair dries her tears...
3. Philip 48
A pearl thrown into the mud does not lose its value.
4. The Magdalens
Magdalen penitent
Upon her knees
Red hair cascading to reveal a curve of breasts
Should it not rather be the painters
Penitent
For using her for their great sanctioned pleasure?
Yet even in such guise
Her image burned with brightness
And she lived on in furtive fantasies of pleasure
Thus unforgotten though maligned
She waited patiently
Until her time would come.
Irina Kuzminsky
5. Micah 4:8-9, 11
And to you, o Migdal-eder,
Watchtower of the
Flock,
stronghold of the
daughter of Zion,
unto you shall the former
dominion be restored,
the kingdom of
daughter Jerusalem.
Now why do you cry?
Have you no king?
Has your counsellor
perished, that you are seized with pains like a woman in labour?
…
Now many nations are
assembled against you, saying, 'Let her be profaned...'
6. Encountering the Mansions of my Soul
…
after Teresa of Avila
Seven demons He cast out of you –
– They called you sinner –
Seven mansions form the crystal castle of my soul
Seven times the Law said that a man should be forgiven
Seven times seventy You told us to forgive them when they
fall
Seven centres spin within us subject to defilement
Seven sins of avarice and gluttony and lust
Sloth, anger, jealousy, and pride
Seven centres which He chose in you to purify.
Seven demons He cast out when you first met Him –
– They had their pleasure in imagining how you sinned –
Seven centres glowed so bright within you
That you could learn the inner paths from Him
Dwelling within you He could lead you
Into the insubstantial realms
Drinking in wisdom no longer distorted
You did not fear to question Him.
Seven are the mansions of my soul’s palace
Yours were pure crystal and dazzlingly clean
And at the centre of those seven mansions
In you was pure space
And God dwelt within.
Irina Kuzminsky
7. Mark 14:8-9
"... she has
anointed my body beforehand for burying, and truly, I say to you, wherever the
gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory
of her."
8. In Memory of Her
Who will remember her
with precious nard anointing
the Bridegroom King
The broken alabaster jar
the sudden rush of perfume
the costly ointment
poured onto His head
She knew as He did
that His earthbound walk was almost at an end
so she anointed Israel’s King
prepared His head for the sharp crowning
foresaw the broken body laid out in a cave
and heard the crashing of His human hopes
dashed on the rocks of God’s command
Yet she could see beyond this agony
beyond the hurried burial of a man
into the hidden heart of God’s amazing dream
And she anointed Him
a Victor and a Heavenly King.
• • •
He saw her vision and was grateful for her strength
Accepted then and there where His life’s path had led
Bid His disciples: this you’ll tell in Memory of Her
When you remember Me remember also her.
• • •
But memory’s selective and has played its tricks
and so her priestly gesture of anointing
by Luke’s sweet sinner was subsumed
the one who grovelled at the Master’s feet
(John says that it was Mary, greatly loved,
sister of Martha and of Lazarus,
who’d chosen for herself the better part,
and thus no sinner
who did wipe His feet)
But men prefer to see the other
in her rightful place – close to the earth,
repentant, weeping, meek –
and loving many much –
and for this – by them judged
Yet was it not in memory of her
the long-haired sinner
and her many loves
that He did wash His own disciples’ feet?
They could not have a part in Him without this washing,
this He taught,
full conscious that her own part was in Him.
Irina Kuzminsky
9. John 20:16, 17-18
Jesus said to her,
‘Mary.’
She turned and said
to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ [My
beloved master!]
‘… but go to my brethren and say to them,
I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’
Mary Magdalene went
and said to the disciples,
‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said
these things to her.
10. A Song from the Manichaean
Psalms of Heracleides (extracts)
Mary, Mary, know me,
but do not touch me.
Dry the tears of
your eyes,
and know that I am
your master,
only do not touch
me,
for I have not yet
seen my father’s face.
…
Cast this sadness
away
and perform this
service.
Be my messenger to
these lost orphans.
Hurry, with joy, go
to the eleven …
Use all your skill
and knowledge
until you bring the
sheep to the shepherd.
…
Rabbi, my master, I shall
carry out your instructions
with joy in my whole
heart.
I shall not let my
heart rest,
I shall not let my
eyes sleep,
I shall not let my
feet relax
until I bring the
sheep to the fold.
Glory and triumph to
the soul of blessed Mary.
11. Bearing Witness
My eyes have seen the risen Lord.
My heart knew then the Living One could have no fear of
death.
For I have seen what I have seen
And I have heard what I have heard
And I have felt the joy I felt
And nothing nothing now can force me
to
unsee unhear unfeel
His living presence.
Irina Kuzminsky
12. Gospel of Thomas 2
Jesus said to them,
‘When you make the
two into one,
and when you make
the inner like the outer
and the outer like
the inner, and the upper like the lower,
and when you make male and female into a
single one,
so that the male
will not be male, nor the female be female …
then you will enter
the kingdom.’
Philip 77
All will be clothed
in light when they enter into the mystery of the sacred embrace.
13. Gospel of Philip 32
There were three who
always walked with the Lord.
Mary, his mother;
Mary, her sister;
And Mary Magdalene,
who is called his companion;
For Mary is his
sister, his mother, and his companion.
Philip 55
The companion of the
Saviour is Mary Magdalene. The Saviour loved her more than all the disciples,
and he kissed her often on her mouth.
When the other
disciples saw how he loved Miriam, they asked him: 'Why do you love her more
than all of us?'
The Saviour answered
and said to them, "How can it be that I do not love you as much as I love
her?”
14. Philip 31
The realized human
is fertilized by a kiss, and is born through a kiss.
15. Gospel of Mary 10
Mary stood up,
greeted them all, and said to her brothers,
"Do not weep or
grieve or be in doubt, for his grace will be with you all and will protect you.
Rather, let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly
human.”
When Mary said this,
she turned their hearts to the good and they began to discuss the words of the
Saviour.
Peter said to Mary,
"Sister, we know that the Saviour loved you more than all other women.
Tell us the words of the Saviour that you remember, the things which you know
that we don't because we haven't heard them.”
Mary responded, "What
is hidden from you I shall reveal to you.” And she began to speak these words
to them.
16. Apostola – Bearing
Testimony
They come to me with all their needs
To drink your Wisdom from my lips
Your Living Word flows through me
And I teach.
I testify to Truth
For I have seen its human Face
I testify to Love
For I have felt its divine Trace
Which traced my outline
Through your gaze
Which saw me, knew me,
Healed my depths,
Unlocked my heart
Unlocked my sight
Unlocked my hearing –
So now I testify to You
The revelation of Your life
The splendour of Your risen state
Thus
When they come with all their needs,
Your Living Word flows through me
And I teach.
Irina Kuzminsky
17. Mary 17
Peter voiced similar
concerns …
‘Did he really speak
with a woman in private, without our knowledge? Should we all turn and listen
to her? Did he really choose her over us?’ (or ”Did he prefer her to us?’)
…
Levi answered and
said to Peter, “Peter, you always are angry. Now I see you arguing against this
woman like the adversaries. If the Saviour made her worthy, who are you to
reject her? Surely the Saviour knows her well. That is why he has loved her
more than us.
Rather, we should be
ashamed. We should clothe ourselves with the perfect human, acquire it for
ourselves as he commanded us, and announce the good news, not laying down any
other rule or law other than what the Saviour said.”
18. Pistis Sophia
Blessed Mary, you
whom I shall complete with mysteries on high, speak openly, for you are one
whose heart is set on heaven's kingdom more than all your brothers.
…
When Mary finished
saying these things, Jesus said, "Well done, Mary. You are more blessed
than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullness and the
completion of completions."
…
Peter stepped
forward and said to Jesus, "My master, we cannot endure this woman who
gets in our way and does not let any of us speak, though she talks all the
time."
Jesus answered and
said to his disciples, "Let anyone in whom the power of the spirit has
arisen, so that the person understands what I say, come forward and
speak."
…
Mary, “thou pure of
the light”
19. Pistis Sophia
Mary came forward
and said, “My master, I understand in my mind that I can come forward at any
time to interpret what Pistis Sophia has said, but I am afraid of Peter,
because he threatens me and hates our gender.”
[Jesus replies:]
“Any of those filled
with the spirit of light will come forward to interpret what I say: no one will
be able to oppose them.”
20. Dialogue of the Saviour
Mary said, 'I want
to understand all things, just as they are.'
…
Mary said, 'Master,
you are awesome and marvellous,
And like a devouring
fire to those who do not know you.'
…
This word she spoke
as a woman who knew the All.
…
I have told you, the
one who can see reveals.
Additional materials
“Why do you pass
judgement on me,
though I have not passed judgement?”
Mary 15
“Henceforth I travel
toward Repose,
where time rests in
the Eternity of Time;
I go now into Silence.”
Mary 17
“The Spirit and the
Bride say: ‘Come!’
Let all who hear
say: ‘Come!’
May all who thirst
drink freely
of the Water of Life.”
Revelation 22:17
Preaching the Word of Love (words after the Gospel of
Mary)
Authority can be possessed by
all
And blessed are the ones who do
the inner work to hear
Humility can be a cause for
pride
Humiliation’s power leads to a
fall
Help those who need it or
who’ve fallen on hard times
For what you do to one is done
to all
And you yourself of all partake
as one
Know that God’s joy
Is to see joy in all your eyes
And if you would be perfect in
God’s sight
Then strive to be pure in your
thoughts and heart
And thus perfected – serve
For God has need of hands and
eyes
And God can use your ears and
tongue
And God can send you words to
speak
And grant you visions through
your mind
God is our Father-Mother full
of love
As close nay closer than your
breath
God is your Lover and your
Friend
Yet ‘neath these many faces
There is One
One Source, One Being and One
Power,
One Presence and a burning Fire
…
Yet I did know and love a human
face
Which faced the Faceless and
was not burnt up
And through it we approached
the Fire
And basked in God’s reflected
Light.
Irina Kuzminsky
Miriam the Magdalene
How shall I look beyond so many layers of faces
To glimpse your face
O Watchtower of the Flock
For we have made of you the sum of prejudice and aspiration
Reviled and honoured
Priestess, wife and whore
And any other image which could serve imagined needs
And justify opinions
Or fill up our lack
All this we saw in you –
All you have been
Your outline still a beautiful seduction to our minds
Which found the content that best suited their delusions and
their dreams
Yet – even so –
Maria Magdalena
Your image shines despite all slander, wish fulfilment and
denials
For you were of the one we call the Saviour
Companion and Beloved
Witness and Priestess
And you’ve become the space
Which a real woman could inhabit
The Space of Love, of Passion,
Inner Knowing and courageous Faith.
Irina Kuzminsky
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