Saint Mary Magdalene
If Mary Magdalene is mentioned a few rare times in the Gospels, it appears however in the most terrible and dramatic moment in the life of Jesus. Unlike the disciples who fled in fear, and of Peter who denied the Master, she neither denied nor fled. Moved by an unspeakable love of the Lord since his conversion, she remains faithful and present until Holy Sepulchre.
While observing it from a distance with other women and probably a few rare ones faithful like St John, she accompanies Jesus to the Calvary. That’s why, she is one of the saints Patrons of our Association, with the Virgin Mary and St Jean, she forms the 1st honor guard.
She is also present when Joseph of Arimathea lays the body of Jesus in the sepulcher closed by a stone. And it is she who, after the Sabbath, in the pale light of the first day of the week, returns to the tomb, discovers that the stone has been kidnapped and runs to warn Pierre and Jean, who, in turn, discover the absence of the body of the Lord. Mary Magdalene is therefore the first, among all the women who followed Jesus, to proclaim him as the conqueror of death, the first apostle to announce the glorious universal message of Easter.
To highlight the importance of this faithful disciple of Christ, the obligatory memory of Marie Madeleine, was elevated to the rank of Feast on July 22, 2016 by Pope Francis.
For us who are Honor Guards, on that day we can get a plenary indulgence for ourselves or for a deceased person (never for a living person). An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins. He it is necessary for that to desire not to live in the voluntary attachment to a sin even venial, go to confession within a short time (less than 8 days) before or after the date of the feast, pray for the intentions of the Pope, recite the Credo, an Our Father and an I salute Mary, conclude by glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…. and commune with Jesus Eucharist that day. (1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 992-993)