Today we celebrate Ss. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus!

But was St. Mary of Bethany the same as St. Mary Magdalene?

Some people think Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are the same person mainly because they see strong overlaps in Gospel details and because later Western tradition found a way to harmonize the Gospel accounts into one coherent profile of “the woman who anointed Jesus.”

In the Greek tradition the “sinner” of Luke 7, Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus), and Mary Magdalene were generally distinguished, but “most of the Latins” held that these were one and the same—and it notes that “it is impossible to demonstrate the identity of the three.”  The key reason Western tradition often leaned toward identification is that different Gospel passages appear to describe similar anointing scenes (a woman anointing Jesus in connection with his journey toward the Passion), and readers then infer that the same woman is being referred to across different contexts.  

Once the Church’s worship and preaching commonly assumed one identity, many people read the Gospel data through that lens, seeking a single “Mary” behind the recurring themes of repentance, devotion, and anointing, rather than treating the figures as distinct.

If you also believe St. Mary of Bethany to be St. Mary Magdalene, bring home her relics to call upon her intercession.