Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, called ἰσαπόστολος in the Byzantine tradition ("Equal-to-the-Apostles") and “apostle to the Apostles” in the West (see the text from the Preface below the picture). As John’s Gospel indicates, she was the original witness to Jesus's resurrection, and was “sent” to the others to testify to Him:
Jesus said to her, "go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'" (John 20:17-18).
