Seekers and Friends · Week 3 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Mary Magdalene
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Mary Magdalene
A disciple from Galilee
Mary came from blank 1, a town on the Sea of Galilee. Almost everything we know about her comes from the four Gospels.
Luke says that seven demons had gone out of her. He gives no details, but it means Jesus freed her from serious suffering.
She then chose to follow him. Luke names her first among the women who traveled with Jesus and the blank 2 and paid for the group’s needs from their own resources.
In her time a woman’s word counted for little in public life. Jesus welcomed women as blank 3 anyway.
Mary’s story, then and since
Write what happened at each point.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| c. 28–30 | Write your answer |
| Good Friday | Write your answer |
| Easter | Write your answer |
| c. 591 | Write your answer |
| 1969 | Write your answer |
| 2016 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
What do the Gospels actually say about Mary Magdalene’s past? Circle one.
- A Jesus drove seven demons out of her
- B She had been a prostitute in Magdala
- C She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus
- D She was caught breaking the law of Moses
Why is that the right answer?
The cross and the garden
When Jesus was arrested, most of the disciples fled. Mary Magdalene stayed. The Gospels place her near the cross and at the burial.
Before dawn on blank 4 she returned to the tomb and found the stone moved. She ran to tell Peter, then came back and stood there weeping.
She saw a man she took for the gardener. He said, “Mary!” She answered, “Rabbouni,” which means blank 5.
Jesus sent her to his brothers. She told them, “I have seen the Lord.” blank 6 and Mark report that the disciples did not believe the women at first.
Why her?
Why does the Church call Mary Magdalene the “Apostle of the Apostles”? Circle one.
- A She was the leader of the twelve apostles
- B She wrote down what the apostles preached
- C Jesus sent her to announce his rising to them
- D She traveled with Paul on his long journeys
Why is that the right answer?
Witness or rumor?
Mary reported what she saw herself. Later, people repeated things about her that no Gospel says. Sort each action: honest witness, or spreading a rumor? Check one box for each.
| Item | Honest witness | Spreading a rumor |
|---|---|---|
| Telling a teacher what you saw happen at recess | ||
| Reposting a claim about a classmate you cannot check | ||
| Saying “I don’t know if that’s true” in a group chat | ||
| Sharing a screenshot with the context cut off | ||
| Correcting a false story about someone, even late | ||
| Passing on an AI-made image as if it were real | ||
| Asking the person directly before believing a post |
Cause and effect
How did the idea that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute begin? Circle one.
- A The Gospel of John describes her past in detail
- B A Church council declared it in the first century
- C Her own letters to the apostles mention it
- D A sermon joined her with an unnamed woman in Luke 7
Why is that the right answer?
Virtues Mary lived
For each virtue, write how the saint lived it.
| Virtue | How the saint lived it |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | Write your answer |
| Courage | Write your answer |
| Gratitude | Write your answer |
Think, pair, share
Mary stayed in person when staying was dangerous and sad. Online, it is easy to send a quick reaction and move on. What does really staying with a friend look like, both face to face and through a screen?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “Really staying with someone means ...”“A message helps when ..., but it cannot ...”“One time someone stayed with me was ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“I have seen the Lord.”
John 20:18
Risen Lord, you called Mary by her name.
Give us courage to stay when staying is hard.
Make us honest witnesses, online and in person.
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Mary Magdalene stayed, saw and told. The Church honors her on July 22 as the Apostle of the Apostles.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Mary Magdalene shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Before you share anything about another person this week, ask: Did I see this myself, and would I say it to their face?