Mary Magdalene as a witness to Jesus’ resurrection as envisioned in the 15th Century by Titian.SUNDAY, JULY 22: Even before “The DaVinci Code,” there was no lack of controversy surrounding today’s featured saint: It’s the feast day of Mary Magdalene.

What Dan Did to Mary: Fans of Dan Brown’s best-selling thriller know that he shoved an avalanche of new Magdalene mysteries over millions of readers—most of the new “clues” dug up from largely forgotten esoteric back alleyways of world religion. If you want a terrific page turner—grab a copy of the novel—but religious leaders and serious historians alike dismiss Brown’s globe-hopping tale as further obscuring the truth about one of the religious world’s great mystery women. (Before we leave Dan Brown—you might have fun checking out his website, clicking on the DaVinci Code and looking through Dan’s photo gallery. Don’t miss the Little Mermaid and Mary Magdalene. No, we’re not kidding about that.)

What’s the Real Mystery? What’s the Truth? The answer depends on where you turn for an answer. Setting aside Dan Brown’s book as pulp fiction—you’ll still find the centuries-old controversy over her life and legacy. Look online this weekend during her feast and you might find Mary Magdalene downplayed as a “prostitute”—or perhaps highly praised as “the world’s first Christian preacher.” The Bible says that she certainly was demon-possessed early in her life—although the nature of that possession is also in dispute. Overall, it depends on your branch of Christianity how your tradition tells Mary Magdalene’s story and how your church describes her legacy to this day.

Mary Magdalene envisioned as a hermit, devoting her life to prayerful isolation after the resurrection, painted by El Greco in the 16th century.Most Gospels cite Mary Magdalene as a treasured disciple of Jesus, one to whom Jesus revealed his deepest secrets. International scholar Karen King even attests that Magdalene “understood Jesus’ teachings better than the other disciples, and was able to preach them.”

The description of Mary Magdalene as the world’s first preacher comes from the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John. Mary was taking care of Jesus’ tomb, so she was the one who discovered the shocking sight of an empty tomb and angels—and then actually saw the risen Christ. John writes: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’ and she told them that he had said these things to her.” (Mark 16 also credits Mary with a first visit by Jesus.)

Especially if your church is a branch of the Christian family tree that ordains women—the “first preacher” claim for Mary Magdalene is particularly important. However, the Catholic story of Mary Magdalene places the emphasis elsewhere.

Many Christian leaders interpret the demons that Jesus cast out of Mary as evidence that she was a prostitute. Down through the centuries, she often was described as a tragically fallen woman at the time Jesus met her. But those details don’t appear in the Bible. It wasn’t until Pope Gregory the Great’s homily in September of 591 that a link was made between Mary Magdalene’s demons and prostitution—and somehow, the female disciple has never escaped this lingering association. (Magdalene’s reputation carries into various films and stage adaption, including “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which will debut in London this September and star former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm as Magdalene.)

From the beginning, Mary Magdalene had to fight for her place among the disciples. (Read more from the Smithsonian Magazine.) Gnostic writings describe tension and jealousy between the 12 disciples and Magdalene—with Peter particularly jealous over her relationship with Jesus. (Wikipedia has details.) Although the Gospels do not describe the two as having any type of romantic relationship, we do have descriptions of Jesus kissing Mary and his close relationship with her was enough to fuel centuries of salacious art, music and literature.

Mary Magdalene is recognized officially as a saint in Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and the Eastern Orthodox churches, and she is recognized in Baha’ism as a heroine of faith. Ironically, no one knows what happened to Magdalene after she reported her Resurrection vision. Magdalene all but drops out of the New Testament.

Later writers added their own Epilogue—often casting her as an austerely isolated Christian hermit. This neatly removed her from early church leadership and allowed centuries of artists to envision a scantily clad Mary Magdalene in various wilderness settings. To this day, she is the most frequently painted subject from the New Testament after Jesus, his mother Mary and John the Baptist.

St. Vladimir was enticed by the beauty of Christian Orthodoxy. Photo in public domainSUNDAY, JULY 15: A Russian saint compared with figures no less sacred than the holy Apostles takes the spotlight today, as Orthodox, Catholic and Western Christians venerate the Holy Great Prince Vladimir.

While several Christian saints born into wealth or nobility later renounced that life, St. Vladimir maintained his royal role until his death—all the while using his power to change the course of history in Russia. Born a pagan, traditional accounts hold that Vladimir’s early days were filled with murder and barbarianism; it wasn’t until his envoys explained a land so stunning that they “knew not whether [we] were in Heaven or on Earth” that Vladimir became interested in Christianity. The rest of his life was spent baptizing the people of his nation into Russian Orthodoxy. (Wikipedia has details.) At his funeral, his evanglisation of the Russian land was compared to the evangelization of the first Apostles.

Where did he arise? When a renowned prophetess became pregnant by Sviatoslav I of Kiev, a son was born in 958 CE: Vladimir. As an adult, Vladimir was given Novgorod by his father, but following his father’s death, civil war ensued between his half-brothers. Forced out of Novgorod by a half-brother who had already murdered another half-brother, Vladimir fled to Scandinavia. Three years later, Vladimir returned to Russia with an army, killed his murderous half-brother and became sole ruler of Russia.

Vladimir, filled with contentment, continued to expand his pagan kingdom—until two brave Christians stood up against him. It was custom to sacrifice human lives to the pagan gods, but when one Christian child was chosen, his father chastised the falseness of the gods. A mob soon killed the father and son (both of whom were later regarded as the first Russian Christian martyrs), but Vladimir just couldn’t get the father’s words out of his mind. Dissatisfied, Vladimir sent his envoys in search of the “perfect religion” of neighboring nations.

One day, the envoys came across the dazzling Constantinople and described a service “fairer than the ceremonies of other nations.” It’s unclear whether Vladimir was entranced by Orthodox’s beauty or the political gains of an alliance with the Byzantine Church. Whatever his prime motives may have been, he soon married a Byzantine princess and was baptized. (Get an Eastern Christian perspective from the Orthodox Church in America.) In Kiev, he demolished pagan monuments, built churches and Orthodox schools, constructed Orthodox monasteries and converted all of the Kievan realm to Christianity. It was with him that the Slavic pagan period of Russia ended, and the Christian period began.

FOR THE GRAND PRINCE OF KIEV—MAKE CHICKEN KIEV?

Though he is most highly regarded in the Orthodox Christian Church, Roman Catholics and other Western Catholics venerate St. Vladimir, too. What better way to honor the renowned ruler of the Kievan realm than to make a recipe named after his territory? Find a recipe for Chicken Kiev at AllRecipes! Yes, we are aware that the history of this particular dish goes back only about a century and there are some versions of culinary history that place its creation in a Soviet-era restaurant. We suggest this with a smile mainly because Chicken Kiev, today, is so easily available across the U.S.

Want a meal with deeper roots in Kiev? OK, roll up your sleeves and get ready for some Kapusniak or Rosolnyk; then, maybe a hearty main dish of Varenyky (yes, they’re Ukrainian versions of Pierogi dumplings); then relax after the main course with some sweet Syrniki.

In this stained glass image, Ss. Peter and Paul appear to St. Dominic. Photo in public domainFRIDAY, JUNE 29: The rocks of the Christian Church are memorialized in ancient customs today, on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. (Simon’s given name by Jesus, “Peter,” literally means “the Rock.”) Among the first Christian martyrs of Rome, Ss. Peter and Paul have been celebrated since the infancy of the Church; they’re both buried in Rome and pilgrims flock there to this day. (Wikipedia has details.) Nonetheless, it remains of debate whether June 29 is the anniversary of their death or of the translation of their relics.

Upon meeting Jesus, Simon left his family and occupation on the Sea of Galilee to follow Jesus. Even after Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter continued to promote and preach as a leader on behalf of Christ’s ideals. Catholic tradition claims that Peter became Rome’s first bishop, and he died as a martyr in 66 or 67 CE. St. Peter was buried on the hill of the Vatican, on the site of the current basilica of St. Peter’s.

Following years of service and missionary work for Christianity, Paul was taken prisoner in Rome and eventually beheaded. St. Paul wrote many letters during his lifetime—some of them now considered sacred “books” of the New Testament. Tradition holds that he was buried beneath what is now the basilica of St. Paul. Through the centuries, millions of Christians have taken pilgrimages to Rome on behalf of these two famous saints. (Read Pope Bendict’s 2005 homily for this feast here.)

MEALS AND MULTI-MEDIA FOR THE FEAST

Looking for a way to venerate these two saints at home? Try checking out recipes for this feast at CatholicCulture. Or, check out the Vatican’s remarkable multimedia tour of the burial site of St. Peter at the Vatican. (That website uses video and other multimedia, so pour a fresh cup of tea or coffee and settle back before beginning this fascinating tour.) A different kind of online multimedia tour is provided, now, of the Vatican’s Pauline Chapel. When you visit this page, let a high-resolution pattern of photos download, then move your cursor to “look around” in the chapel. (To enjoy both tours, a fairly fast Internet connection is recommended.)

A popular way to observe Trinity Sunday is with symbols of the Trinity in the home—such as the tricolor Viola. Photo in public domainSUNDAY, JUNE 3: A central and unfathomable mystery of the Christian faith takes center stage today, on the feast of Trinity Sunday. White shines from the décor and vestments of most Western churches, as the faithful ponder the one God that is three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. For many centuries, Christian leaders have taught that this mysterious truth must be believed by true followers of the faith. (For a look at the Catholic approach to this truth, visit FishEaters.)

Though the Holy Trinity is honored every Sunday, this day was officially introduced in the ninth century to focus on this particular doctrine.

In search of a special prayer? The Athanasian Creed—which used to be recited several Sundays each year—was reduced to one day a year in 1960: Trinity Sunday. Catholics will hear this passage, but many Christian churches across the U.S. that do mark Trinity Sunday, don’t use that text anymore.

For Christians, a joyous Gospel passage proclaims that God’s nature has been revealed: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” (Wikipedia has details.) The sacrament of holy communion still is celebrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. Believers hold that all members of the Blessed Trinity are equal, uncreated and infinite.

It’s said that no mortal can truly grasp the concept of the Holy Trinity, but efforts can be made! Try picking a shamrock today, or a viola tricolor; light a candle with three flames; or decorate a home altar with symbols of the Trinity. (CatholicCulture.org has more ideas. And, if you’d like to learn more about the viola tricolor, visit the American Violet Society’s page for this delightful little blossom.

Trinity Sunday falls the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian Church each year, and on Pentecost Sunday in the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church.