A FEW years ago, the Sophia Christian Feminist Group arranged a seminar on Mary Magdalene. Two biblical scholars who spoke about the references to her in the Bible said the Bible does not describe her as a fallen woman, a great sinner or a prostitute.

The people at the seminar were very surprised. They had never heard Mary Magdalene described as anything else, and had been told many times that she was the sinful woman forgiven by Jesus.

But the Bible does not say that she was that woman. The name of that woman is not given in the Bible. One or two people felt that they would lose that beautiful story if the woman was not Mary Magdalene. But we don't know the names of many people who were ministered to by Jesus, and yet we remember the stories.

The main reason why Mary Magdalene's name was attached to the sinful woman, it emerged at the seminar, was the incorrect interpretation of the Bible's description of her as a person from whom "seven devils had gone out" (Luke 8:2). This was interpreted to mean she was a prostitute.

But nowhere in the Gospels is the casting out of evil spirits seen as an indication of immoral sexual behaviour. The casting out of evil spirits is associated with the curing of illnesses.

In Matthew's Gospel we are told that the people brought to Jesus "a demoniac who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see" (12:22). In Luke's Gospel, Jesus healed a crippled woman and said: "Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for 18 long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" (13:16).

It was made clear at the seminar that the association of casting out seven devils with immoral sexual behaviour is incorrect and is rejected by biblical scholars everywhere. The Catholic Church has now officially dropped that interpretation, and changed the gospel read on the feast day of Mary Magdalene (July 22nd) from the story of the sinful woman to the account of the Resurrection.

But many churchmen continue to hold on to the old error about "seven devils", and the real role of Mary Magdalene has not yet entered into public consciousness. Her centuries old imaginary role as prostitute continues to overshadow her real role as witness to the Resurrection of Jesus.

The Bible's accounts of the Resurrection are at the heart of the gospel story of Mary Magdalene.

During the seminar, the different accounts of the Resurrection were examined. Mary Magdalene is mentioned in five of the six Gospel narratives, and is always the first person named, which indicates her leadership role. In John's Gospel she is sent by the risen Jesus to give the news of his resurrection to the apostles. She went, and said: "I have seen the Lord."

The words "I have seen the Lord" made a deep impression at the seminar. The reports from the discussion groups said many people were hearing the words for the first time, and finding new energies in seeing themselves as disciples with responsibility for spreading the gospel message.

The reason they were hearing these words for the first time is that they never heard them at Mass on Sundays. The part of the Gospel that includes these words is not read on any Sunday, not even on Easter Sunday. The Easter Sunday Gospel stops short just at the appearance of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene. That omission is a great loss.

The Catholic Church in Canada is reported to have recently decided to include that part of the Gospel Ion Easter Sunday. We should all ask for the same decision to be made here.

The Canadian decision was mentioned in a recent talk by Ruth Fox OSB, and published in the American journal, Liturgy (May/June 1996). Her talk was on "Women of the Bible" and it showed the extent to which passages about women have been omitted from the selections made for the lectionary to be read on Sundays and weekdays.

Among the omissions are two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, who risked their own lives by defying the pharaoh's law of death in order to uphold God's law of life. Deborah, named a prophet and judge of Israel, is passed over, as also is the prophet, Huldah, who spoke God's warnings to the king.

The passage on the Maccabee brothers' heroism which is read on Sundays stops short of the tribute to their mother, who encouraged their bravery. The Bible says that she was most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance.

Many women of the New Testament are omitted or made "optional" in the lectionary. The account of the crippled woman, "a daughter of Abraham" healed by Jesus, is not read on any Sunday.

The women leaders found in the Acts of the Apostles - Tabitha, Lydia and Priscilla - do not appear in Sunday readings. Phoebe, Lois and Eunice do not appear at all and the reading about the prophet, Anna, is optional.

The Gospel of Matthew is used for the Palm Sunday passion reading. Although this account begins with the anointing of Jesus on the head by a woman, the lectionary omits these verses and thus excludes the words of Jesus: "Truly I tell you, wherever this Gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." (Mall. 26:13).

It is obvious that the lectionary needs to be completely overhauled. The immediate need is to see that the Canadian example is followed elsewhere, so that people can hear the message Mary Magdalene was commissioned to give to the disciples on the first Easter morning: "I have seen the Lord."