Mary Magdalene Page #3

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free to speak here.

JOHN:

It's not our place to judge.

PETER:

But we will be judged.

(FLY BUZZING)

When you were younger,

did you ever think,

if you looked away

from something,

that it may just disappear?

(CHUCKLES)

I'll miss the lake.

My brothers and I used to see how

long we could hold our breath

under the water in the lake,

how deep into the weeds

we could swim.

I loved it down there.

It was like I didn't need my body.

I didn't need the earth.

And then I would rise up

into the air, into the light.

Is that what it feels like

to be one with God?

No one has ever asked me

how it feels.

Are they arguing?

They sounded like soldiers.

- Do you want to be a soldier?

- No.

Although I'm not sure

what matters to a woman

is of much account here.

Why do you say that?

The women in Magdala,

they were too afraid.

They were too afraid

to be baptized with the men.

And they can't follow you.

Forgive me.

(MEN SNORING)

(THOMAS PRAYING IN HEBREW)

(ALL PRAYING IN HEBREW)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

The synagogue is

on the other side of town.

This is not a place for men.

(WOMEN MURMURING)

Well, unless he intends to

wash his robes,

- I think he means to teach here.

- WOMAN 1:
Jesus.

WOMAN 2:

It's Jesus.

Because of her?

Mary.

He's waiting. Look.

What shall I teach?

Are we so different from men you

must teach us different things?

We are women.

Our lives are not our own.

Your spirit's your own.

And you alone answer for that.

And your spirit

is precious to God,

as precious as

that of your husband

or your father.

Then who should we obey?

If God commands one thing,

but our husbands, our fathers,

tell us another?

You must follow God.

So are we to defy them

and leave our lives behind?

Yes.

Though they judge you,

persecute you,

you must forgive them.

Forgive them?

A year ago, a woman from Sana...

Many of us knew her here.

She was young.

Her husband found her

with another man,

and he and his brothers,

they dragged her to the river,

and they raped her.

And after they were done,

they drowned her.

In the court, before they were

sentenced, one of them repented,

"God forgive me."

But I'm not God, Father.

How does it feel to carry

that hate in your heart?

Does it lessen

as the months go by?

It seeps into your days,

your nights,

until it consumes everything

you once were.

Those men,

they too were filled with hate.

You are strong, sister.

But you must forgive.

There is no other way

to enter the kingdom of God.

Will you join us?

Will you be born anew?

(WOMEN SINGING IN HEBREW)

I baptize you with water.

I baptize you with light

and with fire

to be born anew, awake,

and ready for the day to come.

I baptize you with water.

I baptize you with light

and with fire

to be born anew, awake,

and ready for the day to come.

Judas, wake up!

- What?

- James, the rabbi's leaving.

JUDAS:

What's wrong?

- Move.

- PETER:
Come on, hurry.

- JAMES:
Mary, what's happening?

- ANDREW:
Where is he?

(WATER TRICKLING)

(WOMEN WEEPING)

(WEEPING CONTINUES)

(WOMEN WAILING)

You're the healer.

I prayed for you to come,

but it's too late.

(WHISPERING PRAYER

IN OTHER LANGUAGE)

(BREATHING DEEPLY)

(ALL GASP)

(JESUS BREATHING SHAKILY)

(GROANS)

(WOMEN GASPING)

Now I know that

you are the Son of God.

And the people will

shout it from the rooftops.

Lazarus.

Peter, we need to get back to

the mountains, and quickly.

PETER:

No, this is what we've been waiting for.

(WOMEN CRYING WITH JOY)

MARY:

Rabbi?

I saw it so clearly.

And now it's slipping away.

What is?

(JESUS CRYING)

This life.

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

I can feel the blood

running through your veins.

I can see light in your eyes.

You're here now.

I'm here.

Be here with me.

But the path,

it goes into darkness.

And I Will walk it With you.

Jerusalem.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

ANDREW:

Come to Jerusalem. Join us.

Spread the word.

Come with us to Jerusalem.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

You've given this gift

of your faith.

And your faith lights up

the whole world.

So I will give you

a gift of prayer.

It is the prayer of the Baptist.

It is the prayer of the humble

and the meek

and the poor in spirit

and those who hunger

to know God's true kingdom,

the kingdom which will be

yours in the days to come.

Mary.

Go to them while they pray.

Bless them.

Be my hands.

MARY:

May the Lord be with you.

Lord,

hallowed be Your name.

Peace be with you.

JESUS:

Your kingdom come.

Give us today

the bread of tomorrow.

May the Lord be with you.

Peace be upon you.

And forgive us our debts.

(WHISPERING PRAYER)

For we forgive everyone

who is indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the test.

(WHISPERS)

May peace be upon you.

Amen.

(ALL SPEAKING HEBREW)

Messiah.

Messiah.

(ALL CHANTING)

(CHANTING CONTINUES)

ls it beginning?

Send everyone

out to preach, heal.

Spread the message

as if I were with you, Peter.

Take Mary with you alone.

Be my apostles.

Yes.

(CHANTING CONTINUES)

Did he say what he saw?

I think it was a vision

of what's to come.

The kingdom.

We need to gather more people.

Jerusalem.

Passover

That is where he'll begin it.

How?

I haven't questioned him.

I think he's afraid to go.

(SCOFFS)

He's afraid of what

God might ask of him next.

Our rabbi fears nothing.

I'm glad for his humility.

Are you?

There are a few hundred

people in the village.

I'll find somewhere to teach

while you gather them together.

Romans.

We must be careful.

MARY:

They've destroyed everything.

Where are the people?

(FLIES BUZZING)

(WOMAN MOANING WEAKLY)

PETER:

Everyone that could has fled.

Please, God, deliver us.

- Where are you going?

- They need water.

Mary, we can't stay here.

Mary!

These people

are beyond our help.

There's nothing we can do.

We need to move to other towns.

Mary!

We need to baptize

those who are able to join us.

He himself has...

He himself has told us!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(WOMAN CRYING)

(CHILD WHIMPERING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Mary, we must go.

It's her time.

Take the child.

(WOMAN GROANING)

Come, child. Come, come.

Come. Peace, peace, child.

(SHUSHING)

(CONTINUES GROANING)

Look at me.

Look at me.

You are seen and heard

in every act of care.

You answer to God

with every act of love.

(WHISPERING PRAYER

IN OTHER LANGUAGE)

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

(SNIFFLES) Stay, child. Stay!

(HORSE NEIGHING)

PETER:

My son was

hiding my tools in the sand.

And suddenly,

he was there.

Jesus of Nazareth.

He called my name.

That's all.

And it was like everything

that I had in my life,

they were like

those pictures painted on glass.

And he became the only

real thing in the world.

But what you did

in the village...

Mercy.

That was mercy.

Who is that?

His mother.

(CHUCKLES)

He sent for you?

Why?

Does a son need a reason

to ask for his mother?

I used to call

for my mother in the night.

She died when

I was just a little girl.

I would wake up

just before dawn,

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