Today we have an early Reformer of the Church versus one of Jesus' first disciples. It is precisely such odd juxtapositions that make Lent Madness so much fun. Will John Huss be re-martyred in the next 24 hours? Or will Mary Magdalene have her name further besmirched? Only time, and your one vote, will tell.
In recent action, Thomas Cranmer soundly defeated Ephrem of Edessa (58% to 42% with 1,825 votes cast) although the vote was a lot closer than the Vegas bookies anticipated. If you didn't catch the latest Monday Madness video featuring Tim and Scott, go watch it right away.
John Huss (1371? - 1415) or Jan Hus, was a Bohemian (born in what is now the Czech Republic) priest, theologian, and professor. Against the backdrop of the papal crisis in the Church known as the Babylonian Captivity during which there were two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon (France), Hus wrote many treatises urging reform of the Church in the face of papal and clergy abuses and corruption a century before Martin Luther posted his famous 95 Theses in Wittenburg. In addition to his objection to the sale of indulgences and the practice of simony (the buying/selling of spiritual things, from sacraments to relics to Holy Orders), Hus was, following John Wycliff, a champion of of broad participation of the laity in the life of the church. He believed that people should be able to own and read their own Bibles in their own tongue and that worship should be conducted in the local language. He denounced the practice of withholding the chalice from everyone except the priests at Holy Communion and argued from his pulpit in Prague (the Bethlehem Chapel) that Christ, not the Pope (neither the French nor the Italian one) was the true head of the Church. For this he was excommunicated for insubordination by his archbishop in 1412.
The excommunication did not put a stop to Hus’ preaching, however, and he continued to minister in Bethlehem Chapel until he went into voluntary exile after his whole town was put under interdict because of him. Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance in Switzerland to defend himself, but his appeals to Scripture in matters of church governance did not win the day, and he was condemned as a heretic along with Wycliff (who was by then 44 years dead and buried) on July 6, 1415.
Hus was chained to a stake and wood and straw were piled up to his neck and set ablaze, and afterwards his ashes were thrown into the Rhine. The new Pope proclaimed a Crusade against his followers, the Hussites, and five Crusades later, a settlement was reached which, among other things, restored communion in both kinds to the laity in Bohemia and Moravia. Today’s Moravian Church traces its roots to Hus and his persecuted followers.
Collect for John Huss: Almighty God, who gave to your servant Jan Hus boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-- Penny Nash
Mary of Magdala (1st century), one of the faithful women who traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry, is arguably his most devoted disciple. But whatever we know about her is filtered through the lens of Gospel stories and myth-making. Author James Carroll notes how she has “served as a scrim onto which a succession of fantasies have been projected.”
Mary Magdalene is often confused with “the sinner” mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus), and unnamed others including the woman possessed by demons. That she was the first witness to the Resurrection of Jesus as Christ is one of the few points of agreement among theologians and Biblical scholars. Despite ongoing disputes about who and what she was, her feast day is celebrated by the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, the Church of England, the Episcopal Church USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as the Roman Catholic Church.
Collect for Mary Magdalene: Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and resigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.
-- Meredith Gould
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109 comments on “John Huss vs. Mary Magdalene”
Poor JH, no matter how many of us are impressed with him, he just can't seem to break past the 35% mark...
Very sad, indeed.
The comments have been as educational for me as the original bios.
Suggestion for a future match-up... Pit Hus against Martin Luther.
I appreciate all the info shared on Mary M... I'm routing for her to go all the way.
Another suggestion for a future match-up -- Mary Magdalene vs. Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. Now that should create an interesting string of comments!
Oh vey!
Now THAT'S what I call an equal match!
The Blessed Virgin Mary already has a crown. She is in a category all her own. She has no need of a golden halo. Let the other saints duke it out for that honor.
So torn, but, in the end, Huss can only truly triumph if thoroughly martyred. Win, win!
John Huss and Mary Magdalene...hmmm, I have to go with Mary Magdalene. John Huss is great, but I just have a gut feeling for this one.
I don't know. I figured Mary was the obvious, but she got to actually meet and hang out with Jesus. What about the whole believing even though I don't see it for real. Huss put up a good fight for good stuff....
If having unflattering stories circulated long after one is too dead to care merits the golden halo, then I'll have you know that John Huss was a Wall Street investment banker (and not one of the ones who goes to Trinity Church), that he kicked puppies, pushed old ladies out into the street, and personally suggested the Star Wars prequels.
Mary has my vote because she may have been portrayed as a harlot to soothe men's egos back then because women were not allowed to hang out with the men. However, she was toally appreciated for her financial support to Jesus and His apostles! She has been so misunderstood for too long! She portrays what "LOVE" could be and what Jesus asks of us to be!
Without Hus, would Martin Luther even have been inspired to post his 95 Theses? That is one of the questions I asked myself before voting. As inpiring as it is that Mary of Magdala was the first to proclaim the risen Christ - to those who already believed in Him and His Godly nature,the strength of faith required to defy, not one but two popes, to defend the right of the laity to communion in both kinds as well as access to the bible in their native language, puts Jan Hus over the top for my vote. He sounds as rebellious as his inspiration, Jesus the Christ, who challenged the authorities of the day by defending the rights of the ordinary people.
I'm going with MM. She is one of the many strong women who followed Jesus and didn't run away when things got tough. And, the women seemed to "get it", as in the case of the woman with the alabaster jar of nard anointing Jesus in anticipation of his impending death. The guys always seemed to be in denial. So, I guess this is a vote for the strong women in the first century Jesus movement.
"Blessed are those who haven't seen me but believe" - even Jesus votes for Huss. How much more blessed are those who haven't seen but get burned at the stake?
Huss never had the experience of seeing the risen Christ but earned it nevertheless. A tough choice
OK, now I'm finallybeginning to get "IT,". [sorry, not Information Technology]. I am not a good evangelizer, etc., but I now know that I should have enlisted the aid of my fellow graduates from a Moravian ( ok, be it known that I am a Cradle Episcopalian) institution to gain more votes for JH. All right I'll let "it" go. Father Tim, you are a genius. None of us would have ever looked at these saints-- certainly not in the same way. Thank you so much. (And to Scott, also, for FM's participatipation). And, BTW, my daughter graduated from Kenyon College, so Philander Chase RULES!
Apostola apostolorum. Why did it take so long for people to get it? She's the greatest, and deserves all the votes she gets! May we all be so healthy and so strong and so smart!
I chose Mary Magdalene as my confirmation saint. Of Course I have to vote for her! Go Magdalene!
I have to vote for Hus--I'm part Bohemian.
Who does these pairings? The BCS committee?