Mary, Mary, quite contrary!

In his address today, "Mary, Mary, quite contrary!" Kris focuses on the enigma of Mary Magdalene and as shown in the earlier part of the Gospel of Mark and in the "Gospel of Mary", part of the New Testament Apocrypha:
- her closeness to Jeshua - "his companion";
- her status and her "fortitude" amongst the disciples;
- her prominence at the crucifixion;
- her participation in the procession from the cross to the tomb;
- her intimate participation as a non-blood relative involved in the rite of purification - anointing the body of Jesus with spices, prior to his entombment.
And yet the status of Mary Magdalene as a spiritual teacher is diminished in the biblical account of the Authorised, King James version that excludes apocryphal, extra-canonical writings such as the Gospels of Phillip and Thomas that gives her a pre-eminent role in the events surrounding the crucifixion and death of Jeshua.
Why? asks Kris.
What spiritual lessons may we Unitarians learn from these Apocryphal stories about the strength of Mary Magdelene and her diminishment in the Authorised versions? Listen on to find out!