Without a doubt, the spirit and tone of some of our hymnography comes across wrong to today’s hearer, especially when it comes to women. I do not condone the rewriting of hymns to just to pacify modern sensitivities, but rewording (and even just re-punctuating) can often bring out the original, beautiful intent of the text.
Here is one example and how I reworded it:
The tears of Mary were not shed in vain; for, behold! she was counted worthy of having angels instruct her and Jesus Himself appear to her. But, as a weak woman, she thought earthly thoughts. Wherefore, she was turned away and commanded not to touch Christ. Yet was she sent as a herald to Thy disciples, bearing glad tidings to them and announcing Thine ascension to the portion of the Father. With her count us worthy, 0 Lord and Master, of Thine appearance. (The 8th Evangelical Sticheron from Sunday Matins)
The punctuation of that first bolded sentence, accidentally I would say, suggests that Mary Magdalene thought earthly thoughts because she was a weak woman. Certainly, the male disciples had their fair share of earthly thoughts. Rather, it should be tied with the following phrase, explaining that the earthly thoughts were why she was not able to touch Christ, as seen in the following re-punctuation. And further, that newly connected phrase should also be tied together with the following phrase, as well, to show that she is actually honored as the one—the womanly one, mind you—who was the apostle to the Apostles.
The tears of Mary were not shed in vain;
for, behold! she was counted worthy of having angels instruct her,
and of having Jesus himself appear to her.
Though, as a weak woman, and having thought earthly thoughts,
she was turned away and commanded not to touch thee, O Christ,
yet was she sent as a herald to thy disciples,
bearing glad tidings to them
and announcing thine ascent to the Father’s inheritance.
With her, count us worthy, O Lord and Master, ***
of thine appearing.
This hymn begins and ends singing the praise of Mary Magdalene. It should be more clear, when we sing this, that the aim is not to point out her weakness and some kind of punishment, but rather to help us interpret what we read in the Scriptures, and even to boldly label her as the apostle to the Apostles, or the title the Orthodox Church gives her, “Equal to the Apostles”.