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July 22nd: The Magnificent Magdalene

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:37:23 +0000

I have found Him whom my heart loves…

from the Song of Songs

Said Judas to Mary, “Now what will you do With your ointment so rich and so rare?”

“I’ll pour it all over the feet of the Lord, And I’ll wipe it away with my hair;’

she said, “I’ll wipe it away with my hair.”

“0 Mary, 0 Mary, 0 think of the poor. This ointment, it could have been sold;

And think of the blankets and think of the bread You could buy with the silver and gold;’

he said, “You could buy with the silver and gold.”

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll think of the poor; Tomorrow;’ she said, “not today;

For dearer than all of the poor in the world is my Love who is going away;’

she said, “My Love who is going away?’

Said Jesus to Mary, “Your love is so deep. Today, you may do as you will.

Tomorrow, you say, I am going away, But my body I leave with you still;’

He said, My body I leave with you still.”

When Mary Magdalen came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: “The disciples went back home,” and it adds: “but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.”

We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tell us: “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.”

from a homily by Pope St. Gregory the Great

Collect for St Mary Magdalene’s day:
Almighty God, whose Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of mind and body and called her to be a witness to his resurrection: forgive us our sins, we beseech thee, and heal us by thy grace, that we may serve thee in the power of his risen life; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen

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The Penitent who became a Saint

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:43 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

Thoughts on Infinite Mercy and St. Mary Magdalene

PRESENCE OF GOD: Teach me, 0 Lord, the secrets of Your mercy that I may fully profit by them.

MEDITATION 1. God’s love for us assumes a very special claim, one that is adapted to our nature as frail, weak creatures: the character of mercy. Mercy is love bending over to relieve it, to redeem it, to raise it up to itself. It almost seems that God, in loving us, is attracted by our weakness, not because it is lovable, but because, being infinite goodness, His compassion stoops to compensate for it by His mercy.

He wants to heal our imperfection by His infinite perfection, our impurity by His purity, our ignorance by His Wisdom, our selfishness by His goodness, our weakness by His strength: God, the supreme, eternal good, wants to be the remedy for all our ills, “for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 102:14).

Since our greatest evil-rather, the only real evil-is sin, infinite mercy would be the remedy. Assuredly, God hates sin, but, although He is forced to withdraw His friendship that is, His grace, from the soul of the sinner because of the offense, His mercy still finds a way of continuing to love. If He can no longer love him as a friend, He loves him as a creature, as the work of His hands; He loves him for the that is still in him and which gives hope of his conversion. God’s mercy is so immense that no misery, however great can exhaust it; not even the most infamous sin, providing it be repented of, can halt it. This sad power is reserved to one thing only; the proud will of man by which he disdainfully shuts himself up in his wickedness, not wishing to admit how great is his need of God’s infinite mercy. In such a case, in spite of the immensity of divine mercy, the solemn words of the Gospel are fulfilled : “God hath scattered the proud the conceit of their heart, He hath put down the mighty from their seats … the rich He hath sent empty away” (Lk.1: 51-53).

2. There is no limit to God’s mercy. He never rejects us because of our sins, He never grows weary of our infidelities, never refuses to forgive us. He is always ready to forgive our offenses and to repay our ingratitude with graces. He never reproaches us for our offenses, even when we fall again immediately after being forgiven. He is never angered by our repeated failures or weakness in the practice of virtue, but always stretches out His hand to us, wanting to help us. When men condemn us, God shows mercy to us; He absolves us and sends us away justified, as Jesus did with the woman taken in adultery. “Go, and now sin no more”(Jn.8:11). By His words and example, Jesus has shown us the inexhaustible depths of God’s mercy. Let us think of the prodigal son, the lost sheep, Magdalene, and the good thief. But He has also said to us: “Be ye therefore merciful, as Your Father also is merciful” (Lk.6:36).

How far does our mercy go? How much compassion do we have for the faults of others? The measure of our mercy toward our neighbor will be the measure of God’s mercy toward us, for Jesus said, “With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Mt. 7:2) God does not require us to be sinless but that He may shower upon us the fullness of His mercy, but He does require us to be merciful to our neighbor, and moreover, to be humble.

In fact to be sinners is not enough to attract divine mercy; we must also humbly acknowledge our sins and turn to God with complete confidence. “What pleases God,” said St. Therese of Lisieux, ” is to see me love my littleness and poverty; it is the blind hope I have in His mercy. This is my sole treasure.” This is the treasure which supplies for all our miseries, weaknesses, relapses and infidelities, because by means of this humility and confidence we shall obtain the divine Mercy. And with this at our disposal, how can our wretchedness discourage us?

Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene (Divine Intimacy)

PRAYER TO SAINT MARY MAGDALENE

Saint Mary Magdalene, woman of many sins, who by conversion became the beloved of Jesus, thank you for your witness that Jesus forgives through the miracle of love. You, who already possess eternal happiness in His glorious presence, please intercede for me, so that some day I may share in the same everlasting joy. Amen.

Isaiah 1:18

Says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Luke 7:47

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much.

But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

We find the very same message echoing like a refrain throughout the

Diary of St. Faustina:

Jesus said to her: I am Love and Mercy itself (1074).

My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners ;

it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from my Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy (367).

Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet (699).

My mercy is greater than your sins, and those of the entire world (1485).

I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come then with trust to draw graces from this fountain (1485).

Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion (1146).

I never reject a contrite heart (1485).

Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul (1777).

Proclaim to the whole world My unfathomable mercy (1142).

Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God.

All the works of My hand are crowned with mercy (301).

Jesus loved .. Mary. (Jn.11:5)

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN was the privileged friend of Jesus. She served Him with her wealth and accompanied Him everywhere. She honored His humanity magnificently with her gifts. She loved to pray at His feet in the silence of contemplation. For all these reasons she is the patroness and model of a life spent in the adoration and service of Jesus in the Sacrament of His love. Let us study Saint Mary Magdalen; her life is full of the very best lessons.

JESUS loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus; but especially Mary. Certainly He loved the three of them, but He loved Magdalen with preferential love. Although our Lord loves us all, He nevertheless has His favorite friends, and He allows us also have special friends in God. Friends are a natural and even supernatural need. All the saints had bosom friends, and they themselves were the most affectionate and devoted of friends.

Before her conversion Magdalen was a public sinner. She possessed all the qualities of mind and body and all the gifts of fortune that can lead one to the worst excesses. And she fell into them. The Gospel lowers her to the rank of a public sinner. She was so degraded that Simon the Pharisee felt disgraced when she entered his home. And he even doubted the prophetic power of Jesus because the Master allowed her to remain at His feet.

But after having been forgiven, this poor sinful woman was to take her place among the greatest saints. See her at work. Human respect is, more than anything else, what holds back great sinners and prevents them from being converted. “I will not be able to persevere,” they say. “I dare not start what I cannot finish.” And disheartened, they go no further.

But Magdalen learned that Jesus was in Simon’s house. She did not hesitate, but went straight to Jesus and made her confession in public. She dared enter a house from which she would heave been shamefully expelled had she been recognized at the door. While at the feet of Jesus, she said not a word; her love spoke audibly enough. Artists have painted her with disheveled hair and disorderly dress; that is all imagination; it would not have been worthy either of Jesus or of her contrition.

She went straight to Jesus without mistaking anyone else for Him. But where had she known Him? Ah! An ailing heart knows well where to find the One that will comfort and cure it! Mary dared not look upon Jesus. She said nothing: true contrition acts that way. Look at the Prodigal Son and at the Publican. The sinner who looks God full in the face after having offended Him insults Him. But Mary wept: she “washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.” Her place is at the feet of Jesus. These feet trod the earth, and she knew she was but the dust of a corpse. The world is extremely fond of beautiful hair; she used hers as a rag.

She remained prostrate on the ground, awaiting her sentence. She heard the remarks made by the envious Apostles and Jews who honored only triumphant and crowned virtue. They did not like Magdalen who was teaching everyone of them a lesson; for everyone of them had sinned, but not one had the courage to ask pardon publicly. Simon himself, bloated with pride and hypocrisy, grew indignant. But Jesus avenged Magdalen. What beautiful words of rehabilitation: “More has been forgiven her because she has loved more …. Thy faith hath made thee safe,” said the Savior to her. “Go in peace.” He did not add: “Sin no more.” Jesus had said this to the adulteress, who was more humiliated for having been caught in the act than repentant for having offended God. But Magdalen had no need of that advice; her love assured Jesus’ of her firm purpose of amendment. What a beautiful and touching absolution! Magdalen must have had a very perfect contrition! When you go to confession, unite yourself to Magdalen and let your contrition, like hers, proceed more from love than from fear.

Magdalen withdrew after having received this baptism of love. By her humility she became more perfect than the Apostles. Ah! Despise sinners now if you dare! One moment is enough to turn them into great saints. How many among the greatest has not Jesus Christ drawn from the mire of sin: Saint Paul, Saint Augustine, and many others! Magdalen opens the way for them; she ascended to the very Heart of God because she started very low and knew how to humble herself. Who then has a right to despair?

MAGDALEN’S love became active after her conversion. That is an important lesson. Many converted sinners do nothing else beyond being converted. They want to remain in the peace of a good conscience through fidelity to the Commandments. They dare not follow Jesus, and they end by relapsing into sin. Man cannot live on tears and regrets. You have destroyed the objects to which your heart was so attached and of which you lived; you must substitute something else and live of the life of God.

You want to remain at the feet of Jesus? He rises to go; follow Him and walk with Him. And so Magdalen began to follow Jesus; she was never to leave Him. We find her again at His feet, listening to His words and pondering them in her heart. That was the grace of her life. She had no language other than meditation, prayer, and love. She followed Jesus and practiced the virtues proper to His varying conditions of life. A conversion that does not go beyond sentiment is not lasting.

Mary shared the different states of Jesus. During His journeys she procured for Him what He required for His own subsistence and that of His Apostles. Jesus was frequently to come to the home of His hosts in Bethany; by way of exchange’ He gave them a food of grace and love. On each occasion Mary sat at His feet and remained there in prayer. Martha became envious of her once, as do all those who think there is only one good state of life, one good way of living. Every state of life is good. The one you have is good; persevere in it, but do not despise the others. When Martha waited on Jesus, she was doing something good; but she was wrong in being envious of her sister. You know how Jesus answered her and defended Magdalen. It is better to listen to His voice than to wait on Him. It still happens that people engaged in active callings complain of contemplative souls: “You are useless! Come along and work for the salvation of your brethren in charitable’ undertakings.” But Jesus defends them. Must not one also practice charity towards Jesus Christ, Who is so poor and abandoned in His sacrament? Magdalen heard that dialogue and her sister’s complaints; but she did not answer them. She was at the Savior’s feet, and she remained there.

Another characteristic trait of Magdalen’s active love is suffering; she suffered with Jesus Christ. No doubt she knew beforehand of her Master’s death; friends have no secrets for each other. And if Jesus revealed His Passion to His Apostles who were so rude, why would He have concealed it from Magdalen?

See Magdalen in her suffering love. She went where men were afraid to go; she ascended Calvary; she forsook her dearly loved family; she followed the suffering Lord to the very end. And we find her with Mary at the foot of the Cross. The Gospel mentions her by name, and she certainly deserves it. What was she doing there? She loved and sympathized. A friend wants to share the condition of his friend. Love fuses two lives, two existences into one Magdalen did not stand; she remembered she had been a sinner, and she remained on her knees. Mary alone stood, immolating her dearly beloved Son, her Isaac.

Magdalen stayed there until after the death of Jesus. She returned on the morning of the first day of the week. She knew very well that Jesus was buried; but she wanted still to suffer and to weep. The Gospel praises the zeal of the other women and the magnificence of their gifts; it speaks only of the tears of Magdalen. She is the Christian heroine. More than all the saints Magdalen shows us the immensity of divine mercy.

St. Peter Julian Eymard

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The Mercy of God to the Penitent

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:00:10 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

from St. Maximus the Confessor:

God’s will is to save us, and nothing pleases him more than our coming back to him with true repentance. The heralds of truth and the ministers of divine grace have told us this from the beginning, repeating it in every age. Indeed, God’s desire for our salvation is the primary and preeminent sign of his infinite goodness. It was precisely in order to show that there is nothing closer to God’s heart that the divine Word of God the Father, with untold condescension, lived among us in the flesh, and did, suffered, and said all that was necessary to reconcile us to God the Father, when we were at enmity with him, and to restore us to the life of blessedness from which we had been exiled.

He healed our physical infirmities by miracles; he freed us from our sins, many and grievous as they were, by suffering and dying, taking them upon himself as if he were answerable for them, sinless though he was. He also taught us in many different ways that we should wish to imitate him by our own kindness and genuine love for one another.

So it was that Christ proclaimed that he had come to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous, and that it was not the healthy who required a doctor, but the sick. He declared that he had come to look for the sheep that was lost, and that it was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that he had been sent. Speaking more obscurely in the parable of the silver coin, he tells us ‘that the purpose of his coming was to reclaim the royal image, which had become coated with the filth of sin. You can be sure that there is joy in heaven, he said, over one sinner who repents.

To give the same lesson, he revived the man who, having fallen into the hands of brigands, had been left stripped and half-dead from his wounds; he poured wine and oil on the wounds, bandaged them, placed the man on his own mule and brought him to an inn, where he left sufficient money to have him cared for, and promised to repay any further expense on his return.

Again, he told of how the Father, who is goodness itself, was moved with pity for his profligate son who returned and made amends by repentance; how he embraced him, dressed him once more in the fine garments that befitted his own dignity, and did not reproach him for any of his sins.

So too, when he found wandering in the mountains and hills the one sheep that had strayed from God’s flock of a hundred, he brought it back to the fold, but he did riot exhaust it by driving it ahead of him. Instead, he placed it on his own shoulders and so, compassionately, he restored it safely to the flock.

So also he cried out: Come to me, all you that toil and are heavy of heart. Accept my yoke, he said, by which he meant his commands, or rather, the whole way of life that he taught us in the Gospel. He then speaks of a burden, but that is only because repentance seems difficult. In fact, however, my yoke is easy, he assures us, and my burden is light.

Then again he instructs us in divine justice and goodness, telling us to be like our heavenly Father, holy, perfect and merciful. Forgive, he says, and you will be forgiven. Behave toward other people as you would wish them to behave toward you.

A certain Franiscan ponders on this greatest attribute of God: His infinite mercy. Never does Our Lord say no to a sinner who asks for forgiveness. Never. It is not even possible. No soul must ever despair of His great forgiveness and mercy; to even think along this liine is a great temptation of the devil and we know he is a liar.

What heart can fathom the love of a God who came to earth to make atonement for His wayward children? God became Man so that by His suffering and death, we could be redeemed!And as if that were not enough, He remains with us under the form of a small Host so that He can continue to unite Himself with His beloved children. Such a One never says no to a soul who turns to Him.

And yet so many say no to Him! No thanks to the Church, no thanks to the Sacraments, no thanks for confession or for the Holy Communion that makes us one with our Savior. And mostly it is not even ‘no thanks’ but just NO. Just no. No to His ways and yes to the embracing of sinful pleasures. Why are we so blind to the goodness of God? Our human frailties make it so easy to say no.

This Lent, this day, may we say yes. Yes, Lord, I need Your mercy. Yes, Lord, I am too weak to keep my resolutions. Yes, Lord, without You hope is diminished. Yes, Lord, to all You are doing in my life. Help me, Lord, help me to say yes.

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Aug 01 – Homily – Fr Matthias: Confession, Means of New Evangelization

apostolate — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:12:30 +0000

Frequent confession, frequent confession. Central to the ministry of St. Alphonsus, a means to the new evangelization.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – Mem

Readings: Tuesday 17th Week of Ordinary Time
1st: Ex 33:7-11, 34:5-9, 28
Resp: Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 0
Gsp: Mt 13:35-43

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