Tomorrow we celebrate our Holy and Glorious Patroness St Mary Magdalen, the chosen messenger to the Apostles.
The great problem is half our servers and most of the choir are away.
Actually we began our celebration on Sunday, anticipating her feast.
To help us out my friends those wonderful sisters have kindly agreed to come down to sing at our EF High Mass at 6.30pm.
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Our Western tradition is that all of those women at the Lord's feet, the one who pours out costly ointment, the one who covers his feet with kisses and tears are the Magdalen, even Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, the one who chose the better part who sits at his feet.I am tempted to see the woman caught in adultery is her too; what crueller thing to do than to get Jesus to condemn a woman who was once notorious but is now a disciple of Jesus.
She becomes a symbol of the Church and the faithful remnant of Israel, despised and rejected like Jesus himself, and yet delighting in his presence.
To be a follower of Jesus means to be a Magdalen, to weep over one's sins, to choose the better part and recognise Him and be united, with him.
I don't know if I am being over imaginative but there seem to be three stages to the Magdalen's relationship: weeping she shows us purgation, sitting and listening is about illumination and finally in the garden in her encounter with the Risen Lord she is united to him.
She is 'every disciple', we are all called to weep over our sins, then we are able to indeed choose the better part, to truly listen to Jesus, only then do we recognise him and are able to announce his Triumphant Rising.
Only then perhaps may we have the grace to suffer with him, for the legend is that after the Resurrection she lived the life of a penitent and contemplative, all was to prepare for that and was to prepare her for the day when she would see Jesus' Father and her Father, Jesus' God and her God.
12 comments:
"Magister Adest Et Te Vocat"
Saint Mary Magdalene was the first called by name to come before the Blessed Sacrament.
"The Master is here, and He calls"
Happy Feast Day.
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Father, you wondered if you were being over-imaginative re the three stages you state St Mary Magdalen passed through. I don't think so. What you wrote drew my mind to the "Hail Holy Queen" prayer, your words reminding me that we banished children of Eve pass from the darkness of sin in this vale of tears to the light of Christ and joy of Heaven because of love - God's love for us and our love for Him. "Two Marys" stand out: the ever faithful and totally selfless love of Mary Immaculate made the Incarnation and our reunion with God possible, while the life of Mary Magdalene models the process by which we sinners move from separation to reunion.
Thank you for your thought provoking article and best wishes to you and your parishioners as you celebrate the feast day of your holy and glorious patroness, Saint Mary Magdalene, God's chosen messenger to the Apostles.
Happy Feast-day, Father, to you and all your people.
Saint Mary Magdalene...known by all the other Saints as the greatest Saint.
Sermon Padre Pfeiffer Saint Mary Magdalene July 22nd 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iEMNJUdUjg&feature=youtu.be
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"To be a follower of Jesus means to be a Magdalen, to weep over one's sins, to choose the better part and recognise Him and be united, with him." So true.
St. Mary Magdalen wept over her sins and, having received such a grace from God (conversion and repentance), was only then capable of choosing the better part.
Mercy is not dispensed through an 'I'm ok you're ok' pastoral or theological approach to sin. Mercy comes to those who form their conscience in God's Truth, acknowledge their sinfulness, and strive to live according to the Truth.
Where would Mary Magdalen be if she, through false charity, was reassured that she was on her way to God regardless of her sins?
My prayers are with you and all your parishioners on the Feast of your patroness, Father.
Christ teaches us through St. Mary Magdalen about His glorified Body to be touched only by the anointed hands of the Priest. She did not recognize Him at the tomb for He was glorified until He spoke her name and then she turned to Him and said "Rabboni". Jesus said, "Do not touch Me." But later, appearing to the Apostles, first Priests, He told them to touch and then again when St. Thomas came, "Touch"...His Body was glorified as it is at Holy Communion.
DO
NOT
TOUCH
(meditation on hands of the Priest)
She who had
Washed His feet
With silver tears
At Jesus’ seat
“Do not touch Me”
She at the tomb
To Him did speak
Did not recognize
His glorious physique
“Do not touch Me”
He then said,
“Mary”, she turned…
“Rabboni”, she cried
Reaching, she yearned
“Do not touch Me”
“Whose sins you shall forgive
They are forgiven
Whose sins you shall retain
They are retained”
“This is My Body”
Appearing to His men
The chosen, in fear
“Now it’s complete”
From the Last Supper to here
“This is My Body”
“Put in thy finger”
“Put it into My Side”
“It is…Myself” you “ handle”
Glorified!
(Lk. 7: 36-50; Jn. 20: 11-23; Lk. 22: 19; 24: 39)
St. Mary Magdalen, ora pro nobis!
Greetings form the Philippines as you celebrate the feast of your parish patroness. May God send down his choicest blessings on you and your parishioners through the intercession of St Mary Magdalene.
I believe that in these days it is particularly efficacious to pray to St. Mary Magdalen that our consciences conform to the Heart of Christ Jesus and that they not die through carelessness, sloth, ignorance, lack of prayerful discernment, or wilful suppression.
Greetings on this wonderful feast day!
Thank you for the pictures of the holy Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, now under 'visitation' for living a holy charism.
Happy patronal feast, Father, to you and all the congregation at St MM.
And God's blessings on the holy sisters, who have chosen 'the best part' and given up so much for Christ. As today's Epistle from the S of S says:
"si déderit homo omnem substántiam domus suæ pro dilectióne, quasi nihil despíciet eam."
Greeting from across of the Atlantic. Happy Feast Day Fr. Ray Blake and your parishioners. Ad Multos Annos!
"because she had loved much, many sins are forgiven her."
She is lovingly adorned, there, Father.
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