Monday of Holy Week Mary Magdalene is a prominent figure in the Passion and Resurrection of her Divine Master. She is the type of a soul that has been purified by grace, and then admitted to the enjoyment of God’s choicest favors. It is of importance that we study her in each of the several phases, through which divine grace led her. She keeps close to her Savior and supplies His sacred wants; elsewhere, we shall find Jesus giving the preference to her over her sister Martha, and this because Mary chose a better part than Martha; but now, during these days of Passiontide, it is her tender love for Jesus that makes her dear to us. She knows that the Jews are plotting Jesus’ death; the Holy Ghost, who guides her through the different degrees of perfection, inspires her to the performance of an action which prophesied what she most dreaded. One of the three gifts offered by the Magi to the Divine Infant was Myrrh; it is an emblem of death, and the Gospel tells us that it was used at the Burial of our Lord. Magdalene, on the day of her conversion, testified the earnestness of her change of heart by pouring on the feet of Jesus the most precious of her perfumes. She gives Him, today, the same proof of her love. Her divine Master is invited by Simon the Leper to a feast: his Blessed Mother and his Disciples are among the guests: Martha is busy, looking after the service. Outwardly, there is no disturbance; but inwardly, there are sad forebodings. During the repast, Magdalene is seen entering the room, holding in her hand a vase of precious spikenard. She advances towards Jesus, kneels at His feet, anoints them with the perfume, and wipes them with her hair, as on the previous occasion. Jesus lay on one of those couches, which were used by the Eastern people during their repasts. Magdalene, therefore, could easily take her favorite place at Jesus’ feet, and give him the same proof of her love as she had already in the Pharisee’s house. The Evangelist does not say that this time, she shed tears. St. Matthew and St. Mark add that she poured the ointment on his head also. Whether or not Magdalene herself understood the full import of what the Holy Ghost inspired her to do, the Gospel does not say; but Jesus himself revealed the mystery to his Disciples, and we gather from his words that this action of Magdalene was, in a certain manner, the commencement of His Passion: She, in pouring this ointment upon my body, hath done it for my burial. The fragrance of the Ointment fills the whole house. One of the Disciples, Judas Iscariot, dares to protest against this waste, as he calls it. His base avarice deprives him of feeling and respect for his Divine Master. His opinion was shared in by several of the other Disciples, for they were still carnal minded. For several reasons Jesus permits Magdalene’s generosity to be thus blamed. And firstly, He wishes to announce His approaching death, which is mystically expressed by the pouring of this ointment upon His body. Then, too, He would glorify Magdalene; and He therefore tells them that are present that her tender and ardent love shall be rewarded, and that her name shall be celebrated in every country, wheresoever the Gospel shall be preached. And lastly, He would console those whose generous love prompts them to be liberal in their gifts to His Altars, for what He here says of Magdalene is, in reality, a defense for them, when they are accused of spending too much over the beauty of God’s House. Let us prize each of these teachings. Let us love to honor Jesus, both in His own person, and in His poor. Let us honor Magdalene, and imitate her devotion to the Passion and Death of our Lord. In fine, let us prepare our perfumes for our Diving Master: there must by the Myrrh of the Magi, which signifies penance, and the precious Spikenard of Magdalene, which is the emblem of generous and compassionating love.
@father_rmv Wait, Father V! My husband read this morning, that Mary Magdalene was Martha's sister. I always thought Magdalene was the prostitute? Never heard Mary's sis.
@father_rmv Mary of Bethany is Martha and Lazarus' sister. Mary Magdalene is not.
@father_rmv Isn’t Mary Magdalene different from Martha’s sister Mary?
@father_rmv Does the Church not distinguish Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, from Mary Magdalene (Paul VI)? Mary Magdalene, the repentant sinner is considered the Apostle of Apostles who saw Jesus on the morning of the Resurrection.