Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/544

 A model of  penance.  Magdalen  is  a model  of  a true  penitent  by her  conversion,  contrition,  confession,  satisfaction  and  perseverance. She was  a woman  given  over  to  the  vanities  and  pleasures  of  this world, who  led  an  evil  and  frivolous  life. She heard  of  our  Lord’s miracles; and,  full  of  curiosity,  she  joined  the  crowd  which  followed Him, in  order  to  see  and  hear  Him. She saw  the  wonderful  cure  of the  leper;  she  gazed  on  our  Lord’s  countenance,  and  her  heart  was touched; she heard  His  words: “Do  penance,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven is at  hand!”  and  she  opened  her  heart  to  His  words. She listened  to the  Sermon  on  the  Mount; she  saw  what  real  goodness  meant,  and  she saw the  depth  of  her  own  wickedness. The reproaches  of  her  conscience became  stronger,  and  her  fear  of  the  judgment  greater. She believed in  Jesus,  and  she  longed  for  pardon. She had  heard  how He had  forgiven  the  sins  of  the  palsied  man; she  knew  that  He  could forgive her  sins  as  well,  and  she  hoped  that  He  would. As she  prayed and thought  over  the  words  of  Jesus,  and  the  miserable  condition  of her  own  soul,  there  grew  within  her  a greater  horror  of  sin, and  a love for our  Lord  which  was  full  of  hope. At last,  she  found  the  long waited-for opportunity  to  approach  the  Holy  One,  and  open  her  heart to Him. But when  she  stood  before  Him,  she  could  utter  no  word; and then,  sobbing,  she  fell  at  His  Feet  and  bathed  them  with  her  tears. She had  loosened  her  beautiful  hair,  her  cherished  adornment,  and  with it she  wiped  our  Lord’s  Feet. She broke  her  vase,  and  poured  the  precious ointment  over  them,  to  testify  her  veneration  and  love. She abased herself as  far  as  she  could,  and  did  penance  in  public,  because  it  was in public  that  she  had  sinned. “Her heart  was  so  full  of  inward  shame, that she  minded  not  the  outward  shame  in  the  eyes  of  men”  (St.  Gregory). Her tears  were  her  confession; her  abasement  and  service  of love  were  her  satisfaction. Magdalen was  converted  and  renounced for ever  the  vanities  of  the  world. We shall  find  her  at  the  foot  of the  Cross,  and  at  the  feet  of  the  risen  Lord. She did  severe  penance to the  end  of  her  life,  and  is  venerated  by  the  Church  as  a great  Saint.

Faith is,  as  we  see  in  the  case  of  Magdalen,  the  root  of  justification. Our Lord  therefore  said  to  her:  “Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  safe”;  because from  her  faith  had  proceeded  perfect  contrition.

Love and  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  Many  sins  were  forgiven  to  this woman, because  she  loved  much  (for  perfect  contrition  proceeds  from perfect  love);  and  after  she  had  received  forgiveness  of  her  sins,  she loved in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  forgiveness  she  had  received. How could  it  be  otherwise? If any  one  wishes  to  receive  pardon  of God  for  the  sins  which  he  has  committed,  the  first  thing  he  must  do is,  by  the  help  of  God,  to  conceive  a hatred  of  his  sins,  and  he  must make, at  least,  an  attempt  to  return  to  God,  or,  in  other  words,  to  love God. Thus, with  even  the  most  imperfect  contrition  there  must  be united  some  spark  of  the  love  of  God. But it  is  only  when  a sinner’s heart turns  with  perfect  love  to  God,  that  He  will  impart  to  him  the  grace