This is my second post of this day. Scroll down to read about other events today.
Day 2 of the Novena to Ste. Mary Magdalene
We begin again with the openning prayer found in yesterday's blog.
Scripture: Gospel of Luke 8:1-3.
Meditation:
(What follows is a paraphrase of the meditation written by Frere Thomas.)
The nameless woman who washes Jesus's feet in this passage is now named - Mary. And her town of origin is also named. She originates from Magdala. Hence Mary the Magdalean. There has been a debate among Scripture scholars about the Mary's presented in the Gospel. Is the woman who washes Jesus' feet, the woman named Mary relieved of seven demons, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and maybe even the woman caught in the act of adultery about to be stoned; Are these also the woman, the other Mary at the foot of the cross and the one who meets Jesus on Easter Morning? There is ongoing debate and this would be a great Bible study for the parish.
Magdala is a town with a reputation. It was a strategic town in the Roman control of the Jewish people. And because of the presence of the army encampment, it had a reputation for bebauchery. According to rabbinic literature, the women of Magdala, for the sake of survival, had given themselves over to "infidelity." What this infidelity consists of is not clear. Did it mean outright prostituion? Had they given themselves to legal marriage or concubinage to the soldiers? Or had they simply abandoned the practice of the faith? All of these would have been considered infidelity according to Jewish law. In any case, in that time, any woman known to come from Magdala was looked upon with suspicion at the least.
This is likely the source of Mary Magdalene's reputation she has lived with for centuries. Although there is nothing in the Bible that indicates that she is guilty of the sin of prostituion, it does nevertheless make for vivid imagery in Christian art, teaching, and preaching.
The Mary in this story is relieved of seven demons. Was it the seven capital sins? Were they seven physical demons? The Bible doesn't say. Seven in the Bible is the number for holiness. And so seven demons means totally devoid of holiness. Jesus restores her completely by expelling seven demons and replacing them with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We all have "spirits" which draw us away from holiness towards sin. We may not have the priviledge of having all the evils that taunt us and tempt us removed in a single instant. We don't know that Mary's were either. More realistically is the day to day removal of the evil to be replaced by the good. Mary was likely following Jesus at a distance, or listening to him for a long period of time and gradually came to trust in his compassion and mercy. So it is with us. Conversion of heart is more frequently a day-to-day, even lifetime process where absolute holiness will be acheived on that day when we stand face to face with God.
The beautiful ancient hymn, "Lauda, O Mater Ecclesia"
Praise! O Mother Church,
Praise the mercy of Christ;
Who purifies the seven sins
with a seven-form grace.
Mary the Magdelean is freed from evil and now she freely follows Christ.
That is the grace of pardon, of mercy, of forgivenss - to be able to follow Christ in freedom.
Final Prayer:
Lord, Our God,
you have consecrated your beloved son
and you have sent him into the world
to anounce the good news to the poor
and freedom to captives.
Grant to us, like Ste. Mary Magdelene,
to be free from the grasp of the Evil One
so that we may follow the Christ
with free and generous hearts.
He who reigns for ever and ever.
AMEN
A demain, mes chers!
