Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene and Our Lord
http://www.catholictradition.org/Magdalen/magdalen.htm
by Saint Anselm
St. Mary Magdalene, thou didst come with springing tears to the
spring of mercy, Christ; from Him thy burning thirst was abundantly
refreshed, through Him thy sins were forgiven; by Him thy bitter
sorrow was consoled.
My dearest lady, well thou knowest by thine own life how a sinful
soul can be reconciled with its creator, what counsel a soul in
misery needs, what medicine will restore the sick to health.
It is enough for us to understand, dear friend of God, to whom were
many sins forgiven, because she loved much.
Most blessed lady, I who am the most evil and sinful of men do not
recall thy sins as a reproach, but call upon the boundless mercy by
which they were blotted out.
This is my reassurance, so that I do not despair; this is my longing,
so that I shall not perish.
I say this of myself, miserably cast down into the depths of vice,
bowed down with the weight of crimes, thrust down by my own hand into
a dark prison of sins, wrapped round with the shadows of darkness.
Therefore, since thou art now with the chosen because thou art
beloved and are beloved because thou art chosen of God, I, in my
misery, pray to thee in bliss; in my darkness, I ask for light; in my
sins, redemption; impure, I ask for purity.
Recall in loving kindness what thou used to be, how much thou didst
need mercy, and seek for me that same forgiving love that thou didst
receive when thou wert wanting it. Ask urgently that I may have the
love that pierces the heart; tears that are humble; desire for the
homeland of Heaven; impatience with this earthly exile; searing
repentance; and a dread of torments in eternity.
Turn to my good that ready access that thou once didst have and still
doth have to the spring of mercy.
Draw me to Him where I may wash away my sins; bring me to Him Who can
slake my thirst; pour over me those waters that will make my dry
places fresh. Thou wilt not find it hard to gain all thou doth desire
from so loving and so kind a Lord, Who is alive and reigns and is thy friend.
For who can tell, beloved and blest of God, with what kind
familiarity and familiar kindness He Himself didst reply on thy
behalf to the calumnies of those who were against thee? How He didst
defend thee, when the proud Pharisee was indignant, how He didst
excuse thee, when thy sister didst complain, how highly He didst
praise thy deed, when Judas didst begrudge it.
And, more than all this, what can I say, how can I find words to
tell, about the burning love with which thou didst seek Him, weeping
at the sepulchre, and wept for Him in thy seeking?
How He cameth, who can say how or with what kindness, to comfort
thee, and madest thee burn with love still more; how He didst hide
from thee when thou didst want to see Him, and showed Himself when
thou didst not think to see Him; how He was there all the time thou
didst seek Him, and how He didst seek thee when, seeking Him, thou didst weep.
But Thou, most holy Lord, why didst Thou ask her why she weeps?
Surely Thou canst see her heart, the dear life of her soul, is cruelly slain.
O love to be wondered at;
O evil to be shuddered at;
Thou didst hang on the wood, pierced by iron nails, stretched out
like a thief for the mockery of wicked men; and yet, 'Woman,' Thou
didst say, 'why art thou weeping?' She had not been able to prevent
them from killing Thee, but at least she longed to keep Thy Body for
a while with ointments lest it decay.
No longer able to speak with Thee living, at least she could mourn
for Thee dead. So, near to death and hating her own life, she repeats
in broken tones the words of life which she had heard from the living.
And now, besides all this, even the Body which she was glad, in a
way, to have kept, she believes to have gone.
And can Thou asketh her, 'Woman, why art thou weeping?'
Had she not reason to weep?
For she had seen with her own eyes---if she could bear to look---what
cruel men cruelly did to Thee; and now all that was left of Thee from
their hands she thinks she has lost.
All hope of Thee has fled, for now she has not even Thy lifeless Body
to remind her of Thee.
And someone asks, 'Who art thou looking for? Why art thou weeping?'
Thou, her sole joy, should be the last thus to increase her sorrow.
But Thou knowest it all well, and thus Thou didst wish it to be, for
only in such broken words and sighs can she convey a cause of grief
as great as hers. The love Thou hast inspired Thou didst not ignore.
And indeed Thou knowest her well, the gardener, Who planted her soul
in His garden. What Thou plantest, I think Thou doth also water.
Does Thou water, I wonder, or does Thou test her?
In fact, Thou art both watering and putting to the test.
But now, good Lord, gentle Master, look upon Thy faithful servant and
disciple, so lately redeemed by Thy Blood, and see how she burneth
with anxiety, desiring Thee, searching all round, questioning, and
what she longest for is nowhere found.
Nothing she seest canst satisfy her, since Thou Whom alone she
wouldst behold, she seest not.
What then?
How long will my Lord leave His beloved to suffer thus?
Have Thou put off compassion now Thou hast put on incorruption? Did
Thou let go of goodness when Thou didst lay hold of immortality?
Let it not be so, Lord.
Thou will not despise us mortals now Thou hast made Thyself immortal,
for Thou didst make Thyself a mortal in order to give us immortality.
And so it is; for love's sake He canst not bear her grief for long or
go on hiding Himself. For the sweetness of love He showeth Himself
Who would not for the bitterness of tears.
The Lord calls His servant by the name she hast often heard and the
servant doth know the voice of her own Lord.
I think, or rather I am sure, that she responded to the gentle tone
with which He wat accustomed to call, 'Mary'. What joy filled that
voice, so gentle and full of love.
He could not have put it more simply and clearly:
'I know who thou art and what thou wanteth; behold Me; do not weep,
behold Me; I am He Whom Thou seekest.'
At once the tears are changed; I do not believe that they stopped at
once, but where once they were wrung from a heart broken and
self-tormenting they flow now from a heart exulting. How different
is, 'Master!' from 'If thou hast taken Him away, tell me'; and, 'They
have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him,'
has a very different sound from, 'I have seen the Lord, and He hast
spoken to me.'
But how should I, in misery and without love, dare to describe the
love of God and the blessed friend of God? Such a flavour of goodness
will make my heart sick if it has in itself nothing of that same virtue.
But in truth, Thou Who art very truth, Thou knowest me well and canst
testify that I write this for the love of Thy love, my Lord, my most
dear Jesus.
I want Thy love to burn in me as Thou commandest so that I may desire
to love Thee alone and sacrifice to Thee a troubled spirit, 'a broken
and a contrite heart'.
Give me, O Lord, in this exile, the bread of tears and sorrow for
which I hunger more than for any choice delights.
Hear me, for Thy love, and for the dear merits of Thy beloved Mary,
and Thy blessed Mother, the greater Mary.
Redeemer, my good Jesus, do not despise the prayers of one who hast
sinned against Thee but strengthen the efforts of a weakling that loves Thee.
Shakest my heart out of its indolence, Lord, and in the ardour of Thy
love bringest me to the everlasting sight of Thy glory where with the
Father and the Holy Spirit Thou livest and reignest, God, for ever. Amen.
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Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue
with Your help,
so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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on your Mobile <*}}}><
<*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom!
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<*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site
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Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue
with Your help,
so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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