Our Lord, the very model of courtesy, one day accepted the invitation of Simon the leper,1 and went to dine with him, as He was wont to do, out of courtesy and kindness, and out of the zeal which He had for the salvation of souls, for which end He had come down from heaven. Therefore he eat with men and conversed with them in order to draw them to the love of Himself. The love of poverty was also an inducement For he was very poor, and had nothing of this world’s substance for Himself and His companions. Humbly and thankfully, then, did Jesus, the mirror of humility, accept invitations as occasion offered. But Mary Magdalen, hearing that our Lord sat at meat in the house of Simon, and having probably had some previous acquaintance with His preaching, and having been drawn to love Him ardently, though she had not yet given expression to her affection, smitten with deep sorrow of heart for her sins, and enkindled with the fire of His love, convinced that without Him she could not be saved, and resolving to delay no longer — went straight into the place where they were eating, and with her face turned towards the ground, and with downcast look, passed before all the guests, and did not stop until she came to the spot where her beloved Lord was. Then she prostrated herself at His feet, filled with heartfelt sorrow and deep shame for her sins, and she bent down and laid her face over His feet, with a certain confidence, for already she felt that she loved Him above all things ; and she began, with a flood of tears and strong sobs, to say within herself, not audibly, “My Lord, I firmly believe, confess, and acknowledge that Thou art my God and my Lord. Many and great have been my offences against Thy Majesty, yea, my sins are more in number than the sand of the sea ; but I — a wicked, sinful woman — flee for refuge to Thy mercy. I grieve and am filled with compunction for the past ; I beseech Thy pardon ; I resolve to amend, and never again to disobey Thy precepts. Oh, let me not suffer a repulse from Thee, for there is no other to whom I can turn for refuge ; nor do I wish that there might be any other, for I love Thee only and above all things. Do not then cast me away from Thee, but punish me for my sins in whatever way Thou wilt ; yet grant me forgiveness.” All the while the flood-gates were open, and the feet of Christ were being bathed and washed with her tears. From this incident you can plainly conclude that the Lord Jesus was barefoot. At length restraining her tears, and judging it unseemly that her tears should thus fall on His feet, she wiped them with her hair. With her hair, indeed, for she had nothing more precious with her with which to wipe them; and also because that which had formerly ministered to vanity, she would now fain turn to a better use. Moreover, she would not move her face far from the feet of her Lord, which with increasing affection she kissed lovingly again and again. And because the feet of the Lord were soiled with dust from His frequent journeys, she anointed them with costly ointment. Look, then, attentively at her, and meditate carefully upon these things, because of her devotion, who was so singularly beloved by our Lord ; and also, remember this was a very solemn feast Behold, also, the Lord Jesus, how patiently He receives her, and how patiently He bears all that she does. He ceases and pauses from eating, until she has done. The guests also pause, and all wonder at this novelty. But Simon sharply censured Him in his heart, because He allowed Himself to be touched by such a woman, as if He could not be a prophet, nor have known who she was. Our Lord, then, by replying to the thoughts of his heart, manifested that He was a true prophet, and convicted him by the example of the debtors. And, desiring to show openly that all things are perfected in love, He said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; for she loved much.” And He said to her, “Go in peace.” O delightful and sweet utterance! how gladly did Magdalen hear it, and how happily did she withdraw ! And now, perfectly converted, she henceforth led a holy and virtuous life, and with constancy clung to Jesus.
Meditate, then, on these points diligently, and try to imitate this so great charity, which is highly commended by our Lord both in word and in deed. For here you have a distinct proof that charity re-establishes peace between God and a sinner ; whence S. Peter says that “charity covereth the multitude of sins.” 1 Seeing that charity is the soul of every virtue, and that nothing is pleasing to God without itI will bring forward some authorities concerning it, for the purpose of making you strive with all your might to acquire it, and that will render you acceptable to your spouse, Christ Jesus. S. Bernard says of it, “Charity must be the most excellent gift, and plainly above all others, for the heavenly Bridegroom so repeatedly enforces it on His new spouse. Now, He says, ‘ By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ 8 Again He says, 6 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.’ 8 Again, ‘This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.’ 4 Also, praying that they 4 might be one, even as He and the Father are one/”2
Notes: I Pet. iv. 8 — S. John xiii. 35 — Ibid. 34. Ibid. xv. 12.
And a little after, S. Bernard says, “In short, what can be compared with this grace, which is preferred to martyrdom itself, and to the faith which can remove mountains ? This, then, is that which I say, Let peace be to you from within you, and nothing from without which may seem to threaten you shall terrify you, for it has no power to hurt you.”3 Again, 44 Let the excellence of a soul be measured by the charity which it possesses : for instance, the soul which has much charity, is great ; the soul which has little, is little; the soul which has none, is nothing; as the Apostle testifies, ‘If I have not charity, I am nothing /4 If, however, the soul begin to have ever so small a quantity, so that it cares at least to love those who love it, and to salute its brethren and those who salute it, I would not assert that a soul in such a state was 4 nothing/ retaining as it did, in giving and receiving at least, social charity. Yet, according to the saying of our Lord, 4 What does it do more than others ? ’ I cannot, then, think such a soul broad or great, but on the contrary narrow and little, when I find in it such a scant portion of charity. But should it enlarge and progress, so as to pass beyond the limits of this narrow and contracted love, and to embrace with full liberty of spirit the broad range of disinterested bounty, and to stretch itself so far with generous affection as to include within its bosom every neighbour, loving every one as itself, can it be still rightly said, 4 What dost thou more than others ? * Forsooth, such an one has made itself broad ; has made broad, I say, the bosom of charity, which embraces all, even those who are not joined to us by ties of blood ; those, too, who do not allure us by any hope of reward, and to whom we are not bound by claims of the past ; those to whom we are not under any obligation, unless it be that of which we read, ‘ Owe no man anything, but to love one another.5 1 But if you will reach out still further, and as a pious invader attack the kingdom of charity at every point, and occupy it to its utmost extent, do not close your bowels .of compassion even to your enemies, but ‘ do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you,”6 and try even to be peaceful with those who hate peace ;7 then, indeed, the breadth and height and beauty of your soul shall be like the breadth and height and beauty of the firmament. Then shall be fulfilled in it that which is spoken, ‘He spreadeth out the heavens like a curtain /8 And in this heaven of such wonderful breadth and height and beauty, the most High, Infinite, and Glorious God shall deign not only to dwell, but — so spacious is it — to walk therein.** Thus far S. Bernard. You have seen, then, how useful and necessary a virtue charity is, without which it is quite impossible to please God, and with which without doubt every one can become pleasing in His sight. Therefore, with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength, endeavour to gain it, for it will make you willingly undergo every hardship .and all that is painful for the sake of God and your neighbour.
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