FEAST OF THE HOLY
PENITENT MARY MAGDALEN
2 Maccabees, Chapter
3, Verse 29-30
29 As
Heliodorus lay speechless because of God’s action and deprived of any hope of
recovery, 30 the people praised the Lord who had
marvelously glorified his own place; and the temple, charged so shortly before
with fear and commotion, was filled
with joy and gladness, now that the almighty Lord had appeared.
As Mr. H approaches the
temple both he and his associates encounter the living God where upon he and
his associates are thrown into panic and fainting. Then a rider on the
magnificent horse charges H and his two companions, who fall to the ground
unconscious. Mr. H is then unceremoniously carried away on a stretcher, utterly
helpless. The people praise God who has protected the temple. H fearful of his
death, have his supporters ask the high priest to pray for him which the High
priest does and Mr. H now proclaims God’s power and majesty and the story
continues with:
·
Simon Maccabee opposes the high priest Onias.
·
Onias is disposed as high priest by his brother
Jason who bribes the king and is part of the Hellenistic party.
·
Jason doesn’t pay his bribe in a timely manner
and is supplanted by Menelaus who offers more but not paying as promised then
is on the run.
·
The king marches with is army to squash a cities
that are not with the program and leaves his trusted henchman Andronicus in charge
who promptly murders the ex-high priest Onias.
·
Menelaus plunders the temple of its golden
vessels and boom back on top; bribes away.
·
Jason the bad man with no money dies in exile.
Do we see a pattern here?
·
Antiochus IV then attacks the Jews and profanes
the temple.
·
Antiochus IV then proscribes Jewish practices
and persecutes the religious.
Eleazar the Martyr[1]
MARY
MAGDALEN, a sister of Lazarus and of Martha, of Bethany, was a notorious sinner
in Jerusalem. Moved by the preaching of Jesus, she did public penance. She went
openly into the house of the Pharisee with whom Jesus was sitting at table,
threw herself at His feet, anointed them with precious ointment, washed them
with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. Jesus, knowing her contrite
heart, forgave her, her sins (Luke vii. 37, 38), and from that time forward she
became the most zealous and faithful of the women who were disciples of Our
Lord. She followed Him, always ministered unto Him of her substance (Luke viii.
3), and when He died was standing under the cross.
Magdalen,
who had sinned openly, openly did penance. In like manner, he who has given
public scandal must seek to make amends
for it by public good example. Magdalen confessed her sins, says St. Ambrose,
not with words, but with abundant tears of penitence. To tell her sins to Christ,
the All-knowing, was not necessary but what a confession was there in the
posture of humiliation, and in the tears that flowed from the contrite sinner.
Would you obtain forgiveness? Confess with contrition, like Magdalen. The words,
“Thy faith hath made thee safe,” denote a faith active as love. Faith and love
are in truth never separated, for the only truly believes who also loves; and
he only loves according to God’s will who believes in Him. Therefore believe in
truth, love, and show your love by earnest hatred of every sin, by flying from
occasions of sin, by fighting against your passions, by change of your life,
and by humble confession, and as true as God lives you will be saved, as was Magdalen
the peace of God will enter into your heart.
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