Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 4. De magnis meritis et privilegiis gratiarum beatae Mariae Magdalenae,

Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 4. De magnis meritis et privilegiis gratiarum beatae Mariae Magdalenae,

I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, heavenly physician, who came into this world to save sinners and to gently call us back to you through repentance into the kingdom of heaven. And you who deigned to be born of the Virgin Mary, did not disdain to be touched, washed, dried, anointed, and kissed by Mary, the weeping and penitent sinner. O merciful Jesus, Son of the living God, compassionate Savior of the world, you have graciously bestowed many benefits and great privileges of grace upon the most blessed Mary Magdalene in this life. For, having cast aside the vanity of the world and turned perfectly to you, you graciously accepted her repentance, fully forgiving her all her sins and freeing her from every punishment as she wept. You inspired in her a deep contrition, and so she wouldn’t despair of your comforting forgiveness, you poured grace into her sorrowful heart; you ignited her soul with the fire of the Holy Spirit and refreshed her within with the sweetness of your love, commanding her to go confidently in peace, instructing her not to return to the past, but to remain in holy living and deep devotion. You never spoke a harsh word to her, nor did you accuse her of even the slightest sin; you didn’t reveal to anyone what she had done, but instead, you excused her and pointed out the good she had done as an example of a holy life. In the house of Simon the leper, you were more delighted by the tears of Mary than by the feasts of the Pharisees. When you touched him, you weren't angry; when you anointed him, you didn't turn away. You offered your feet, bowed your head, and did not refuse a kiss. You blessed her with your mouth, sanctified her with your hand, cleansed her by your touch, and with a brief word healed her, saying: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." O sweet word spoken from the mouth of God, full of grace and mercy, always to be remembered with great gratitude. In the house of Mary and Martha, you entered as a friend and guest; there, you were joyfully welcomed, stayed overnight, and found rest. There you ate and drank what was set before you and your disciples, as if they were poor and needy, without any coins in their pockets. There was no commotion, no shouting, no joking, no laughter, and no idle talk heard there. There, with great reverence and the discipline of good morals, you sat as a humble teacher at the table, eating with the poor. There you were, a reader at the table and a teacher of theology, and you poured out the wine of eternal life for your dearest friends. There you wisely taught Martha while she was serving, and gently excused Mary as she sat quietly, listening attentively to your words; you rightly commended her for the high contemplation of her life, even as her sister complained about Mary's idleness; and you justly defended Mary against Judas, who murmured about the anointing oil poured out on you. You responded immediately, citing the good while remaining silent about the bad, as she humbly kept quiet about her own situation. While Mary was weeping over her brother Lazarus, who had died and been buried, you wept with her, sharing in the sorrow of her grieving friends, so much so that many said, 'Look how he loved him.' O how good and honorable a life Lazarus had, whom Jesus loved while he lived, whom he raised from the dead, with whom he dined, after he had been brought back to life. O merciful Jesus, giver and rewarder of all good things, you haven't forgotten the faithful service done for you in the house of Mary and Martha, but you have repaid their small efforts with greater benefits, giving spiritual rewards for bodily ones, and eternal gifts for the transient. What more can I say? No one can easily say or fully understand all the benefits you have given to humanity, nor can they sufficiently contemplate those signs and miracles you performed in Galilee, in Nazareth, in Bethany, in Jerusalem, in Judea, and throughout the entire holy land, before all the people and your disciples, as a testimony to the truth, so that they might believe in you through all your wonderful and divine words and deeds, because truly you are Christ, the Son of God, who came into this world for the salvation of humanity. O how sublime You are in heaven, how humble You are on earth, how compassionate and gentle You are in healing people, how harsh and terrible You are in casting out demons. O how merciful You are to those who repent, how severe to the wicked, how compassionate to the afflicted, how kind to the needy, and how comforting to those who mourn. Who is such a faithful friend, such a powerful helper in all our needs, as you, our God? O what great joy you brought to these sisters when you called out, "Lazarus, come out!" And behold, he immediately came out, who had been dead, obedient to you, the master of life and death. Then you said to your disciples, as your representatives and leaders of souls: "Unbind him and let him go." In the hope, Lord, that you would deign to free me from all the bonds of my sins, so that I might die securely and joyfully come to you, and with the holy angels, Mary, and Martha, always praise you and never sin again. Amen.