The two and twenty chapitre. Of the wonderful love that Crist had to Mari, in persone of alle sinners treuly turned and clepid to the grace of contemplacion.
Mary's Unyielding Love
Mary Magdalene's love for Christ was so deep that she would not be comforted by angels until she saw Him.
The love between our Lord and Mary was sweet. She had much love for Him; He had much more for her. For anyone who would thoroughly look at all the bearing that was between Him and her—not as a trifler may tell it, but as the story of the Gospel will witness, which in no way can be false—would find that she was so heartily set on loving Him that nothing beneath Him could comfort her, nor yet hold her heart away from Him.1 This is she, that same Mary, who when she sought Him at the sepulcher with a weeping face would not be comforted by an angel.✦ For when they spoke to her so sweetly and so lovingly, and said, "Do not weep, Mary; for our Lord whom you seek is risen, and you shall have Him, and see Him living in full beauty among His disciples in Galilee, as He promised," she would not leave off for them, because she thought that anyone who truly sought the King of angels would not care to leave off for angels.✦2
Christ's Defense of the Contemplative Sinner
The Gospel story shows Christ's special love for Mary as a pattern for all repentant sinners called to contemplation, defending her against all accusers.
And what more? Surely anyone who will look carefully into the Gospel story will find many wonderful points of perfect love written about her for our example, and as exactly matching the work of this writing as if they had been set down and written for that purpose. And surely they were — take them who can.3 And if someone wants to see written in the Gospel the wonderful and special love our Lord had for her — standing for all habitual sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation — he'll find that our Lord would not let any man or woman, no, not even her own sister, speak a word against her unless He answered for her Himself.4 Yes, and what more! He rebuked Simon the Leper in his own house, because Simon thought against her. This was great love; this was surpassing love.5
Read the original Middle English
Sweet was that love bitwix oure Lorde and Marye. Moche love had sche to Hym; moche more had He to hir. For whoso wolde utterly beholde alle the contynaunce that was bitwix Hym and hir (not as a treufeler may telle, bot as the story of the Gospel wil witnes, the whiche on no wise may be fals) he schulde fynde that sche was so hertly set for to love Hym, that no thing binethe Hym might counforte hir, ne yit holde hir herte fro Hym. This is sche, that same Marye, that whan sche sought Hym at the sepulcre with wepyng chere wolde not be counfortyd of aungele. For whan thei spak unto hir so sweetly and so lovely, and seide: "Weep not, Marye; for whi oure Lorde wham thou sekist is resyn, and thou schalt have Him, and se Him lyve ful feyre amonges His disciples in Galile, as He hight," sche wolde not leve for hem, for whi hir thought that whoso sought verrely the kyng of aungelles, hem list not leve for aungelles.
And what more? Sekirly whoso wil loke verrely in the story of the Gospel, he schal fynde many wonderful poynte of parfite love wreten of hir to oure ensaumple, and as even acordyng to the werke of this writyng, as thei had ben set and wretyn therfore. And sekirly so were they, take whoso take may. And yif a man list for to se in the Gospel wretyn the wonderful and the special love that oure Lorde had to hir, in persone of alle customable synners trewly turnid and clepid to the grace of contemplacion, he shal fynde that oure Lorde might not suffre any man or womman, ye, not hir owne sistre, speke a worde agens hir, bot yif He answerid for hir Hymself. Ye, and what more! He blamid Symound Leprous in his owne hous, for he thought agens hir. This was greet love; this was passing love.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.20.11-John.20.13 — But Mary stood outside at the tomb, weeping. And as she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. John.20.12 — and she sees two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. John.20.13 — And they say to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She says to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.'
- ↩John.20.13-John.20.17;Matt.28.5-Matt.28.7;Mark.16.6-Mark.16.7 — And they say to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She says to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' John.20.14 — Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and she did not know that it was Jesus. John.20.15 — Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." John.20.16 — Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni" (which means "Teacher"). John.20.17 — Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.'" Matt.28.5 — But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are seeking Jesus, the one who was crucified." Matt.28.6 — He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. Matt.28.7 — And go quickly and tell his disciples that he has been raised from the dead. And behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee; there you will see him. Behold, I have told you. Mark.16.6 — But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." Mark.16.7 — But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'contynaunce' rendered as 'bearing' (mutual demeanor/conduct), not facial expression alone.
- 2 ↩ME 'leve for' rendered as 'leave off for' (desist from seeking because of them), not physical departure alone.
- 3 ↩ME 'take whoso take may' is an idiomatic invitation: the Gospel examples are there for whoever can receive them.
- 4 ↩'customable synners' is rendered 'habitual sinners' (those whose sin is by custom/habit), the Cloud's usual contrast-class for the contemplative convert.
- 5 ↩ME 'passing' = surpassing/exceeding; rendered 'surpassing' to keep the intensifying force without archaic diction.
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