De poenitentia Mariar Magdalena?
The Pharisee's Banquet and the Sinner's Approach
Jesus accepts an invitation from a proud Pharisee, where Mary Magdalene enters to humbly wash His feet with her tears.
After this, Jesus came into Judea, where a Pharisee named Simon the leper, wanting to justify himself and boast of his own righteousness, invited the Lord. He invited Jesus so that He might eat with him. The kind Physician didn't avoid his feigned righteousness, but rather wanted to heal it; so, entering the Pharisee's house, He sat down to eat. It is written that Christ ate with tax collectors and sinners to call them to repentance, just as when He ate with tax collectors in Matthew's house; likewise, He ate with the righteous who loved Him, to nourish and increase their love and devotion, as is said of Martha and Mary; He ate with relatives and the poor to supply their need, as is told of the wedding where He turned water into wine; and He ate with the proud Pharisees to restrain their pride and rebuke their vices, as He does here. Sometimes, out of a love for poverty, He also humbly accepted invitations with thanksgiving, as the time and place allowed; for He was poor and had little of this world's goods. It isn't without reason that such a great Guest should be invited, and when He invites Himself, He should be welcomed all the more gladly; for all good things come along with Him. When Magdalene heard this—perhaps having already heard him preach—she was touched inwardly with sorrow for her sins. Being fully and perfectly contrite, and kindled by the fire of his love, she set off to the banquet with an alabaster jar, a vessel for ointment. For as Bede says, alabaster is a type of white marble, streaked with various colors, which they are accustomed to hollow out for ointment vessels, because it is said to preserve them perfectly without corruption. This Pharisee is sometimes called Simon the leper in the Gospel, and his leprosy is not mentioned without cause. Chrysostom says: 'The Evangelist doesn't mention Simon’s leprosy simply, but to show the confidence with which this woman approached. Since leprosy was considered a very unclean and abominable condition, Magdalene, seeing that Jesus had healed that man, trusted that he would easily cleanse the uncleanness of her own soul.' And when the woman had reached the place, with her face bowed and her eyes cast down to the ground, she passed before the guests and did not rest until she reached Jesus; and then, immediately prostrating herself behind at his feet—because she did not dare to place herself in front, out of shame for her sins—and bowing her face over his very feet, with a certain confidence, because she already loved him intensely and above all things and was burning with love for him, she began to abound in weeping and sobbing, and with tears flowing freely, to bathe and wash the feet of the Lord. From this, the magnitude of her contrition is clear, from which, pouring out the tears of repentance like the blood of her heart, she wept so much that they were able to wash the feet of a man; finally, ceasing from weeping, she wiped the washed feet of Jesus with her hair, and as her love grew, she kissed them often, sweetly and lovingly, and could not be satisfied with this. And because they were dirty and weary from their travels, she also anointed them with precious ointment, for the cooling of the heat and the soothing of the pain from the labor of the journey. These things were done outwardly, but her inner intentions were much more fervent, seen by God alone. Hence Gregory of Nyssa says: "Showing her own unworthiness, she stood behind him, eyes cast down, and with hair let loose, she embraced his feet and bathed them with her tears; by her actions she showed her sorrowful heart, begging for forgiveness." The fact that the woman stands behind him reveals her devotion and humility; the fact that she waters his feet with her tears demonstrates true repentance and the compunction of the heart. And because she hides and wipes away those same tears with her hair, she shows that she is not one of those who perform their works so that they may be seen by men. In the kiss, she showed peace, love, and affection; in the ointment, she signified the inner tenderness of her heart and the devotion of her service. By the alabaster jar, we can understand the breast and the secret place of the heart, full of faith and love; for such an alabaster jar is accustomed to keeping this kind of ointment. As Gregory says: "As I think about the repentance of Mary, I would rather weep than say anything." For whose heart, even if it were made of stone, wouldn't those tears of this sinful woman soften, as an example of how to repent? For she considered what she had done, and she didn't want to restrain what she was doing. She entered among those dining; she didn't come because she was invited, but in the midst of the feast, she offered her tears. Consider the kind of sorrow that burns in someone who isn't ashamed to weep even in the middle of a feast. But because she saw the tears of her own shame, she ran to the fountain of mercy to be washed, and she wasn't embarrassed by those dining. As Gregory says, because she was deeply ashamed of herself on the inside, she believed there was nothing on the outside that she needed to be ashamed of.
The Mystical Meaning of Devotion
The author explores the mystical significance of the woman's actions, interpreting them as a model for true repentance and service to Christ.
In a mystical sense, the poor are the feet of Christ’s body, because their lowliness makes them the lowest part of that mystical body; and through their suffering, they are afflicted by the cross. Therefore, if a rich person who is a sinner wants to obtain forgiveness in this life and the glory of the kingdom that belongs to the poor in the life to come, they must stand by these feet by showing familiarity and gaining friendship. They must water them with tears through compassion, wipe them with hair through the squalor of poverty, and loosen them through sharing temporal goods—which the hair signifies—and by relieving their misery. They must kiss them through affability, gentle speech, and the love of brotherhood, and they must anoint them with ointment through the joy of showing mercy, the sweetness of a kind heart, and the comfort of consolation. For otherwise, as Augustine says, the rich cannot properly say 'Our Father' unless they recognize themselves as brothers of the poor and show it. But, alas! many do the opposite; and therefore, like the Pharisee, they deserve neither grace nor glory. Hence Gregory says: 'That woman represents us—if we return to the Lord with our whole heart after our sins, and if we imitate the tears of her repentance.' But what is represented by the ointment, if not the good odor of a reputation? If, therefore, we do righteous works by which we sprinkle the Church with the odor of a good reputation, what else are we pouring out upon the body of the Lord but ointment? We stood against the Lord's feet when, caught in our sins, we resisted His ways; but if we turn back to true repentance after sin, we now stand behind Him at His feet, because we follow the footsteps of the One we once opposed. The woman bathes His feet with tears; we do the same when we lean toward any of the Lord's lowliest members with a heart of compassion. We wipe the Lord's feet with our hair when we show mercy to His holy ones—those we love with charity—even out of what we have in abundance. The woman kisses the feet she wipes; we do this too, if we diligently love those whom we hold in charity, as Gregory says. This sinful woman approaching the Lord's feet represents anyone who is truly repentant and contrite for their sins. It is required that just as they offended God through guilt, they should now serve Him through penance, as the Apostle says: "Just as you once offered your members to serve impurity and iniquity unto iniquity, so now offer them to serve righteousness." —unto sanctification, and this is what this repentant woman did. Hence, Gregory says: "It is clear, brothers, that she who was previously intent on illicit acts applied ointment to herself for the scent of her own flesh." What she had therefore shamefully offered to herself, she was now offering laudably to God. With her eyes she had desired earthly things, but now, crushing them through penance, she wept. She had displayed her hair to enhance her face, but now, with that same hair, she wiped away her tears. With her mouth she had spoken proudly, but by kissing the feet of the Lord, she fixed that same mouth upon the footprints of her Redeemer. However many delights she had held within herself, she found just as many burnt offerings within herself. She turned the number of her sins into a number of virtues, so that whatever had once defied God in her guilt might now serve Him in repentance—as Gregory says. Jerome offers a similar example regarding the blessed Paula, saying: 'When she was frequently warned by us to spare her eyes so she could save them for reading the Gospels, she would say: "The face that I have painted with rouge, white lead, and antimony against God's command must be disfigured; the body that has indulged in many pleasures must be afflicted; long laughter must be compensated for by perpetual weeping; and soft linens and most precious silks must be exchanged for the roughness of sackcloth."' 'I, who once pleased a husband and the world, now desire to please Christ'—as Jerome says. From this, we understand how repentance should be performed. For in whatever a person sins, in that same thing they should perform repentance through the opposite; for example, if you have sinned by drinking too much, perform repentance by abstaining from drink; if you have eaten too much or eaten expensive food, fast and eat simpler meals—and so on with other things in their own way. Consider this woman well, therefore, and her devotion; meditate carefully upon these things, for this was a truly solemn act. Consider also how kindly the Lord Jesus receives her, and how patiently He endures whatever she does. He stops and rests from eating until the task is completed; the guests also stop, and everyone marvels at this new development.
The Pharisee's Judgment and the Parable of Debtors
Jesus discerns the Pharisee's critical thoughts and uses the parable of the two debtors to rebuke his lack of hospitality and love.
But the Pharisee who had invited Him—though he hadn't truly called upon Him, which would have been better—was falsely righteous, truly proud of a false and imagined righteousness, moved by no natural compassion, and forgetful of his own fragility. Murmuring about this, he muttered to himself against his guest. He said, "If this man were a true prophet, He would surely know who this woman is who touches Him, what she is like, and what her life is like; consequently, He wouldn't allow Himself to be touched by her, because she is a sinner, and He ought to avoid her ointment." He criticizes the sick woman for her sickness, which was actually something to be commended, because she was seeking the remedy for her languor from such a great physician—the very one he also criticizes for the help for which thanks should have been given. Yet he himself was sick with the wound of pride, and for that reason, he didn't seek the physician for help. You don't know, foolish Pharisee, you don't know that He whom you now refuse to believe is a prophet recently cleansed you from leprosy. And He is indeed a prophet, and He knows perfectly well that the woman who touches Him is a sinner. For He came for this very purpose; for this He Himself descended from heaven: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"; He Himself testifies to this, and these are His words. Therefore, He doesn't shrink from sinners, for He was made man for the sake of sinners. Therefore, according to Gregory, it is always necessary that when we see any sinners, we should first weep for ourselves in their calamity, because we have either fallen into similar sins with them, or we could fall, if we haven't already. In this Pharisee, who judged Christ for his ignorance and the woman for her impurity, we see a picture of the hypocrite who presumes upon a false sense of justice and looks down on others. As Gregory says, true justice is marked by compassion, while false justice is marked by indignation; this is why the Pharisee is criticized for his lack of mercy in minor matters, while the woman is commended for her much greater devotion. So the Lord Jesus, not listening to the Pharisee’s words but looking into his thoughts, answered his thought to refute him; for by the very fact that He answered the thought known only to God, He showed Himself to be more than a prophet, and the Lord of the prophets. He proposed the parable of the two debtors to him, so that He could more fittingly reach a conclusion against him based on his own answer. For when the Pharisee is convicted by his own judgment, he carries the rope with which he is to be bound, just like a madman. These were the two debtors: Mary, who owed God five hundred denarii, and the Pharisee, who owed fifty because he believed he had sinned less. Mary ought to have shown more love because she had received a greater remission, and she did in fact show more love, offering greater acts of service to Christ. Using the example of the debtors and the lender, He convicts the Pharisee, showing that this woman was to be justified by the grace of divine love and was more worthy of being loved and having her sins forgiven, since she offered more things pleasing to God in this act than the proud Pharisee did in hosting Him. For love among humans is often caused by preceding gifts, and consequently, a greater love is caused by greater gifts. So the Lord, listing the good deeds of the sinful woman and the bad deeds of the righteous Pharisee, rebukes the Pharisee for a threefold failure. First, he failed in kindness by not providing water for the Lord’s feet, even though they were tired and aching from the journey, and muddy or dusty from walking barefoot. As Titus says: 'It is easy to use water, but it is not easy to pour out tears.' You did not use the ready water, but she, not being ready, poured out her tears; in washing my feet with tears, she washed away her own sins. Second, he rebukes him for a failure of charity, because he did not give him a kiss, which is a sign of friendship and love. Third, he rebukes him for a failure of cheerfulness, which is signified by the oil he did not use to anoint his head. For in the past, people used to do these three things for their guests: first, they gave a kiss as a sign of safety; then, they washed their feet because of the weariness of the journey; finally, they anointed their head with cooling ointments to counter the heat of the sun. These three things—charity, kindness, and cheerfulness—are required in true and gracious hospitality, and the Pharisee was more obligated to show this service than the woman who came in from the outside. So consider that here, a devoted service is preferred over the mere giving of food and drink, which it is believable the Pharisee provided to the Lord in his own home. From this, we can draw the point that when someone is welcomed as a guest, it's more meritorious to serve them kindly than it is to simply provide them with food and drink. Conversely, the Lord praises the woman for a threefold perfection that stands in opposition to the Pharisee's failings, just as the text clearly shows. From the woman's actions, therefore, it is clear that she loved the Lord deeply, and because she received forgiveness, she was justified; and for this reason, having had many sins forgiven, she burned all the more with love for Him.
The Abundance of Grace and Forgiveness
Christ declares the woman's sins forgiven because of her great love, emphasizing that faith and love are the keys to salvation.
Hence, the Lord, seeing this, [speaks] in the first part, chapter sixty. To show that all things are perfected in love, He said to Simon: 'Therefore I tell you, her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much,' for love covers a multitude of sins.✦✦ You, too, must love much, so that much may be forgiven you. Hence Chrysostom says: 'For those who have vehemently given themselves over to evil must, in turn, vehemently persist in good, conscious of how many debts they have incurred.' 'But the one to whom less is forgiven loves less—as, for instance, you, Pharisee.'✦ But do not be proud if you are held to fewer sins, because you, too, are in need of mercy; for no one can be freed from the debt of sin by his own power, unless he obtains forgiveness through divine grace. Therefore, as Chrysostom also says: 'We have need of a fervent soul, because nothing prevents a person from becoming great.' Therefore, let no one who is caught in sin despair, and let no one who is virtuous grow lazy. Don't let anyone here be overconfident, for a sinner will often go before him; and let no one despair, for it's possible for him to surpass even the first among us—so says Chrysostom. Gregory also says: "What, my brothers, do we believe love to be, if not a fire? And what is sin, if not rust?" Hence it is now said: "Her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much." It clearly burns away the rust of sin, because it burns intensely through the fire of love. And even if what is being refined is very hard, it still abounds with the fire of love, by which even hard things are consumed. For the rust of sin is consumed all the more as the sinner's heart is burned up by the great fire of charity. Augustine says: "This one committed many sins and became a debtor for many; that one, with God guiding him, committed few." To whom He assigns what He forgave this one, let that one also assign what he did not commit. For there is no sin that a person commits that another person could not also commit, if the guide by whom that person was made were absent. That’s why Bernard says: "Who can't see that just as I’ve fallen into many sins, I would have fallen into many others, had the mercy of the Almighty not protected me?" I confess, and I will continue to confess: if the Lord hadn't helped me, my soul would have lived in hell a little sooner—meaning my soul would have fallen into every sin. In a mystical sense, God is the moneylender to whom the sinner cannot make repayment. Mystically, this moneylender signifies God, who demands a penalty for guilt and a reward of good works for the gifts of grace. Maria and the Pharisee can be called debtors, as far as the intent goes, or the people of the Gentiles and the Jews, or the notorious sinner and the hidden one, or the cleric and the layperson; and thus the two debtors are two peoples, or two states of sinners. The first owe five hundred denarii because they sin more; the second owe fifty because they sin less. But they have nothing to pay with, because none of those mentioned can be absolved by their own strength without grace; therefore, He gives to both—that is, He gives a free gift through which He forgives their debt, for there is no remission of guilt without the free gift of God. The Lord said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven," meaning not only regarding the guilt and the fault, but also regarding the punishment due to that guilt; and this happens through a vehement love of God and a horror of past sin. O happy Mary, to whom so many gifts are given! For first, the forgiveness of sins is given to her, as is said here; second, she becomes spiritually familiar with the Lord, as is added in the following chapter; third, the first appearance of the Lord's resurrection is granted to her, just as it is narrated below concerning the Lord's resurrection. And those who were reclining with the Lord began to say among themselves, in their hearts: "Who is this who even forgives sins?" They said this because they only saw the humanity appearing outwardly, which cannot forgive sins. But the Lord, disregarding their thoughts, said to the woman: "Your faith—that is, the faith infused into you by God—has saved you," because this faith was formed by charity, and therefore it made the one who possesses it worthy of eternal life. According to Gregory, her faith saved her because she didn't doubt that she could receive what she asked for. For she had already received hope from the One from whom she was seeking salvation. “Go in peace,” that is, in quiet and in a cessation from vices, not drifting away from the grace of your love. It is commanded that she go in peace so that she might persevere on the path of truth and not turn aside from it further into the way of scandal. Theophilus says, "After he has forgiven her sins, he doesn't stop at the remission of sin, but adds the performance of good." Hence it is added: "Go in peace," that is, in righteousness. For righteousness is a person’s peace with God, just as sin is enmity between God and man. It is as if to say, "Do all things that lead you to the peace of God"—so says Theophilus. In this, therefore, that it is said, "Go in peace," it is noted that she went diligently through good works, and that she had peace in her conscience. O delightful and sweet word!1
The Call to Perseverance and Hope
The author exhorts the reader to imitate the repentant woman, offering examples of mercy and concluding with a prayer for grace.
How gladly Magdalene heard this, and how joyfully she left, and having been perfectly converted to God, she lived honestly and holily from then on, and clung perseveringly to the Lord Jesus and His Mother! It's well said, "in peace," after the forgiveness of sins, because for those who are justified there is peace when the conscience doesn't sting; but there is no peace for the wicked and those who remain in their sins. Here you have it clearly: that love restores peace between God and the sinner. That's why blessed Peter also says that love covers a multitude of sins; without it, it's certainly impossible to please God, but with it, anyone is undoubtedly pleasing to Him—and that's why we ought to offer this to God above all else. Ambrose says: "Since there is nothing we can worthily offer back to God, for what could we offer in return for the injury of the flesh He took on?" What about for the scourging? What about for the cross, the death, and the burial? Woe to me if I do not love. I dare to say: Peter did not pay it back, and that is why he loved more. Paul didn't just return death for death; he didn't return other things, because he owed so much. Even if we return a cross for a cross, or a death for a death, are we really giving anything back, since we have everything from Him, through Him, and in Him? Let us therefore return love for what we owe, charity for the gift, and grace for the price of His blood. “The one to whom more is given loves more,” says Ambrose; there is no reason to despair. Therefore, let no one despair; let no one lose heart in God’s mercy. The Lord is merciful, and He shows mercy so easily to those who turn to Him from the heart. If you want to see what confession and tears can do, look at what faith and love accomplish. In a short time, that woman was justified and cleansed of every sin—she who had been so full of every vice and such a sinner that the Pharisee disdained even to look at her. The sinner, therefore, should imitate her and weep for his sins now, so that God may one day wipe away his tears. For as Bernard says: "Blessed are the tears that the kind hand of the Creator will wipe away, and blessed are the eyes that have chosen to melt in such weeping rather than be lifted up in pride, rather than look upon all that is high, rather than serve the insolence of greed!" Hence Chrysostom also says: "Just as a heavy downpour brings clear skies, so when tears are poured out, tranquility appears and the darkness of guilt vanishes." And just as we are cleansed by water and the Spirit, so we are renewed by tears and confession. Anselm also says: "Enter the Pharisee's house right now, notice your Lord reclining there, approach His feet with the most gentle sinner, wash them with your tears, dry them with your hair, soothe them with kisses, and warm them with ointment." Aren't you already being bathed in the sacred fragrance of that liquid? If He still denies you His feet, persist, pray, and lift up your eyes, heavy with tears, and with your sighs and unspeakable groans, force Him to give you what you ask; wrestle with Him, like Jacob, so that He may rejoice in being overcome. It will seem to you at times that He turns His eyes away, that He closes His ears, that He hides the feet you desire. Nevertheless, you must persist, crying out both when it's convenient and when it's not.✦ “How long, O Lord, will I cry out and you not hear me? Restore to me, good Jesus, the joy of your salvation; for my heart has said to you: ‘My face has sought you; your face, O Lord, I will seek.’” So says Anselm.✦✦✦2 No sinner, therefore, should despair of God's mercy, because He is ready to forgive everyone's debts and call the repentant back to the kingdom of heaven. God prefigured this long ago through Manasseh, the king of Israel, whom He called back to grace because of his repentance. Manasseh had offended God in countless ways: he had Isaiah, who rebuked him for his sins, sawn in half with a wooden saw, and he slaughtered so many prophets who challenged him that he stained the streets of Jerusalem purple with the blood of the prophets. Eventually, he was captured by his enemies, led into exile, and thrown into prison, where he began to repent and weep for his crimes from the heart, and with tears he prayed to the Lord, saying: 'I have sinned, Lord, more than the number of the sand of the sea, and I am no longer worthy to look upon the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities.' The Lord, however, had mercy and accepted his repentance; for He freed him from captivity and called him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. He represents the sinner who torments the Lord's prophets when they rebuke him, and who refuses to listen to preachers and teachers. As long as such a person persists in mortal sin, he remains in the captivity of the devil; if, however, he repents from the heart, God is ready to receive him back into grace. This same thing was prefigured in King David, who committed adultery and murder. When he was rebuked by Nathan and said, 'I have sinned,' Nathan immediately replied: 'The Lord has taken away your sin,' meaning He has forgiven it. O how great is the mercy of the Lord, and how ineffable, for He despises no one who repents, no matter their condition! Therefore, let's not despair because of the enormity of our sins, for we have various witnesses to divine mercy. A sinner is a slave. Let's no longer serve sin, for miserable people lose their great dignity by serving it: some by pursuing the pleasures and cravings of the flesh, others by aspiring to honors and status, and others by stubbornly seeking the wealth and resources of the world. And because there are few today who don't follow this wretched trinity, they are certainly called miserable with good reason; for they serve and obey the very things that ought to serve and obey them. Such people undoubtedly show themselves to be base—not noble, not masters, but rather lackeys and slaves. Consider the example of Diogenes, who, as we read, when... ...because of his eminent knowledge and wisdom, when the Emperor visited him, the philosopher refused to rise for him. Seeing this, the Emperor was moved to anger and turned back. His servants came and said to him, 'Master, why did you choose to act this way? The Emperor honored you not a little, for such a great man visited you, a poor man; yet you, conversely, dishonored him because you refused to rise for him.' To them he replied, 'It doesn't befit my dignity to show reverence to the servant of my servant.' This world, which serves me, is a servant to my own servant; it was made to serve me, so it wasn't fitting for me to show it any sign of reverence. He ruled the world well and commanded it; he properly observed the dignity and authority of his own nature. PRAYER: O good Jesus, hope of the penitent, who granted forgiveness of sins to Mary the sinner as she stood at your feet, washing them with tears, wiping them with her hair, and kissing them with her lips, thereby showing a sign of devotion—do not despise me, a sinner, who has fallen at the footprints of your mercy, washing them with the tears of deep compunction and kissing them with the lips of devout prayer. Make me hear your voice, full of love, mercy, gentleness, and compassion, which she herself was worthy to hear, so that my many sins may be forgiven through your grace and her merits. Amen.
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PoSt hflSC 8** cen4U Jesos de GsiUsea in Judaeam : ubi quidam de Phariueis, scilicet Simon leprosus, volens se justincare et de justitia jactare, rogavit Domi5 4 6 PRIMjE partis caput lx. num Jesum ut cum illo manducaret. Cujus tamen simulatam justitiam benignus medicus non vitavit, sed magis curare voluit; et ingressus domum Pharisati discubuit. Legitur autem Christum manducasse cum publicanis et peccatoribus, ut eos ad poenitentiam provocaret, sicut quando in domo Matthaei cum publicanis comedit ; item cum justis eum diligentibus, ut eorum amorem et devotionem nutriret et augeret, sicut dicitur de Martha et Maria; item cum cognatis et pauperibus, ut eorum inopiam suppleret, sicut habetur de nuptiis, ubi aquam in vinum vertit; item cum Pharisaeis superbientibus, ut eorum superbiam reprimeret et eorum vitia argueret, sicut in hoc loco facit. Aliquando etiam humiliter et cum gratiarum actione, cum invitabatur, recipiebat pro loco et tempore, ex paupertatis amore; quia pauper erat, et de hujus mundi substantia parum habebat. Non immerito talis et tantus hospes est invitandus, et cum se invitat, libentius suscipiendus ; veniunt enim omnia bona pariter cum illo.
Audiens autem hoc Magdalena, quae jam forte ipsum praedicantem audierat, tacta dolore cordis intrinsecus pro peccatis suis, et de eis plene et perfecte contrita, amorisque ejus igne accensa, cum alabastro, id est tali vase unguenti, perrexit ad locum convivii. Ut enim dicit Beda, alabastrum est genus marmoris candidi , variis coloribus intertincti, quod ad vasa unguentaria cavare solent, eo quod optime servare incorrupta dicatur. Iste Pharisaeus, quandoque in Evangelio Simon leprosus dicitur, cujus lepra non sine causa memoratur. Unde Chrysostomus : * Non simpliciter autem leprae Simonis meminit Evangelista, sed ut ostendat unde confidens accessit haec mulier ; quia enim lepra videbatur valde immunda esse passio et abominabilis ; videns Magdalena quod Jesus curaverat illum hominem , confidit quoniam et animae suae immunditiam facile expurgabit : » haec Chrysostomus. Et cum mulier ad locum pervenisset, facie inclinata et oculis in terram demissis, ante convivas transiens, non quievit donec ad Jesum perveniret; et tunc illico retro ad pedes ejus prostrata , quia se ante ponere non audebat, prae peccatorum suorum verecundia, et procumbens vultu super pedes ipsos, cum quadam confidentia, quia jam intense et super omnia eum diligebat, et in ejus amore ardebat ; ccepit fortiter fletibus et singultibus abundare, ac lacrymis largiter decurrentibus pedes Domini balneare et lavare. Unde patet magnitudo contritionis, ex qua lacrymas poenitentiae sanguinem cordis fundens, tantum flevit, quod pedes unius hominis lavare potuerunt; tandem a fletu cessans, capillis suis pedes Jesu lotos extersit, et amore crescente osculabatur eos saepe dulciter et amanter, nec de hoc satiari potuit. Et quia propter itinera squalidi et lassi erant, eos etiam unguento pretioso ungebat, ad refrigerium caloris et mitigationem doloris, ex labore itineris. Et haec quidem quae dicta sunt agebantur exterius ; quae vero revolvebat ejus intentio, muho ferventiora erant, quae solus Deus inspiciebat.
Unde Gregorius Nyssenus : <c Indignitatem autem suam ostendens stabat post tergum, dejectis luminibus, et effusa coma pedes amplectens lacrymisque eos perfundens; rebus tristem animum ostendebat, veniam implorans : » haec Gregorius Nyssenus. In eo ergo quod mulier retro stat, devotio et humilitas agnoscitur ; in eo vero quod lacrymis pedes rigat, vera poenitentia et cordis compunctio demonstratur. Et quoniam easdem lacrymas capillis tergendo abscondit et delet, sese de illis non esse ostendit qui opera sua faciunt ut videantur ab hominibus. — In osculo pacem, amorem et dilectionem monstrabat ; in unguento vero cordis intima blandimenta et devoti obsequii affectionem significabat. Per alabastrum pectus et cordis secretarium, plenum fide et caritate possumus intelligere; tale enim alabastrum hujusmodi unguentum consuevit servare. Ubi Gregorius : tt Cogitanti mihi de poenitentia Mariae, flere magis libet, quam aliquid dicere. Cujus enim vel saxeum pectus, illae hujus peccatricis mulieris lacrymae, ad exemplum poenitendi non emolliant? Consideravit namque quid fecit, et noluit moderari quid faceret.
Super convivantes ingressa est, non jussa venit, inter epulas, lacrymas obtulit. Discite quo dolore ardet, quae flere et inter epulas non erubescit. Sed quia turpitudinis suae lacrymas aspexit, lavanda ad fontem misericordiae cucurrit, convivantes non erubuit. Nam quia semetipsam graviter erubescebat intus, nihil esse credidit quod verecundaretur foris : » haec Gregorius.
Mystice, pedes Dominici corporis sunt pauperes, quia sunt inferior pars corporis mystici per dejectionem ; et cruci afflixi per afflictionem. Dives ergo et peccator, volens obtinere veniam in praesenti, et regni quod pauperum est gloriam in futuro, debet secus pedes istos stare per familiaritatis exhibitionem et amicitiae acquisitionem, lacrymis eos rigare per compassionem, capillis extergere per squalorem paupertatis, et resolvere per temporalium, quae per capillos designantur, communicationem et miseriae relevationem; osculum eis dare per affabi litatem et blandam allocutionem fraternitatisque amorem; unguento ungere per miserendi hilaritatem et cordis benigni dulcedinem ac consolationis suavitatem. Aliter enim, secundum Augustinum, non possunt divites dicere competentcr : Pater noster, nisi se fratres pauperum cognOscant et exhibeant. Sed, heu! multi faciunt his contraria ; et ergo cum Pharisaeo nec gratiam merentur, nec gloriam. Unde Gregorius : « Nos ergo, nos illa mulier expressit, si toto corde ad Dominum post peccata redeamus , si ejus poenitentiae luctus imitemur. Quid autem unguento, nisi bonus odor opinionis exprimitur? Si igitur recta opera agimus, quibus opinionis bonae odorc Ecclesiam respergimus, quid aliud in Domini corpore, nisi unguentum fundimus?
Contra pedes Domini stetimus, cum in peccatis positi, ejus itineribus renitebamur ; sed si ad veram poenitentiam post peccatum convertimur, jam retro secus pedes stamus, quia ejus vestigia sequimur quem impugnabamus. Lacrymis mulier pedes rigat ; quod nos quoque agimus si quibuslibet ultimis membris Domini per compassionis affectum inclinamur. Capillis pedes Domini tergimus, quando sanctorum ejus, quibus ex caritate compatimur , etiam ex his quae nobis superfluunt, miseremur. Osculatur mulier pedes quos tergit ; quod nos quoque agimus, si studiose diligimus quos ex caritate continemus : » haec Gregorius.
Per hanc ergo mulierem peccatricem ad Domini pedes accedentem, significatur quaelibet persona vere de peccatis poenitens et contrita ; ad quod requiritur, quod sicut Deum offendit per culpam, ita ei serviat per poenitentiam, secundum illud Apostoli : Sicut exhibuistis membra vestra servire im5 4 8 munditice , et iniquitati ad iniquitatem; ita exhibete nunc servire justitia? in sanctificationem, et sic fecit mulier haec poenitens. Unde idem Gregorius : « Liquet, fratres, quod illicitis actibus prius intenta unguentum sibi pro odore suae carnis adhibuit. Quod ergo sibi turpiter exhibuerat, hoc jam Deo laudabiliter offerebat. Oculis terrena concupierat; sed hos jam per poenitentiam conterens, flebat. Capillos ad compositionem vultus exhibuerat; sed jam capillis lacrymas tergebat. Ore superba dixerat ; sed pedes Domini osculans, hoc in Redemptoris sui vestigia figebat. Quot ergo in se habuit oblectamenta, tot in se invenit holocausta.
Convertit ad numerum virtutum numerum criminum ; ut totum serviret Deo in poenitentia, quidquid ex se Deum contempserat in culpa : » haec Gregorius. Consimile inducit Hieronymus de beata Paula , dicens : a Cumque a nobis crebrius moneretur ut parceret oculis, ut eos Evangelicae servaret iectioni , aiebat : Turpanda est facies, quam, contra Dei praeceptum, purpurisso et cerussa et stibio depinxi ; affligendum est corpus, quod multis vacavit deliciis; longus risus perpetuo compensandus est fletu ; mollia linteamina et serica pretiosissima asperitate cilicii sunt commutanda. Quae viro et seculo placui, nunc Christo placere desidero : » haec Hieronymus. Hinc ergo habemus quomodo facienda sit poenitentia. In quo enim quis peccat, in eodem per contrarium poenitentiam agat, verbi gratia : Peccasti nimis potando, poenitentiam age a potu abstinendo; qui nimis comedisti vel pretiosiora, jejuna et comede viliora ; et sic de aliis suo modo. Conspice igitur bene hanc mulierem et ejus devotionem ; etsuper his morose meditare, quia factum hoc solemne fuit valde. Conspice etiam Dominum Jesumquam benigne eam suscipit, et quam patienter sustinet quidquid facit. Cessat et quiescit a comedendo, donec negotium compleatur; cessant et convivae, et omnes super hac novitate mirantur.
Sed Pharisazus qui eum vocaverat r non tamen invocaverat, quod melius fuisset , fallaciter justus, ac de falsa et putativa justitia veraciter superbus, nullaque compassione naturae motus, et suas fragilitatis oblitus, de hoc murmurans, ait intra se, contra suum hospitem murmurando,. dicens : Hic si esset Propheta verus, sciens scilicet occulta, sciret utique quce, in persona, et qualis, in vita, est mulier qua* tangit eum; et per consequens non permitteret se tangi ab ea, quia peccatrix est, et ideo unguentum ejus vitare deberet. jEgram reprehendit de aegritudine, quae potius erat commendanda, quia languoris sui remedium quaerebat apud tantum medicum, quem etiam reprehendit de subventione, de qua gratiarum actiones erant referendas ; qui ipse quoque de elationis vulnerer aegrotabat, et ideo nec medicum pro subventione requirebat. Nescis, Pharisaee stulte, nescis, nuper te mundavit a lepra, quem modo non credis esse Prophetam. Et Propheta quidem est, et optime scit quia peccatrix est mulier quae eum tangit. Ad hoc enim ipse venit, ad hoc ipse de coilis descendit : Non enim venit vocare justos, sed peccatores ad pcenitentiam ; hoc ipse testatur, ejus verba sunt haec. Non horret ergo peccatores , qui pro , peccatoribus factus est homo. Igitur, secundum Gregorium, necesse semper est, ut cum peccatores quosque conspicimus, nosmetipsos prius in illorum calamitate defleamus; quia cum eis in similibus aut lapsi sumus, aut iabi possumus, si lapsi non sumus.
Per istum Pharisaeum qui Christum notavit de ignorantia et mulierem de immunditia , significatur hypocrita de falsa justitia praesumens et alios contemnens. Quia, secundum eumdera Gregorium, vera justitia compassionem habet, falsa vero indignationem; propter quod iste Pharisaeus arguitur de pietatis oraissione in modicis respective , et mulier commendatur de majoribus valde.
Unde Dorninus Jesus non verba Pharisaei audiens, sed cogitationes inspiciens, respondit cogitationi ejus ad confutationem illius; per hoc enim quod ad ejus respondit cogitationem, quae soli Deo est nota, ostendit se plus quam Prophetam, et Dominum Prophetarum. Et proposuit ei parabolam de duobus debitoribus, ut convenientius concludat contra eum ex responsione ipsius. Cum enim de sua sententia Pharisaeus convincitur, quasi phreneticus funem portat cum quo ligetur. Isti duo debitores erant, Maria Deo debitrix quingentorum denariorum, et Pharisaeus qui quinquaginta debebat, quia minus se peccasse credebat; et ideo Maria plus diligore debebat , quia majorem remissionem acceperat; et plus revera diligebat, ideo majora obsequia Christo praebebat. Exemplo igitur debitorum et feneratoris convincit Pharisaetim, quod haec mulier esset gratia divini amoris justificanda, et dignior amari, et peccata sibi remitti, quae plura grata Deo obtulit in hoc facto, quam superbus Pharisaeus in convivando ; quia amor in humanis pierumque causatur ex donis praecedentibus, et per consequens major amor ex donis majoribus.
Unde Dominus enumerans bona peccatricis, et mala faisi justi, redarguit Pharisaeum ex defectu tri^ plici. Primo ex defectu pietatis, quia non dedit aquam pedibus suis, qui tamen erant fessi et dolentes ex labore itineris, ac lutosi, seu pulverizati, eo quod incedebat sine calceamentis. Unde Titus : a Quasi dicat : Facilis est usus aquarum , non est facilis lacrymarum effusio ; tu promptis non es usus, haec effudit non prompta, lavans lacrymis pedes meos, lavit lacrymas proprias. » — Secundo redarguit ex defectu caritatis; quia non dedit ei osculum, quod est signum amicitiae et dilectionis. — Tertio ex defectu hilaritatis, quae designatur in nomine olei, quo non unxit caput ejus. Tria enim praedicta faciebant olim suis hospitibus, quia primo dabant osculum in signum securitatis; deinde lavabant pedes, propter laborem itineris; postea ungebant caput unguentis refrigerativis , contra aestum caloris. Et praedicta tria , sciiicet : caritas , pietas , et hilaritas , requiruntur in hospitalitate vera et gratiosa , ex qua ad obsequium magis tenebatur Pharisaeus, quam mulier superveniens ab extra. Unde considera, quod praefertur hic devotum obsequium largitioni cibi et potus, quos credibile est Pharisaeum in domo sua Domino praebuisse.
Hinc potest elici argumentum, quod cum suscipitur quis hospitio, magis meritorium est ei benigne ministrare quam ipsum cibum et potum exhibere. Et e converso laudat Dominus mulierem de triplici perfectione, defectibus Pharisaei opposita, prout clare patet in littera. Ex factis ergo mulieris apparet, quod Dominum multum dilexit, et ideo veniamreportans, justificata fuit; propter quod et ex peccatis multis sibi dimissis magis in amore ejus exarsit.
Unde voiens Dominus monPRIMjE partis caput lx. strare quod omnia in dilectione consummantur, dixit Simoni : Propter quod dico tibi : Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit muU tum ; nam caritas operit multitudinem peccatorum. Et tu plurimum dilige, ut tibi plurimum remittatur. Unde Chrysostomus : « Nam qui vehementer se ingesserunt malis, rursus et bonis vehementer insistent, conscii ad quot debita se obligaverunt. » Cui autem minus dimittitur, minus diligit, ut scilicet, tu, Pharisaee. Sed non superbias si in paucioribus teneris, quia tu quoque venia eges; nullus enim potest per semetipsum a debito peccati liberari, nisi divina gratia veniam consequatur. Igitur, ut ait idem Chrysostomus : « Opus est nobis ferventi anima, quia nihil impedit hominem fieri magnum. Nullus ergo constitutorum in peccatis desperet, neque virtuosus dormitet.
Nec hic confidat, saepe enim meretrix praecedet eum ; nec iile diffidat , possibiie namque est eum etiam primos superare : » haec Chrysostomus. Unde et Gregorius : « Quid , fratres mei, esse dilectionem credimus , nisi ignem > Et quid culpam, nisi rubiginem? » Unde nunc dicitur : Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quia dilexit multum. Incendit plane peccati rubiginem, quia ardet valde per amoris ignem. Et si durum est valde quod coquitur, abundat tamen amoris igne quo etiam dura consummantur. Tanto namque amplius peccati rubigo consumitur, quanto peccatoris cor magno caritatis igne concrematur. Ubi Augustinus : « Hic multa commisit et multorum debitor factus est ; ille, gubernante Deo, pauca commisit. Cui deputat ille quod dimisit huic , et iste deputet quod non commisit.
Nullum est enim peccatum quod facit homo, quod non posset facere et alter homo, si desit rector a quo factus est homo. » Unde et Bernardus : « Quis non videat quod sicut in multa peccata cecidi , sic et in multa alia cecidissem, nisi Omnipotentis pietas servasset ? Fateor et fatebor : Nisi quia Dominus adjuvit me, paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea, videlicet cecidisset in omne peccatum anima mea. » 9 Mystice Deus est fenerator cui satisfaciendo impar peccator. — Mystice fenerator iste Deum significat, qui pro culpa pcenam et pro donis gratiarum meritum bonorum exigit. Debitores dici possunt Maria et Pharisaeus, quantum ad propositum, vel populus Gentium et Judaicus, vel peccator notorius et occultus, vel clericus et laicus : et sic duo debitores sunt duo populi, vel duo status peccatorum. Primi debent quingentos denarios, quia plus peccant; secundi quinquaginta , quia minus. Sed non habent unde reddant, quia nullus praedictorum potest absolvi propriis viribus absque gratia; et ideo donat utrisque, id est donum gratuitum dat, per quod eis debitum dimittit : non enim sine dono Dei gratuito fit culpae remissio.
Dixit autem Dominus a d mulierem : Remittuntur tibi peccata , scilicet non solum quantum ad reatum et culpam, sed etiam quantum ad reatus poenam, et hoc fit ex vehementi amore Dei et horrore peccati praeteriti. O felix Maria cui tot dantur munera ! Nam primo datur ei peceatorum remissio, ut hic dicitur; secundo fit spiritualiter familiaris Domino, ut in sequenti capitulo subditur; tertio fit ei Dominicae resurrectionis prima apparitio, prout infra de resurrectione Domini narratur. Et cceperunt qui simul accumbebant cum Domino, dicere intra se, in corde suo : Quis est hic qui etiam peccata dimittit ? Hoc dicebant, quia humanitatem exterius apparentem, quae non potest peccatadimittere, tantum videbant. Sed Dominus, cogitationes eorum parvipendens, dixit ad muHerem : Fides tua, id est a Deo tibi infusa, tc salvam fecit, quia ista fides caritate formata fuit, et ideo^ habentem dignum vita aeterna fecit. Secundum Gregorium,Jidese&m salvam fecit, quia hoc quod petiit, posse accipere non dubitavit. Spem enim jam ab illo acceperat, a quo salutem quaerebat.
Vade in pace, id est in quiete et cessatione a vitiis, non discordando a gratia tui amoris. Jn pace ire praecipitur, ut in veritatis itinere perseveret et ab eo in via scandali ulterius non declinet. Unde Theophilus : « Postquam autem ei peccata dimisit, non sistit in remissione peccati , sed adjicit operationem boni. Unde subditur : Vade in pace, id est in justitia. Nam justitia est pax hominis ad Deum, sicut peccatum est inimicitia inter Deum et hominem. Quasi diceret : Operare omnia quae ad pacem Dei te ducunt : » haec Theophilus. In hoc ergo quod dicitur : Vade in pace , notatur quod ipsa ivit sollicite per bona opera , et quod ipsa habuit pacem in conscientia. O Terbum delectabile et suave!
Quam libenter id Magdalena audivit, et quam jucunde recessit, et perfecte ad Deum conversa, deinceps honeste et sancte vixit, ac Domino Jesu et Matri ejus perseveranter adhaesit ! Et bene ait : in pace, post remissionem peccatorum, quia justificatis est pax, cum conscientia non remordet ; sed non est pax impiis et existentibus in peccatis. Hic habes aperte quod caritas reformat pacem inter Deum et peccatorem; unde et beatus Petrus dicit, quod caritas operit multitudinem peccatorum, sine qua profecto impossibile est placere Deo, cum qua sine dubio placet quicunque, et ideo hanc praecipue debemus Deo referre. Unda Ambrosius : a Quoniam nihil est quod digne referre Deo possumus, quid enim referamus pro susceptae carnis injuria? Quid pro verberibus? Quid pro cruce , obitu , sepultura ? Vae mihi si non dilexero. Audeo dicere, non reddidit Petrus, et ideo plus dilexit.
Non rcddidit Paulus, reddidit quidem mortem pro morte; sed alia non reddidit, quia multum debebat. Reddamus licet crucem pro cruce, funus pro funere, numquid reddimus, quia ex ipso, et per ipsum, et in ipso habemus omnia ? Reddamus ergo amorem pro debito , caritatem pro munere , gratiam pro sanguinis pretio. Plus enim diligit, cui donatur amplius : » haec Ambrosius, I I IfQUAM ESSE desperandum. — Nemo ergo desperet, nemo de Dei misericordia diffidat. Clemens est Dominus, qui ex corde conversis tam facile miseretur. Unde si quid confessio et lacrymae possunt, videre vis, vide quid fides et dilectio operatur. Parvo temporis spatio justificata est mulier, et ab omni peccato mundata, quae universis vitiis plena , et tam peccatrix fuerat, ut eam Pharisaeus videre dedignaretur.
Hanc igitur imitans peccator, peccata nunc defleat, ut ejus lacrymas quandoque Deus abstergat. Nam , ut ait Bernardus : « Felices lacrymae quas benigna manus Conditoris absterget, et beati oculi qui in talibus liquefieri fletibus potius elegerunt, quam elevari in superbia, quam omne sublime videre, quam avaritiae petulantia famulari ! » Unde et Chrysostomus : « Sicut autem ubi vehemens imber prorumpit, fiitserenitas; sic lacrymis effusis apparet tranquillitas et perit caligo reatuum. Et sicut per aquam et Spiritum purgamur, sic per lacrymas et confessionem denuo mun% damur. d Ubi et Anselmus : a Jam nunc ingredere domum Pharisaei, recumbentem ibi Dominum tuum attende, accede cum benignissima peccatrice ad pedes ejus, lava lacrymis, terge capillis, demulce osculis, fove unguentis. Nonne jam sacro liquoris illius odore perfunderis ? Si tibi adhuc suos negat pedes, insta, ora» et gravidos lacrymis oculos attolle, tuisque suspiriis inenarrabilibusque gemitibus extorque quod petis ; luctare cum eo, sicut Jacob, ut ipse se gaudeat superari. Videbitur tibi aliquando quod avertat oculos, quod aures claudat, quod desideratos pedes abscondat.
Tu nihilominus insta opportune, importuneque clama. Usquequo, Domine , clamabo et non exaudies, — Redde mihi, Jesu bone, laztitiam salutwis tui; quia tibi dixit cor meum ; Exquisivit te facies mea, faciem tuam, Domine, requiram : » haec Anselmus.
Nullus ergo peccator debet de clementia Dei desperare, quia praesto est cunctis debita reiaxare, et poenitentes ad regnum cotlorum revocare. Istud Deus per Manassem regem Israel olim praefiguravit , quem propter poenitentiam ad gratiam revocavit. Manasses infinitis Deum offenderat : Isaiam qui eum de peccatis suis redarguit, lignea serra per medium desecari fecit; et tot Prophetas ipsum arguentes trucidavit, quod plateas Jerusalem sanguine Prophetarum purpuravit. Tandem ab hostibus captus est, et in exsilium deductus, carceri deputatus est, ubi coepit poenitere, et ex corde scelera sua deflere, et cum lacrymis oravit Dominum, dicens : Peccavi, Domine , super numerum arenae tnaris, et jam non sum dignus videre cceli altitudinem, propter iniquitatum mearum multitudinem, Misertus autem Dominus, poenitentiam ejus acceptavit ; nam de captivhate eum liberavit, et in rignum suum in Jerusalem revocavit. Per hunc peccator designatur, qui Prophetas Domini ipsum arguentes cruciat, quando praedicatores et doctores audire recusat. Et quandiu talis perseverat in peccato mortali, tandiu est in captivitate diaboli; si autem ex corde egerit poenitentiam, Deus paratus est eum suscipere ad gratiam. Hoc idem praefiguratum fuit in rege David, qui adulterium et homicidium perpetravit; cumque redargutus a Nathan peccavi diceret, statim Nathan respondit : Dominus transtuiit peccatum, id est dimisit. O quam magna est pietas Dbmini, et quam ineffabilis, qui nullum pcenitentem despicit cujuscunque conditionis!
Non ergo propter immanitatem peccatorum nostrorum desperemus, quia diversos testes divinae misericordiae habemus. 1 3 Peccator servus est. — Neque ultra peccatis serviamus, quia magnam dignitatem amittunt miseri homines serviendo peccatis , quidam carnis voluptates et concupiscentias sectando, quidam aspirando ad honores et excellentias, quidam pertinaci studio quaerentes mundi facultates et divitias. Et quia pauci sunt hodie qui istum trinarium nefandum non sequantur, certe miseri merito dicuntur; illis enim rebus quae eis deberent servire et obsequi, serviunt et obsequuntuc Tales procul dubio se viles ostendunt, non nobiles, non dominos ; sed potius garsiones et servos. Exemplum de Diogene, de quo legitur, quod cum, quad? m vice, ratione suae eminentis scientiae et sapientiae Imperator eum visitaret, Philosophus ei assurgere noluit. Quod videns Imperator iracundia motus retrocessit, veneruntque servi ejus et dixerunt ad eum : Domine, quare sic agere voluistinon modicum te Imperator honora; bat, quia te pauperem talis ac tantus visitabat, tu vero e converso ipsum inhonorasti, quia ei assurgere noJuisti. Quibus respondit : Non decet dignitatem meam , ut servo servi mei reverentiam faciam.
Servit iste servo meo, scilicet mundo, qui mihi servit, eo enim factus est, ut mihi serviat; non igitur decuitme signum alicujus reverentiae sibi exhibere. Bene dominabatur iste mundo et imperabat ; bene naturae suae dignitatem et praesidentiam observabat. ORATIO O Jesu bone, spes poenitentium, qui Mariae peccatrici ad tuos pedes stanti et eos lacrymis riganti , capillis tergenti , labiis osculanti , pietatis signum aperiens peccatorum veniam tribuisti , ne despicias, Jesu misericors, me peccatorem ad clementiae tuae vestigia provolutum, rigantem lacrymis intimae compunctionis, osculantem labiis devotae orationis, et fac me audire vocem tuam pietate et clementia, suavitate et misericordia plenam, quam audire meruit et ipsa, ut dimittantur mihi peccata mea multa per tuam gratiam et ipsius merita. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.7.47 — Therefore I tell you, her many sins are forgiven, as her great love shows. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.
- ↩1Pet.4.8 — Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, for love covers a multitude of sins.
- ↩Luke.7.47 — Therefore I tell you, her many sins are forgiven, as her great love shows. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.
- ↩2Tim.4.2 — Proclaim the word; be ready whether the time is favorable or not; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and instruction.
- ↩Ps.12.1 — To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
- ↩Ps.50.14 — Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.
- ↩Ps.26.8 — LORD, I love the dwelling place of your house, and the place where your glory dwells.
Notes
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Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere