"Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much." (Luke 7:47)
On this feast of St. Mary Magdalen, it is fitting to begin with three Scripture passages depicting her abundant love for Jesus:
"And turning to the woman, He said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she with tears hath washed My feet, and with her hairs hath wiped them." (Luke 7:44)
"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen." (John 19:25)
"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus." (Mark 16:1)
In seeing St. Mary Magdalen as an example of heartfelt charity, I share in contrast the following reflection on the very small number of those who love their neighbor (as explained by Father Francis Hunolt). In a sermon, Father Hunolt shares that many people neither know, nor care to know who their neighbor is. Further, he explains there is no relation closer to us than every fellow man since we all share the same nature. As such, to every human being without exception we are commanded:
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22:39)
Continuing in his treatise, the meaning of God's law "is not merely: parents, love your children; children, love your parents; husbands, love your wives; wives, love your husbands; friends, love your friends; servants, love and honor your masters; masters and mistresses, love and care for your servants; not merely, love those who do you good, those whose help you require, those who are placed in a high position."
"The first class founds its claim on blood-relationship, and consists of those who belong to the same family as we do, and even they must be careful what they do, if they wish us to love them truly and constantly; the second relies on our own interest, and consists of those who have done us good, or are likely to do us good; the third and principal class consists of those who suit our natural inclination, because they are beautiful or amiable in our eyes, or are endowed with great natural gifts and talents, or have a pleasing manner, or a sympathetic disposition, or because we have a special pleasure in the society of those of whose favor and friendship we are assured."
"A love of that kind is not the love of one's neighbor, but of one's self; for thus you love, not the person of another, but your own profit, sensuality, or pleasure; and consequently you love yourself, and not whom God has commanded you to love."
"Hence, as there are few in the world who are related to us, fewer still from whom we have received, or expect to receive benefits, and fewest of all who, without any fault or failing, are perfectly suited to our inclination, it follows clearly that the number of human beings in the world whom we love properly is very small indeed."
Now consider where we all come from...
"We have the same origin, the nothingness of which we are created; the same Creator, who is the Almighty God; the same nature, which is the likeness of God; the same Father, Who is in Heaven; the same Mother, the true Church, to which all men are called; the same spiritual food and drink, which is prepared for all, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; the same hope, the same end, the same inheritance, the same Heaven."
"As St. John Chrysostom remarks, God, in order to preserve this fellowship amongst men, and thereby to foster mutual charity amongst them, did not create the great and the rich out of one material, and the poor and needy of another; but He caused us all, without exception, to descend from the one father, Adam, and our first mother, Eve. He did not create her independently, but took the material of which He made her from Adam, so that no one can treat another as a stranger, and no difference of nationality, family, condition, or manners, which generally is a cause of misunderstandings and difficulties, can excuse us from the obligation of loving all human beings, and looking on them as our brothers and sisters."
"You see now why you must love even the most wicked and ungrateful people; namely, for the sake of that Lord and God, whose servants and creatures they are."
"But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45)
Further, consider where we are all going...
"Every day you are going to death, and so are they; you are hurrying on to eternity, nor have they any other end; you hope to get to Heaven, so do they, and perhaps they will succeed, and you will be disappointed; you are all in the same danger; you have all the same hope, and therefore, you are in the same condition, and you owe them the Christian and brotherly love of charity, as well as you owe it to your friends and relatives."
"If you consider only (that) man's exterior, you will find him deformed and ugly; but perhaps his soul is beautiful and lovely, and that is certainly reason enough for loving him."
CALL TO ACTION: Listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and without reserve, love your "neighbor" through MANY acts of kindness!
Source of quoted paragraphs above (save Scriptures verses): "Hunolt's Sermons," Volume IV, The Bad Christian; page 265-267; Refuge of Sinners Publishing, Inc. (copyright 2015); Imprimatur: James D. Ricard, K. D., Bishop of Retimo and Vicar-Apostolic of he Eastern Vicariate of the Cape Colony.
Photo by Kostiantyn Li