VaticanaRadio report: Pope
Benedict spoke of his shock on Sunday in what he called “the senseless violence”
that took place in Aurora Denver in which twelve people were killed and dozens
of others injured when a gunman opened fire during a film screening this week.
The Holy Father also expressed his sadness at the loss of life in the recent
ferry disaster near Zanzibar in which at least 68 people died.
The Pope said he shared the distress of the families and friends of the victims and the injured, especially the children and he assured all of those affected by both tragedies his closeness in prayer.
Pope Benedict was speaking after the recitation of the Angelus in the courtyard of the Papal summer residence at Castelgandolfo in the Roman hills, where he also had words of encouragement for those taking part in the upcoming Olympic Games in London.
“I send greetings to the organizers, athletes and spectators alike, and I pray that, in the spirit of the Olympic Truce, the good will generated by this international sporting event may bear fruit, promoting peace and reconciliation throughout the world. Upon all those attending the London Olympic Games, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.”
Before the Angelus Pope Benedict took time to reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel in which Jesus is depicted at the “The Good Shepherd”.
The Holy Father explained to the faithful gathered, that God is the Shepherd of mankind who wants to guide us to good pasture, which he said is “the fullness of life.”
The Pope went on to say that in today’s world, “that 's what every father and every mother wants for their children: a good life, happiness, achievement.
Jesus, said Pope Benedict, presents himself as the Shepherd of the lost sheep of Israel.
Among those lost sheep, continued the Pope, are the great Saints Mary of Magdala and Luke the Evangelist.
The Holy Father explained that the deep healing of God works through Jesus, which consists of true peace and the fruit of reconciliation.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
The Pope said he shared the distress of the families and friends of the victims and the injured, especially the children and he assured all of those affected by both tragedies his closeness in prayer.
Pope Benedict was speaking after the recitation of the Angelus in the courtyard of the Papal summer residence at Castelgandolfo in the Roman hills, where he also had words of encouragement for those taking part in the upcoming Olympic Games in London.
“I send greetings to the organizers, athletes and spectators alike, and I pray that, in the spirit of the Olympic Truce, the good will generated by this international sporting event may bear fruit, promoting peace and reconciliation throughout the world. Upon all those attending the London Olympic Games, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.”
Before the Angelus Pope Benedict took time to reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel in which Jesus is depicted at the “The Good Shepherd”.
The Holy Father explained to the faithful gathered, that God is the Shepherd of mankind who wants to guide us to good pasture, which he said is “the fullness of life.”
The Pope went on to say that in today’s world, “that 's what every father and every mother wants for their children: a good life, happiness, achievement.
Jesus, said Pope Benedict, presents himself as the Shepherd of the lost sheep of Israel.
Among those lost sheep, continued the Pope, are the great Saints Mary of Magdala and Luke the Evangelist.
The Holy Father explained that the deep healing of God works through Jesus, which consists of true peace and the fruit of reconciliation.
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
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ASIA : INDONESIA : 10 NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED
ASIA NEWS REPORT:
by Mathias Hariyadi
The new clergymen will serve in the dioceses of Semarang (Java) and Nias (North Sumatra). For Semarang bishop, they are a precious gift to the Catholic Church.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian Catholic Church is celebrating the ordination of ten new priests in the dioceses of Semarang (Java) and Nias (North Sumatra). Two were ordained last week and will serve as diocesan priests in Semarang. Two young seminarians, missionaries of the Holy Family, were ordained on Tuesday. Four young Jesuit deacons are set to be ordained today. Mgr Ludovicus Simanulang recently ordained two Capuchins in Nias, one of areas most affected by the 2005 tsunami.
In a message to AsiaNews, Mgr Johannes Pujasumarta, archbishop of Semarang, said he was moved by the gift of these young men to the Church. "Each priestly ordination is not only a blessing for the parishes, dioceses and religious order, but for all Catholics," he explained.
The prelate said he hoped that the presence of the new clergymen would provide an experience of faith and hope for all Catholics in order to bear new fruits for the Archdiocese of Semarang and the entire Indonesian Church.
In a country of 232 million people, Christians represent 11.8 per cent, 6 million Catholics.
Despite attacks and persecution by extremist Muslim groups, the Indonesian Church is very much active with some 3,000 priests in 36 dioceses.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
by Mathias Hariyadi
The new clergymen will serve in the dioceses of Semarang (Java) and Nias (North Sumatra). For Semarang bishop, they are a precious gift to the Catholic Church.
_0718_-_Deaconate_ordination_for_24_seminarians_(600_x_238).jpg)
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian Catholic Church is celebrating the ordination of ten new priests in the dioceses of Semarang (Java) and Nias (North Sumatra). Two were ordained last week and will serve as diocesan priests in Semarang. Two young seminarians, missionaries of the Holy Family, were ordained on Tuesday. Four young Jesuit deacons are set to be ordained today. Mgr Ludovicus Simanulang recently ordained two Capuchins in Nias, one of areas most affected by the 2005 tsunami.
In a message to AsiaNews, Mgr Johannes Pujasumarta, archbishop of Semarang, said he was moved by the gift of these young men to the Church. "Each priestly ordination is not only a blessing for the parishes, dioceses and religious order, but for all Catholics," he explained.
The prelate said he hoped that the presence of the new clergymen would provide an experience of faith and hope for all Catholics in order to bear new fruits for the Archdiocese of Semarang and the entire Indonesian Church.
In a country of 232 million people, Christians represent 11.8 per cent, 6 million Catholics.
Despite attacks and persecution by extremist Muslim groups, the Indonesian Church is very much active with some 3,000 priests in 36 dioceses.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
AFRICA : DEM. REPUBLIC OF CONGO : CIVILIANS NEED PROTECTION
CISA NEWS REPORT:
KIVU, July 13, 2012 (CISA) -The UN Security Council
must call on the Rwandan government to stop providing support for the M23 armed
group in DR Congo’s North Kivu province, Amnesty International said as the UN
redeployed peacekeepers to the main eastern city of Goma.
The M23 have driven back the Congolese government army in a determined offensive over the last few days. The UN and authorities in eastern DR Congo say Rwanda has backed the non-state armed group, M23, a claim denied by Kigali.
“While redeploying UN troops to Goma to protect civilians is a positive step, the situation in the North Kivu is so tense that it has the potential to turn into a regional conflict if the international community does not take urgent measures,” said Aster van Kregten, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Africa.
Amnesty International has received reports from numerous sources that M23 is using heavy artillery and continue to forcibly recruit civilians. According to credible sources, two civilians were killed by the M23 in Bunagana when they refused to join the group, while two other civilians were killed during the fighting.
Although Rwanda appears to have breached a UN arms embargo, the UN Security Council has done nothing to put pressure on the country to end its support for the M23, which has recently been strengthened with heavy artillery and new recruits.
“The Council must condemn the reported breach of the UN arms embargo by Rwanda and take concrete measures to prevent any further violations of human rights or international humanitarian law,” said van Kregten.
A UN report last month provided substantial evidence that senior Rwandan officials have backed the M23 armed group, led by Bosco Ntaganda, a former General in the Congolese army who is under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
The armed group named themselves the M23 after a failed peace agreement signed on 23 March 2009. The M23 defected from the Congolese army in April this year amid pressure on the government to arrest General Ntaganda.
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), has a robust mandate which allows the use of “all necessary means, including deadly force” to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.
Despite this, MONUSCO has been unable to adequately protect civilians and help restore calm to the volatile North Kivu region and has instead focused on providing technical support to the poorly trained Congolese army.
“The recent violence in North Kivu has already led to human rights abuses against civilians and any escalation in the violence will place civilians at further risk,” said van Kregten.
“The future of the eastern Congolese people now mainly lies in the hands of the UN Security Council. It’s crucial that MONUSCO now uses its mandate to effectively protect civilians.”
While the M23 is threatening to attack Goma, recent reports indicate that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – whose leaders are believed to have taken part in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda – and other armed groups such as the Mai Mai are also in Rutshuru territory, increasing the fear of violence against civilians.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS
The M23 have driven back the Congolese government army in a determined offensive over the last few days. The UN and authorities in eastern DR Congo say Rwanda has backed the non-state armed group, M23, a claim denied by Kigali.
“While redeploying UN troops to Goma to protect civilians is a positive step, the situation in the North Kivu is so tense that it has the potential to turn into a regional conflict if the international community does not take urgent measures,” said Aster van Kregten, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Africa.
Amnesty International has received reports from numerous sources that M23 is using heavy artillery and continue to forcibly recruit civilians. According to credible sources, two civilians were killed by the M23 in Bunagana when they refused to join the group, while two other civilians were killed during the fighting.
Although Rwanda appears to have breached a UN arms embargo, the UN Security Council has done nothing to put pressure on the country to end its support for the M23, which has recently been strengthened with heavy artillery and new recruits.
“The Council must condemn the reported breach of the UN arms embargo by Rwanda and take concrete measures to prevent any further violations of human rights or international humanitarian law,” said van Kregten.
A UN report last month provided substantial evidence that senior Rwandan officials have backed the M23 armed group, led by Bosco Ntaganda, a former General in the Congolese army who is under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
The armed group named themselves the M23 after a failed peace agreement signed on 23 March 2009. The M23 defected from the Congolese army in April this year amid pressure on the government to arrest General Ntaganda.
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), has a robust mandate which allows the use of “all necessary means, including deadly force” to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.
Despite this, MONUSCO has been unable to adequately protect civilians and help restore calm to the volatile North Kivu region and has instead focused on providing technical support to the poorly trained Congolese army.
“The recent violence in North Kivu has already led to human rights abuses against civilians and any escalation in the violence will place civilians at further risk,” said van Kregten.
“The future of the eastern Congolese people now mainly lies in the hands of the UN Security Council. It’s crucial that MONUSCO now uses its mandate to effectively protect civilians.”
While the M23 is threatening to attack Goma, recent reports indicate that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – whose leaders are believed to have taken part in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda – and other armed groups such as the Mai Mai are also in Rutshuru territory, increasing the fear of violence against civilians.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS
AUSTRALIA : ARCHBISHOP ON THE CONFESSION SEAL
ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE REPORT:
Mandatory reporting and the seal of the
confessional
RESPONDING to calls for the reporting of sex abuse
and crimes revealed in the confessional, we publish the following article by
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB on 29 July 2011 when he was an Auxiliary Bishop
of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
+++
THERE
has been some discussion in the media in recent days concerning the Catholic
Church's prohibition on its priests revealing anything they hear in the
Confessional. This is often referred to as the "seal of Confession".
It binds priests under the penalty of excommunication from the Church never to reveal anything they hear in the Confessional unless given explicit permission by the person concerned.
The suggestion has been made that requiring priests to report any admissions of child abuse made in the Confessional to the police will protect children from further abuse.
The desire to do everything possible to protect children from this horrific cruelty is compelling. Mandatory reporting of child abuse is an important part of this vital task in our society.
Read Bishop Peter Elliott's Letter to the Editor Herald Sun, Friday 20 July 2012
Therefore the important question is this: would including priests in such a regime of mandatory reporting, specifically in relation to what is disclosed to them in the Confessional, achieve this outcome? The answer is almost certainly "no" for a very important reason.
In Catholic theology and practice, Confession involves the full admission of serious sin to a priest who, through the sacrament of Confession, becomes a channel of God's forgiveness and healing.
Providing a person is really open to it, divine forgiveness and healing can have a transformative effect in a person's life. It can lead to newfound courage and a determination to confront the reality of sin in the person's life, accept the consequences of his or her action, and do whatever must be done to repair the damage.
Confession in the Catholic understanding therefore involves sincere repentance on the part of the person confessing his or her sins, and a firm determination to turn away from the sinful behavior.
Contrary to the caricature often portrayed by some, confession of sin and absolution from God through the ministry of the priest does not trivialize sin or become a licence to do what ever one likes because one can always rush back to confession to "wipe the slate clean".
Unless there is a full admission of sin, genuine sorrow and a firm determination to change, there is no forgiveness.
That this is a requirement for genuine and effective confession would be made clear to the person by the priest.
The confidentiality of the Confessional, and often the anonymity of the encounter, certainly make it easier (though never easy) for someone conscious of serious sin in his or her life to approach the sacrament seeking God's forgiveness. If this anonymity, and even more this confidentiality, could not be assured, it is most unlikely that anyone would confess to the terrible sin and crime of sexual abuse of children.
An important dimension of Confession is that it gives an offender a chance, perhaps the only chance they are open to, to really confront the terrible nature of their behaviour.
Such a personal confrontation could be the beginning of a radical change in their lives. With the counseling and firm direction of the priest they may reach a point where they voluntarily seek treatment and surrender to the police.
The imposition of mandatory reporting, and the subsequent destruction of the confidentiality of the confessional, remove any hope that this outcome might eventuate. The abuser will simply not take the risk of revealing his or her crimes to another.
In arguing for the sanctity of the Confessional, the Church does not walk away from the obligation of all its members, and most especially its priests, to do everything possible to ensure that this terrible scourge is eliminated from its midst.
Violating the confidentiality of the Confessional is not the answer. Rather the answer lies in an ongoing focus on prevention strategies, encouraging victims and offenders to report crimes to the police and on transparent and independent but less formal processes such as the Melbourne Response led by eminent QC Peter O'Callaghan.
Senator Xenophon, who has called for mandatory reporting of child abuse which comes to light in the Confessional, is right to insist that the protection of children should come before any other consideration. In this matter children's best interests are served by maintaining the absolute confidentiality of the Confessional, rather than by dismantling it.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE
+++
THERE
has been some discussion in the media in recent days concerning the Catholic
Church's prohibition on its priests revealing anything they hear in the
Confessional. This is often referred to as the "seal of Confession".It binds priests under the penalty of excommunication from the Church never to reveal anything they hear in the Confessional unless given explicit permission by the person concerned.
The suggestion has been made that requiring priests to report any admissions of child abuse made in the Confessional to the police will protect children from further abuse.
The desire to do everything possible to protect children from this horrific cruelty is compelling. Mandatory reporting of child abuse is an important part of this vital task in our society.
Read Bishop Peter Elliott's Letter to the Editor Herald Sun, Friday 20 July 2012
Therefore the important question is this: would including priests in such a regime of mandatory reporting, specifically in relation to what is disclosed to them in the Confessional, achieve this outcome? The answer is almost certainly "no" for a very important reason.
In Catholic theology and practice, Confession involves the full admission of serious sin to a priest who, through the sacrament of Confession, becomes a channel of God's forgiveness and healing.
Providing a person is really open to it, divine forgiveness and healing can have a transformative effect in a person's life. It can lead to newfound courage and a determination to confront the reality of sin in the person's life, accept the consequences of his or her action, and do whatever must be done to repair the damage.
Confession in the Catholic understanding therefore involves sincere repentance on the part of the person confessing his or her sins, and a firm determination to turn away from the sinful behavior.
Contrary to the caricature often portrayed by some, confession of sin and absolution from God through the ministry of the priest does not trivialize sin or become a licence to do what ever one likes because one can always rush back to confession to "wipe the slate clean".
Unless there is a full admission of sin, genuine sorrow and a firm determination to change, there is no forgiveness.
That this is a requirement for genuine and effective confession would be made clear to the person by the priest.
The confidentiality of the Confessional, and often the anonymity of the encounter, certainly make it easier (though never easy) for someone conscious of serious sin in his or her life to approach the sacrament seeking God's forgiveness. If this anonymity, and even more this confidentiality, could not be assured, it is most unlikely that anyone would confess to the terrible sin and crime of sexual abuse of children.
An important dimension of Confession is that it gives an offender a chance, perhaps the only chance they are open to, to really confront the terrible nature of their behaviour.
Such a personal confrontation could be the beginning of a radical change in their lives. With the counseling and firm direction of the priest they may reach a point where they voluntarily seek treatment and surrender to the police.
The imposition of mandatory reporting, and the subsequent destruction of the confidentiality of the confessional, remove any hope that this outcome might eventuate. The abuser will simply not take the risk of revealing his or her crimes to another.
In arguing for the sanctity of the Confessional, the Church does not walk away from the obligation of all its members, and most especially its priests, to do everything possible to ensure that this terrible scourge is eliminated from its midst.
Violating the confidentiality of the Confessional is not the answer. Rather the answer lies in an ongoing focus on prevention strategies, encouraging victims and offenders to report crimes to the police and on transparent and independent but less formal processes such as the Melbourne Response led by eminent QC Peter O'Callaghan.
Senator Xenophon, who has called for mandatory reporting of child abuse which comes to light in the Confessional, is right to insist that the protection of children should come before any other consideration. In this matter children's best interests are served by maintaining the absolute confidentiality of the Confessional, rather than by dismantling it.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE
AMERICA : MEXICO : OVER 10000 AT MISSION CONGRESS
Agenzia Fides REPORT - There are over 10 thousand young
people enrolled in the Mission Congress held from 19 until 22 July in the city
of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, with the primary aim to "awaken and form the
conscience of the young missionary." This is the "11 CONAJUM" 11th National
Congress of the Youth Mission.
As reported to Fides by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Mexico, the Congress will include five speeches from experts, to form young people as "missionary disciples in today's world." Among the topics chosen: "The urgency of an evangelizing mission", "Living the joy at the moment of evangelizing ", "The proclamation of the Gospel to all", "Time of the New Evangelization", "To be witnesses of Christ missionary ". There will also be testimonies of missionaries, to know the reality that every missionary has to face as a challenge. At the end of the initiative, there will be the sending of some young missionaries to different parts of the world.
The novelty of this Congress is the exhibition prepared by the various missionary institutes to present their charisma to the young participants. There will be work groups that will eventually have to make concrete commitments to carry out in every diocese. Today, 21 July, the Missionary March will be held to involve the whole city of Coatzacoalcos. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2012)
SHARED FROM AGENZIA FIDES
As reported to Fides by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Mexico, the Congress will include five speeches from experts, to form young people as "missionary disciples in today's world." Among the topics chosen: "The urgency of an evangelizing mission", "Living the joy at the moment of evangelizing ", "The proclamation of the Gospel to all", "Time of the New Evangelization", "To be witnesses of Christ missionary ". There will also be testimonies of missionaries, to know the reality that every missionary has to face as a challenge. At the end of the initiative, there will be the sending of some young missionaries to different parts of the world.
The novelty of this Congress is the exhibition prepared by the various missionary institutes to present their charisma to the young participants. There will be work groups that will eventually have to make concrete commitments to carry out in every diocese. Today, 21 July, the Missionary March will be held to involve the whole city of Coatzacoalcos. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2012)
SHARED FROM AGENZIA FIDES
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : SUNDAY JULY 22, 2012 - 16TH ORD. TIME
| Jeremiah
23: 1 - 6
| |
| 1 | "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" says the LORD. |
| 2 | Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. |
| 3 | Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. |
| 4 | I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, says the LORD. |
| 5 | "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. |
| 6 | In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: `The LORD is our righteousness.' |
| Psalms
23: 1 - 6
| |
| 1 | The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; |
| 2 | he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; |
| 3 | he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. |
| 4 | Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. |
| 5 | Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. |
| 6 | Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. |
| Ephesians
2: 13 - 18
| |||||||||||||
| 13 | But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. | ||||||||||||
| 14 | For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, | ||||||||||||
| 15 | by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, | ||||||||||||
| 16 | and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. | ||||||||||||
| 17 | And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; | ||||||||||||
| 18 | for through him we both have
access in one Spirit to the Father.
| ||||||||||||
TODAY'S SAINT: JULY 22: ST. MARY MAGDELENE
St. Mary Magdalene
FOLLOWER OF JESUS, MODEL OF PENITENCE
Feast: July 22
 Information:
|
|
Mary
Magdalen was so called either from Magdala near Tiberias, on the west shore of
Galilee, or possibly from a Talmudic expression meaning "curling women's hair,"
which the Talmud explains as of an adulteress.
In
the New Testament she is mentioned among the women who accompanied Christ and
ministered to Him (Luke 8:2-3), where it is also said that seven devils had been
cast out of her (Mark 16:9). She is next named as standing at the foot of the
cross (Mark 15:40; Matthew 27:56; John 19:25; Luke 23:49). She saw Christ laid
in the tomb, and she was the first recorded witness of the Resurrection.
The
Greek Fathers, as a whole, distinguish the three persons:
*
the "sinner" of Luke 7:36-50;
* the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Luke 10:38-42 and John 11; and * Mary Magdalen.
On
the other hand most of the Latins hold that these three were one and the same.
Protestant critics, however, believe there were two, if not three, distinct
persons. It is impossible to demonstrate the identity of the three; but those
commentators undoubtedly go too far who assert, as does Westcott (on John 11:1),
"that the identity of Mary with Mary Magdalene is a mere conjecture supported by
no direct evidence, and opposed to the general tenour of the gospels." It is the
identification of Mary of Bethany with the "sinner" of Luke 7:37, which is most
combatted by Protestants. It almost seems as if this reluctance to identify the
"sinner" with the sister of Martha were due to a failure to grasp the full
significance of the forgiveness of sin. The harmonizing tendencies of so many
modern critics, too, are responsible for much of the existing confusion.
The
first fact, mentioned in the Gospel relating to the question under discussion is
the anointing of Christ's feet by a woman, a "sinner" in the city (Luke
7:37-50). This belongs to the Galilean ministry, it precedes the miracle of the
feeding of the five thousand and the third Passover. Immediately afterwards St.
Luke describes a missionary circuit in Galilee and tells us of the women who
ministered to Christ, among them being "Mary who is called Magdalen, out of whom
seven devils were gone forth" (Luke 8:2); but he does not tell us that she is to
be identified with the "sinner" of the previous chapter. In 10:38-42, he tells
us of Christ's visit to Martha and Mary "in a certain town"; it is impossible to
identify this town, but it is clear from 9:53, that Christ had definitively left
Galilee, and it is quite possible that this "town" was Bethany. This seems
confirmed by the preceding parable of the good Samaritan, which must almost
certainly have been spoken on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. But here
again we note that there is no suggestion of an identification of the three
persons (the "sinner", Mary Magdalen, and Mary of Bethany), and if we had only
St. Luke to guide us we should certainly have no grounds for so identifying
them. St. John, however, clearly identifies Mary of Bethany with the woman who
anointed Christ's feet (12; cf. Matthew 26 and Mark 14). It is remarkable that
already in 11:2, St. John has spoken of Mary as "she that anointed the Lord's
feet", he aleipsasa; It is commonly said that he refers to the subsequent
anointing which he himself describes in 12:3-8; but it may be questioned whether
he would have used he aleipsasa if another woman, and she a "sinner" in the
city, had done the same. It is conceivable that St. John, just because he is
writing so long after the event and at a time when Mary was dead, wishes to
point out to us that she was really the same as the "sinner." In the same way
St. Luke may have veiled her identity precisely because he did not wish to
defame one who was yet living; he certainly does something similar in the case
of St. Matthew whose identity with Levi the publican (5:7) he conceals.
If
the foregoing argument holds good, Mary of Bethany and the "sinner" are one and
the same. But an examination of St. John's Gospel makes it almost impossible to
deny the identity of Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalen. From St. John we learn
the name of the "woman" who anointed Christ's feet previous to the last supper.
We may remark here that it seems unnecessary to hold that because St. Matthew
and St. Mark say "two days before the Passover", while St. John says "six days"
there were, therefore, two distinct anointings following one another. St. John
does not necessarily mean that the supper and the anointing took place six days
before, but only that Christ came to Bethany six days before the Passover. At
that supper, then, Mary received the glorious encomium, "she hath wrought a good
work upon Me . . . in pouring this ointment upon My body she hath done it for My
burial . . . wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached . . . that also which she
hath done shall be told for a memory of her." Is it credible, in view of all
this, that this Mary should have no place at the foot of the cross, nor at the
tomb of Christ? Yet it is Mary Magdalen who, according to all the Evangelists,
stood at the foot of the cross and assisted at the entombment and was the first
recorded witness of the Resurrection. And while St. John calls her "Mary
Magdalen" in 19:25, 20:1, and 20:18, he calls her simply "Mary" in 20:11 and
20:16.
In
the view we have advocated the series of events forms a consistent whole; the
"sinner" comes early in the ministry to seek for pardon; she is described
immediately afterwards as Mary Magdalen "out of whom seven devils were gone
forth"; shortly after, we find her "sitting at the Lord's feet and hearing His
words." To the Catholic mind it all seems fitting and natural. At a later period
Mary and Martha turn to "the Christ, the Son of the Living God", and He restores
to them their brother Lazarus; a short time afterwards they make Him a supper
and Mary once more repeats the act she had performed when a penitent. At the
Passion she stands near by; she sees Him laid in the tomb; and she is the first
witness of His Resurrection--excepting always His Mother, to whom He must needs
have appeared first, though the New Testament is silent on this point. In our
view, then, there were two anointings of Christ's feet--it should surely be no
difficulty that St. Matthew and St. Mark speak of His head--the first (Luke 7)
took place at a comparatively early date; the second, two days before the last
Passover. But it was one and the same woman who performed this pious act on each
occasion.
The Greek Church maintains that the saint retired to Ephesus with the Blessed Virgin and there died, that her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 and are there preserved. Gregory of Tours (De miraculis, I, xxx) supports the statement that she went to Ephesus. However, according to a French tradition , Mary, Lazarus, and some companions came to Marseilles and converted the whole of Provence. Magdalen is said to have retired to a hill, La Sainte-Baume, near by, where she gave herself up to a life of penance for thirty years. When the time of her death arrived she was carried by angels to Aix and into the oratory of St. Maximinus, where she received the viaticum; her body was then laid in an oratory constructed by St. Maximinus at Villa Lata, afterwards called St. Maximin. History is silent about these relics till 745, when according to the chronicler Sigebert, they were removed to Vézelay through fear of the Saracens. No record is preserved of their return, but in 1279, when Charles II, King of Naples, erected a convent at La Sainte-Baume for the Dominicans, the shrine was found intact, with an inscription stating why they were hidden. In 1600 the relics were placed in a sarcophagus sent by Clement VIII, the head being placed in a separate vessel. In 1814 the church of La Sainte-Baume, wrecked during the Revolution, was restored, and in 1822 the grotto was consecrated afresh. The head of the saint now lies there, where it has lain so long, and where it has been the centre of so many pilgrimages. |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmarymagdalen.asp#ixzz1Sqkdudkg
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