The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
“Truly,” says S. Gregory, “a life anxious to atone for faults committed is oftentimes more pleasing to God than that innocence which rests in a torpid security.”
Great, indeed, is the gift of innocence by which we are preserved from sin, but greater is the grace of penitence and remission of sin, and this grace is the greater in proportion to the greatness of the sin, for thus forgiveness is granted to the more unworthy, and so the grace becomes to him the greater, as S. Thomas teaches. Hence sinners who truly repent excel their brethren in humility, and in austerity and holiness of life, and often perform acts of heroism which those who have sinned less deeply are unable to do. As may be seen in the case of many saints, and especially in that of one who from a robber became the very mirror of monks. For the baseness of his former life, the baseness of his sin, the punishment due to his offences, and the pardoning love of God, are to the penitent so many incentives to a better and a holier life.
So the pearl is the emblem of penitence. For as the sun by its rays was said to convert the substance of the oyster into a precious jewel, so Christ by his transforming grace changed the woman that was a sinner into a pearl — a penitent saint.
When she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees house . It was not fitting that the Magdalene, whose sinful life was known to all, should anoint Christ in her own house, but rather in the house of another, so that there might be no suspicion of evil. Hence she was not ashamed to act as she did in the house of the Pharisee ; for, as S. Gregory says (Horn, 33), Being filled with shame within, she did not think there was any cause for the show of shame without. And S. Augustine (Horn. 58 de Temp) writes, The sinner who washed the feet of the Lord with her tears, and dried them with the hairs of her head, when she knew that the heavenly physician had come, entered the house an uninvited guest ; and thus she, who had been shameless in sin, became yet more bold in seeking salvation, and so deserved to hear that her sins were forgiven. And again (Horn. 33), Thou hast seen how a woman of notoriously evil repute entered, uninvited, the house where her Physician sat at meat, and although little fitted for a feast, was fitted for the blessing which she thus boldly (per impudentiam) sought to obtain. For she knew how great was her need, and that He to whom she had come, could grant her relief. For Christ accepted the invitation of the Pharisee, in order to provide those who sat at meat with the spiritual feast of the repentant Magdalene. Hence S. Chrysostom (Serm. 93) : Christ sat at the feast, not to drink cups of wine flavoured with honey and perfumed with flowers, but the bitter tears of repentance ; because God longs for the tears of the sinner. For, as S. Bernard says, the tears of penitence are the wine of angels, and yield them unbounded delight. And again (Serm. 30 in Cant), Tears are an earnest of repentance, and a return to the blessing and favour of God, and therefore of sweet savour to His angels.
An alabaster box of ointment. See S. Matt. xxvi. 6.
Ver. 38. And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
At His feet. The ancients at their feasts reclined on couches, their heads resting on their hands, their feet turned away from the table, so that there might be room for others on the same couch. Hence it was easy for the Magdalene to fulfil her pious purpose, for tradition represents her as a woman of lofty stature.
She stood. Standing indicates not the posture, but the presence of any one.
She stood, i.e. she came, and fell on her knees, at the feet of Christ. For kneeling is the posture of penitence.
She drew nigh, says S. Augustine (Horn. 33), to the feet of the Lord, and she who for long had taken to evil ways, now seeks to direct her steps aright. For humble contrition she weeps, and washes the feet of Christ, and in the devotion with which she wiped and anointed them, although silent, she speaks.
In the Magdalene therefore was fulfilled that which is written : “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon;” also, “ While the King sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof” (Cant. i. 7-12); and further, “I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth ” (Cant. iii. 2), which see.
Note here, 1. The reverence and modesty of the Magdalene, which is the grace of youth and of penitence. She drew nigh to Christ, not in front of Him, for she considered that she was, on account of her past misdeeds, unworthy of His holy presence, but at His feet. Therefore, S. Bernard accounts reverence or modesty (Serm. 86, in Cant.) to be the foundation of all virtues. “How great,” he says, “is the grace and the beauty which a modest blush lends to the cheek!”
2. S. Mary Magdalene, as S. Chrysostom (Horn. 11, on S. Matt.) observes, was the first who came to Jesus for pardon and forgiveness. Those before her had sought restoration to bodily health alone. Therefore, wounded like a deer, she, wounded by the dart of Christ’s love, runs to Him for succour. Christ had showed her her wretchedness ; hence, overcome with sorrow and remorse, she could not bear for one moment longer the burden of her sins, but at once sought of Him pardon and release. Therefore, without waiting until Christ had left the Pharisee’s house, she burst in uninvited to the feast. So foul and loathsome is even one mortal sin alone. As S. Anselm asserts (De Similit. cap. cxc.), “If of necessity I had to choose between sin and the torments of hell, I had rather plunge headlong into hell, than give sin the mastery over me ; ” and he adds, “ I had rather enter hell pure from the stain of sin, than reign in heaven a prey to its pollutions.”
3. The act of S. Mary Magdalene seems as if prompted by the words of the Baptist, “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” S. John i. 29 ; or by the invitation of Christ, “ Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” S. Matt xi. 28. Moreover, she was persuaded that He, who had delivered her from the possession of the seven devils (S. Luke viii. 2), would deliver her also from the bondage of sin. Therefore, in deepest contrition she draws nigh to Christ, acknowledging Him to be a prophet sent from God with power to forgive sins, and in full hope that He would pardon the guilt which she had contracted ; for, as S. Gregory says, Christ drew her to Himself by inward grace, and received her outwardly with pity and compassion.
And began to wash His feet with her tears. Observe how abundant were the tears of the penitent, inasmuch as they were able to wash and cleanse the dust-stained feet of the Lord. See S. Matt. x. 12. On their power and efficacy, S. Chrysostom has written (Serm. de Pœnitentia ), and S. Ambrose, “Christ washed not His own feet, in order that we might wash them with our tears. Blessed tears, not only because they are able to wash away our guilt, but because they besprinkle the firstfruits of the heavenly Word, and incline His steps towards us.”
Blessed tears, for they not only obtain pardon for the sinner, but strength and refreshment for the just. For truly is it written “ My tears have been my meat day and night,” Ps. xlii. 3. And S. Gregory (Horn. 33) : “ As I ponder over the penitence of the Magdalene , I long to keep silent and weep. For what heart so hard, as not to be softened by the tears of this penitent sinner, who considered what she had done, and was careless of what she would do— who entered unbidden to the feast, and wept amongst those who were feasting. Learn then how great must have been the compunction and sorrow which impelled her on such an occasion to weep.”
And did wipe them with the hairs of her head. Other means were at hand, but in her deep penitence, the Magdalen would dedicate to the service of Christ the very hair which once she took such pride in adorning. Hence S. Cyprian (De Ablutione) She used her hair for a napkin, her eyes for a pitcher, and her tears for water. Her contrition showed itself by her tears ; her faith washed the feet of the Lord, her love anointed them. She made her head to be a foot-stool, and wiped the sacred feet with her unloosened hair. Without reserve, she gave herself to Christ, and He, regarding the intention rather than the act, anointed the anointer, cleansed her who was cleansing, and wiped away her sins.