The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
S. Euthymius assigns the cause, “ He makes instruments of sin, instruments of righteousness.” And more particularly S. Gregory (Hom. 33), “ That which she had given up to the service of sin, now she offers for the glory of God. Her eyes, which had lusted after earthly things, she wears away with the tears of repentance. Her hair, which once added to the comeliness of her face, she now used to dry up her tears. With her mouth, which was wont to speak proudly, she now kisses the ground on which the feet of the Lord trod. All her sinful indulgences she sacrifices for the love of Christ, and making her former vices give place to virtues, wherewith she offended, therewith she now serves God.”
Hear also S. Chrysostom (Horn. 6, on S. Matt.) : “So the woman which was a sinner, inflamed with the fires of love, and purged by her flood of tears from the stains and defilement of sin, exceeded even the virtue of virgins. For in the warmth of her penitence she exulted in her longings for Christ ; washing His feet with her tears, wiping them with the hairs of her head, and anointing them with ointment of price. Thus she acted outwardly, but how much more fervent were the thoughts of her heart, which were known only to God.”
And kissed his feet. She who once delighted in the kisses of unchaste desire, now chastely kisses the feet of Christ, and seeks thereby the pardon and forgiveness of her sins. For a kiss is a sign of forgiveness, as well as of kindness and of love. S. Ambrose.
Mystically. The two feet of Christ, says S. Peter Damian, are mercy and judgment. To kiss one without the other is productive of rash security, or of an evil despair. Publicly, at a public feast, in presence of all the guests, the Magdalene performed her act of penitence, that her openly avowed repentance might atone for the public scandal of her former life.
And anointed them with the ointment. The ancients made frequent use of ointments or perfumes. See Eccles. ix. 8. And these were generally prepared by women, 1 Sam. viii. 13.
The Magdalene boldly entered the house of Simon her friend at the time of the feast, that thus she might show the warmth of her love for Christ. Titus. For, as S. Paulinus says (Epist. 4, ad Severum), The Lord regarded not the ointment, but the love which impelled her, fearless of reproach or rejection, to enter uninvited the house of the Pharisee, and with that violence by which the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, she ran to the feet of Christ, and made them to be, if I may so express myself, her sanctuary and her altar. There she consecrated her tears — made offering of a sweet-smelling savour, and made sacrifice of her affections and passions ; a broken and contrite heart, a sacrifice with which God is well-pleased. Therefore she not only obtained the forgiveness of her sins, but wheresoever the Gospel is preached, there what she hath done shall be told for a memorial of her.
Mystically . S. Peter Damian explains, that this ointment was made out of our sins ; for she, mixed and macerated in the mortar of repentance, sprinkled with the oil of discernment, and softened in the caldron of discipline by the fires of remorse, is applied a precious and acceptable ointment to the Saviour’s feqj. He adds also that this ointment was fourfold, inasmuch as it was composed 1. of devotion ; 2. many virtues ; 3. piety ; and 4. pity.
Note what a noble example of penitence and of virtue the Magdalene presents.
1. Her remarkable faith in believing that Christ was able to forgive sins, a power which the Scribes and Pharisees denied Him, and which no other prophet possessed. Hence if we may credit S. Augustine (Hom. 33), she believed that He who had power to forgive sins, was more than man, and was led by divine illumination to acknowledge Christ to be God ; for, as S. Augustine goes on to say, to believe that Christ can forgive sins, is to believe that He is God ; and he adds, “She drew nigh unto the Lord impure, to return pure ; sick, to return sound ; a confessor of sin, to return a disciple of Christ.”
2. Her wonderful devotion in continuing to kiss the feet of Jesus, and wash them with her tears until she heard Him say, “Thy sins are forgiven : go in peace.”
3. Her great wisdom in not seeking pardon by the words of her mouth, but rather by the deep yearnings of her heart.
4. The depth of her penitence, in that for thirty years, after thus publicly showing her contrition, she lived in the desert a life given up to austerities and the practice of good works. Hence Petrarch writes:
“ Love and hope deep seated in the heart made cold and hunger sweet, and turned the hard rock into a pleasant couch ; ” and adds, “Here, unseen by men, but surrounded by bands of angels, and supported by the daily Offices, thou wast permitted to hear the responsive chantings of the angelic choirs.” And so Christ revealed to S. Bridget that there were three saints specially pleasing to Him : the Blessed Virgin, John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, of whom He spake thus : — When Mary Magdalene was converted, the devils said, ‘ How shall we gain power over her again, for we have lost a goodly prey ? We cannot look at her because of her tears ; so covered and protected is she by good works, that no spot or soil of sin can stain her soul; so holy is her life, so fervent her love for God, that we dare not draw nigh her.’ ”
Figuratively , S. Ambrose (lib. de Tobia , cap. xii.), says, “Whoso hath pity on the poor anoints the feet of Christ. For the poor are His feet, and on them He harmlessly walks.”
Ver. 39. — Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it , he spake within himself, saying, This man , if He were a prophet , would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner , and therefore unfit to touch a holy prophet. This Pharisee was, as S. Augustine says (Serm. 23), one of those self-righteous men, of whom Isaiah wrote, chap. lii. 11.
But Simon’s reasoning was false, for the unclean touched Christ that they might be cleansed by Him. For this cause He came into the world, that as the good physician, He might heal all manner of diseases, whether of the body or of the soul. He was offended, therefore , because, as Euthymius says, he knew not that Christ, although very God, was made man to save sinners. And, again, the Magdalene was not now unclean, for she had been cleansed by contrition, as Christ proceeded to show. Simon was deceived, because he judged of the past, and not of the present. For Mary was the same, yet another. Another, yet her very self, says Chrysologus (Serm. 74). Wherefore the humble penitent was holier than the proud Pharisee, who, if he had not already sinned as deeply as the Magdalene, was liable from his spiritual pride to fall into as great a sin. S. Augustine (in loc. cit.). Hence in many things the Pharisee offended, as Toletus shows. Therefore, S. Gregory (Horn. 33), concludes thus : “ We should in another’s fall lament our own sin; for perhaps, under similar circumstances, we should in like manner offend, and although punishment should always follow on sin, we ought to make a distinction, to be harsh and severe in our treatment of vice, but to be compassionate to the weakness of human nature. For though the sinner must be punished, he must be gently dealt with, as our neighbour.”
Ver. 40. — And Jesus answering (the secret thoughts of his heart) said unto him , Simon , I have somewhat to say unto thee.
S. Augustine, Theophylact, Bede and others, think that this Simon was not Simon the leper, in whose house the Magdalene again anointed the feet of Jesus. S. John xii. 2, S. Matt xxvi. 6. Others are of a contrary opinion, because the name is the same, and because the circumstances of the second anointing are so similar. It seems, however, that this Simon was converted when Christ was on his way from Galilee to Judaea (S. Matt xix. 1); and that he followed Jesus, and settled at Bethany, near S. Mary Magdalene, who was known to him, in order to enjoy with her the presence and teaching of Christ.
I have somewhat to say unto thee. See how wisely Christ reproves Simon with these gentle but meaning words, which appealed to his better feelings, and at once arrested his attention. For, as S. Augustine says, Christ desired to correct the error of his thoughts, in return for the entertainment which he had provided. And S. Luke implies that Simon at once recognised his fault, for he answered modestly, Master, say on. As Thy disciple, I will gladly accept Thy words as the teaching of my Master.
Ver. 41. — There was a certain creditor which had two debtors . The debtors, says S. Ambrose, are those who owe God, the heavenly creditor, not actual money, but a return of good works and of virtue. Our debts, therefore, are our sins, by which we do despite to God, and for which we should make atonement But we cannot make atonement unto God, and therefore are in danger of hell fire. For the Syriac creditor implies the same as usurer, and the Greek word δανειστής answers to the Hebrew nosche, and signifies one who gives, either outright, or on usury. Deut. xv. 6, xxviii. 12 ; Ecclus. xxix. 1 and 2.