The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
For she loved much . Toletus and some others think that the word “for” signifies not the cause but rather affords the proof of her forgiveness. “ Thou mightest have known, O Simon, that her sins were forgiven, for these open signs of love are bestowed on Me in gratitude for my forgiveness of her sins.”
But this explanation is faulty, because the Magdalene knew not that she had been forgiven, until she heard Christ pronounce the pardon of her sins. And Christ does not say, Learn from her acts of love that her sins have been forgiven, but on the contrary, Her sins are forgiven because of her love.
Hence the cause of the Magdalene’s forgiveness was her great love for God, which led her to hate and abhor her former sins. For love is the death of sin, and the life of righteousness. S. Augustin (De laudibus charitatis.) Hence all theologians hold with him, that the act of perfect contrition which includes the entire surrender of the heart to God, precedes, but at once brings with it justification and forgiveness of sin as its final result, in the same way as a certain amount of heat (calor ut octo) applied to wood, as a result produces actual fire in that wood.
So the Council of Trent (Sess. xiv. cap . iv.), distinguishing between the attrition caused by fear of punishment and the contrition which follows on the love of God, decides that the latter, in conjunction with the sacrament of penance, reconciles the sinner with God, which the former is in no wise able to do ; for “ a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise,” Ps. li. 17. Hence S. Gregory (Horn. 33) explains, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much, i.e. she burnt off the corruptions of sin, because she was inflamed with the fire of love. For the more the heart of the sinner burns with the love of God the more is he purified from the lust and corruption of sin.”
But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. This refers to the Pharisee, because he obtained no forgiveness, inasmuch as he showed no signs of penitence or of love for God. Our Lord, under reserve, saith little or ‘‘less,” as the Vulgate renders it, is forgiven, though he might have said “nothing” is forgiven. But by the words “ to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little,” we may understand :
1. That, according to the principles on which God forgives sins, “one mortal sin, even though it be the least, cannot be forgiven without its accompanying sins being forgiven also, and whensoever one is forgiven, the others are forgiven as far as the guilt is concerned , but more or less of punishment is meted out, according to the degree of love which fills the heart of the penitent.”
2. That he who has no love for God, or only that natural love which well nigh all men possess, loves God less than one whose love is divinely inspired. Hence to the one many, i.e. all his sins, are pardoned ; to the other less, i.e. nothing, is forgiven. All was forgiven the Magdalene because she was truly contrite, and sought forgiveness by every means in her power ; but the Pharisee received no forgiveness, because he felt no sorrow for sin, and had not even given the feast with any desire of obtaining mercy from Christ.
For Christ designed the parable to apply to S. Mary Magdalene and also to the Pharisee, and willed from it to show why the one was forgiven but the other not. S. Augustine adds, “The parable was spoken because the Pharisee thought he had few, if any sins, not because he had no love, for he showed some love in that he invited our Lord.” And again, “ O Pharisee, thou lovest little, not because little is forgiven thee, but because thou thoughtest that there was little which needed forgiveness.” Toletus remarks, “ Little was forgiven Simon, because by the grace of God he had been preserved from committing sin, for he had entertained Christ, and not persecuted him as the other Pharisees. Hence it is very probable that afterwards this Pharisee became a true follower of Christ.” See further Suarez, Parte iii., de Gratia , lib. viii. cap. x.
Ver. 48. — And He said unto her , Thy sins are forgiven. Francis Lucas thinks that the Magdalene’s sins were at this time and by these words forgiven. See preceding verse. Christ now turns to the Magdalene, and repeats that which He had said just before to Simon, in order to comfort her grief, to confirm her pardon, and show that He had power and authority to forgive sins, and that He therefore was the Messiah, and God. Euthymius.
Ver. 49. — And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, i.e. to reason in their hearts, for they did not dare to express their thoughts lest they should be put to rebuke.
Who is this that forgiveth sins also? Is it the Messiah ? Is it God, for God alone can forgive sins? Christ leaves them a prey to wonder and to doubt, in order that they might be led to inquire into His life, doctrine and miracles, and see in Him the Son of God.
Ver. 50. — And He saith to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee ; go in peace . Faith, not alone, as the innovators hold, but fruitful in good works, such as the Magdalene had displayed, and love. For a little before, v. 47, Christ had ascribed her forgiveness to her love. We must here understand, therefore, not a barren faith, but a faith which showed itself in her acts of contrition and love.
Hath saved thee , i.e. hath freed thee from sin, and made thee meet for salvation. Thy loving faith hath placed thee in the way of salvation, and if thou continuest therein, thou wilt lay hold upon eternal life, for a readiness to serve God is the way to glory.
Go in peace . Be no longer downcast and distressed by reason of thy sins : they have now no power to hurt thee, nor to make thy conscience afraid. Euthymius. The fruit of repentance, forgiveness, and of a conscience void of offence, is peace and spiritual joys, which far exceed those which the world can give, as it is written, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God ” Rom. v. 1 ; and again, “ The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ,” Phil. iv. 7. So also, “He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”
S. Bernard, in his sermon on the Magdalene, very fitly remarks, “The joy which a perfect heart looks for from an untroubled conscience is a lasting happiness. For the heart which is cleansed from this world’s corruptions, and whose desires are fixed on God, joys only in the Lord, and rejoices only in God its Saviour. The soul of such an one despises the threats of the enemy, casts away fear, is not a prey to false hopes, but, secure against all evil, rests in perfect peace.”
This perfect peace Christ gave to the Magdalene, for God’s work is perfect (Deut xxxii. 4), and therefore those whom Christ cleansed were made perfectly whole. He therefore,
1. Uprooted from the Magdalene’s heart all vicious habits, all evil recollections and fleshly lusts, and restored to her true peace of mind.
2. Endued her, not only with chastity, humility and penitence, but also with a contempt for earthly things, and a love for heavenly ; and
3. Kindled in her heart an ardent love, which caused her to dedicate herself and all she had to His service.
Hence she followed Christ as He went about the villages preaching , and ministered unto Him of her substance, resigning the cares of the family to her sister Martha, that she might wholly devote herself to the teaching of the Lord.
Hence she heard from His lips the words, “ Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” S. Luke x. 42. Hence also she stood at the foot of the Cross, and beheld Christ washing away, by His blood, those sins which she had washed with her tears, and afterwards, with a yet more fervent love, withdrawing into the desert, she gave herself up to the contemplation of His life, His passion and His resurrection, and, wholly devoted to His service, lived henceforth for heaven and not for earth.
Such also was the conversion of S. Paul, and therefore he was endued with all Christian and Apostolic virtues. See Acts ix. A similar conversion of heart and mind, we are told, was experienced by S. Cyprian at his baptism (Lib. ii. Epist. 2, ad Donat.) ; and by S. Augustin (Confess, lib. ix cap . i., lib. viii. cap. ii.)
Wherefore Origen, in his noble Homily on the Magdalene, figuratively says, “We may follow the example of this woman, in order to obtain a similar blessing. For we may confidently draw nigh unto Jesus, since He did not withdraw Himself from the sinner who sought Him. Learn then from her, O sinner, to mourn over the absence of God from thy soul, and to seek His presence again. Learn from Mary to love Jesus, to hope in Jesus, and by seeking Jesus to find Him. Learn from her to fear no opposition, to refuse to be comforted without Him, and to count all things but loss for His sake. Hence see the power of grace, and of the love of Christ.”
“ Love conquers all things.” “Love can control the savage lion, and love alone has power to lead captive the hearts of men,” for “ love is strong as death,” Cant viii. 6.