From Carmelites Info
Mary Magdalen's sudden cure after her profession was followed by a state of ecstasy which lasted forty days. Every morning after Mass, the young sister fell into an ecstasy lasting two hours. At other times she experienced "excesses of love."
These ecstasies continued into the year 1585 often with such frequency that one other nun recorded "We can hardly find a free moment to speak to her, as she is constantly in a state of elevation of mind." Often these ecstasies involved colloquy.
This time of spiritual consolation was followed by "the lion's den," a five-year period of "the greatest trial and affliction of spirit," beginning on Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1585. Gone was the sense of joy in God's presence. Her whole life seemed a mistake. She was severely tested against chastity. She underwent doubts about her vocation. Ecstasies were still experienced but they brought little comfort. She was tempted to run away from the monastery and commit suicide.
The Church in the second half of the 1500's was struggling with its interior difficulties as well as forces for change from the outside. The Council of Trent had concluded in 1563, three years before Catherine de' Pazzi was born. But the people and the hierarchy were still struggling to implement the doctrinal statements and the reforms called for by the Council years after Pope Paul IV confirmed all the Council's decrees on January 26, 1564. Within the lengthy list of the Council's reforms was that of religious life.
The ecstasies of Sr. Mary Magdalen continued. In some, Jesus was urging her to reform the Church and her community. Together with the spread of the Gospel and an anxiety for the salvation of souls, this theme of the renewal of the Church and of religious life in the Church, became her major focuses.
Mary Magdalen wrote a dozen letters which exist today, dating from July 25 to September 4, 1586, dictated by the saint while in ecstasy. Each of the 12 letters deals with the same topic: the urgent need for the renewal of the Church and in particular of religious.
On the feast of Pentecost, June 10, 1590, in a vision of the saints, Mary Magdelen was freed from "the lion's den." Her ecstasies began occurring less frequently but they only ceased with her last illness, beginning in 1604.
But it is not because of her experience of ecstasy that Mary Magdalen was canonized but for perfection of love, manifested in fidelity to daily duty and sincere dedication to the needs of others. She rose early to light the fire in the kitchen or laundry and spent hours cooking and washing. She was devoted to the aged and infirm; she would have dearly love to be the nurse of the monastery. From 1595 to 1598 she was in charge of the junior professed. In 1598 she was elected novice mistress; in 1604, sub-prioress.
It was in this year that Mary Magdalen took to her bed. For some time she had been suffering hemorrhages, fever, and coughing spells. Violent headaches were part of her suffering to the point she could not eat. "To suffer, not to die" is the motto attributed to her and the perfect expression of her spirit.
She received the Annointing of the Sick on May 13, 1607 and died 12 days later on May 25, 1607 at in the early afternoon. The nuns were present reciting the "Symbol" of St. Anastasius a prayer which was so dear to the dying woman. She was 45 years old. Her last words were recorded to be "Benedictus Deus." (Blessed be God!)
Following her death at age 41, various miracles occurred when people visited her grave.
One year after her burial, permission was given to bring it back into the cloister, into the room where she died. Her body was found to be intact. The process for beatification began in August 1611. She was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1626 and canonized by Pope Clement IX on April 28, 1669.
The Carmelite monastery has moved a couple of times from the monastery where the Saint lived and died. However, her incorrupt body remains with the community.
Mary Magdalen's sudden cure after her profession was followed by a state of ecstasy which lasted forty days. Every morning after Mass, the young sister fell into an ecstasy lasting two hours. At other times she experienced "excesses of love."
These ecstasies continued into the year 1585 often with such frequency that one other nun recorded "We can hardly find a free moment to speak to her, as she is constantly in a state of elevation of mind." Often these ecstasies involved colloquy.
This time of spiritual consolation was followed by "the lion's den," a five-year period of "the greatest trial and affliction of spirit," beginning on Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1585. Gone was the sense of joy in God's presence. Her whole life seemed a mistake. She was severely tested against chastity. She underwent doubts about her vocation. Ecstasies were still experienced but they brought little comfort. She was tempted to run away from the monastery and commit suicide.
The Church in the second half of the 1500's was struggling with its interior difficulties as well as forces for change from the outside. The Council of Trent had concluded in 1563, three years before Catherine de' Pazzi was born. But the people and the hierarchy were still struggling to implement the doctrinal statements and the reforms called for by the Council years after Pope Paul IV confirmed all the Council's decrees on January 26, 1564. Within the lengthy list of the Council's reforms was that of religious life.
The ecstasies of Sr. Mary Magdalen continued. In some, Jesus was urging her to reform the Church and her community. Together with the spread of the Gospel and an anxiety for the salvation of souls, this theme of the renewal of the Church and of religious life in the Church, became her major focuses.
Mary Magdalen wrote a dozen letters which exist today, dating from July 25 to September 4, 1586, dictated by the saint while in ecstasy. Each of the 12 letters deals with the same topic: the urgent need for the renewal of the Church and in particular of religious.
On the feast of Pentecost, June 10, 1590, in a vision of the saints, Mary Magdelen was freed from "the lion's den." Her ecstasies began occurring less frequently but they only ceased with her last illness, beginning in 1604.
But it is not because of her experience of ecstasy that Mary Magdalen was canonized but for perfection of love, manifested in fidelity to daily duty and sincere dedication to the needs of others. She rose early to light the fire in the kitchen or laundry and spent hours cooking and washing. She was devoted to the aged and infirm; she would have dearly love to be the nurse of the monastery. From 1595 to 1598 she was in charge of the junior professed. In 1598 she was elected novice mistress; in 1604, sub-prioress.
It was in this year that Mary Magdalen took to her bed. For some time she had been suffering hemorrhages, fever, and coughing spells. Violent headaches were part of her suffering to the point she could not eat. "To suffer, not to die" is the motto attributed to her and the perfect expression of her spirit.
She received the Annointing of the Sick on May 13, 1607 and died 12 days later on May 25, 1607 at in the early afternoon. The nuns were present reciting the "Symbol" of St. Anastasius a prayer which was so dear to the dying woman. She was 45 years old. Her last words were recorded to be "Benedictus Deus." (Blessed be God!)
Following her death at age 41, various miracles occurred when people visited her grave.
One year after her burial, permission was given to bring it back into the cloister, into the room where she died. Her body was found to be intact. The process for beatification began in August 1611. She was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1626 and canonized by Pope Clement IX on April 28, 1669.
The Carmelite monastery has moved a couple of times from the monastery where the Saint lived and died. However, her incorrupt body remains with the community.
Pictured: Ecstasy of Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi | Alessandro Rosi
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.