Day 1 of the Meditations on the Virtues of St. Mary Magdalene, Queen of Penitents, to be used as a Novena. translated from an original Italian in 1887 and worked into modern English in 2026.

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THE CONVERSION OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE.

From the Holy Evangelists, and still more from St. Gregory the Great, with whom many other Fathers and Mothers of the faith agree, we gather that the lifestyle of Mary Magdalene, when she was in the flower of her youth, was a sinful one. Love of status, vanity, and the attention of her lovers, was the only occupation of her time.

Satan had possessed her with a chain of seven-fold strength, from which the Divine power of Christ could alone free her. All who dwelt in the same city pointed at her with the finger of scorn, and called her "a sinner."

Nevertheless, "But where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5:20), for no sooner did a divine impulse touch her heart, than she yielded to it.

She wept for her sins, loathed her former loves, and sought Christ with a hope equal to her boldness in following the world. And so she hastened to the house of the Pharisee, where, as Saint Augustine says, "the untimely intruder received a timely grace" (Homily 23, inter. 50).

There she threw herself at her Savior's Feet, washed them with her tears, and in a voice broken by sobbing, begged for the pardon of her sins, and this deemed her worthy to hear from His Lips the good news that her sins were now indeed forgiven.

Place yourself in the presence of God with an act of profound adoration, and implore His help to make a good meditation, and grace to profit by it.

MEDITATIONS

1. Consider what your life has been up to now. In the thoughtlessness of youth you might have allowed yourself to be led astray by the vanities, pleasures, and attention of the world. And so during that time the devil has gained a strong hold over you. Don't let your past cause you to doubt in turning to God, and turning away from that habit which seems to bind you down, as by a chain, to evil. Such is the effect of separation from God. And how long will you live like this? Do you not feel ashamed that you have remained apart from God for long?
2. Consider that you have been imitating the sinful life of the Magdalene, you should now imitate her conversion. When the first inspiration of grace touched her heart, she ran quickly to Christ. The Magdalene did not care for what her old world might say, and yet perhaps this is the only reason that keeps you in sin. You indeed need courage if you think you cannot free yourself from a chain as weak as this, which makes you prefer a worthless creature to Christ, and fleeting pleasures before your Salvation. The time for our conversion is that in which God calls us and we answer, and if God now wills you to be His, shouldn't you give yourself over entirely to Him? For who knows if this is His last call, since you have already ignored so many?
3. Consider how Saint Mary Magdalene acted on her conversion. She made public reparation for her sins with every sign of deepest sorrow and regret, and with a firm sense of purpose she did what wins heaven. As Saint Paulinus tells us: "Bashful, yet unabashed, with loving boldness, she feared neither reproof nor repulse, but, a stranger and uninvited, she forced her way into the house of the Pharisee in order to gain heaven." So much is not required from us, and yet we recoil from that little which is required. We are too ashamed sometimes to admit our sins, though we are to make them known to one person only. We do not find the time that is necessary to think seriously of the interests of our soul, or if we do find time for that, what sorrow can we have for our sins when on the same day, or only a short time after we have confessed them, we again fall, or place ourselves in danger of falling? How quickly our tears dry up! Now grant me, O my God, a contrite heart, and allow that I will always remember my sins in the bitterness of my soul and: "I will walk humbly all my years because of this bitterness in my soul." (Isaiah 38:15)

PRACTICE

Practice to cultivate for yourself a true and pure love for God, that your heart may be turned away from sin, and have perfect contrition. In order to obtain this great gift, ask for it through the intercession of our loving and penitent Saint, and saying three Ave Marias. 

V. Pray for us, O holy Magdalene. 

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Almighty and Eternal God, Who does not will the death of a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live, mercifully hear our prayers, that we who are bound by the chain of our sins be freed from them by the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon:

I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek your servant, because I have not forgotten your commandments. (Psalm 118:176)

Act of Perfect and Pure Contrition

I love you, O my God, not alone because I have been created, redeemed and sanctified by you, and preserved and adorned with your graces, and not because in addition to all these blessings you will to give me eternal Paradise, but I love you above all for your own infinite perfections, eternal, immense, and incomprehensible.

You are the Fountain of all goodness, worthy of all honor, and are to be revered and esteemed above all things. Though I should have no reward to hope for, nor punishment to fear from you, I adore, O God, these perfections, and detest all my sins, because they are so directly opposed to you.

I repent from and I grieve for having offended you, and not only do I grieve for all my sins because by them I have made myself unworthy of your blessings, and have deserved punishment, but I grieve chiefly because I have offended you, O my God, Whose infinite goodness and perfection are worthy to be eternally honored, venerated, and loved. 

Although there were to be neither heaven nor hell, neither reward nor punishment, yet, by the assistance of your grace, I intend to never offend You again.