A namesake of St Mary Magdalene

On this feast day of the wonderful St Mary Magdalene, I am reminded of the Italian Carmelite saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (1566-1607 - feast day 25 May).  Baptised Catarina in an aristocratic family, she lived in a convent in Florence from age sixteen; her health was so poor (she was not expected to live long) that she was fast-tracked to full profession.  She was prone to ecstatic experiences, for which some of the other nuns mocked her.  She reminds me a little of St Therese in that she was known to use playful, bantering tones with Jesus. One account given was that of Jesus offering her a crown of thorns and a crown of flowers. She always insisted on the crown of thorns, desiring to suffer for Jesus, but He would always insist on giving her the crown of flowers. When He admonished her, "I called and you didn't care," she came back with, "You didn't call loudly enough" and told the Lord to shout His love.  She must have been very special, for the process for her beatification began only three years after she died.

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Sue B, Theresa K, Fr Jon

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David OCDS - housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Joy Smith OCDS – seriously ill

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)