Festival of St. Mary Magdalene
Posted on July 22, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 7:22-27 (NKJV)
7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Devotion
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Our Lord had cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. However, Jesus says that there would be those who had cast out demons in His name and prophesied in His name whom He would nevertheless disown. “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Impressive as casting out a demon would be, it is not ultimately what matters. What ultimately matters is hearing and doing what Jesus says. Mary Magdalene was saved, not just because Jesus cast out her demons, but because she was given faith to believe His words. When He speaks words of Law, we dare not practice lawlessness! Yet, looking into the Law we see how great our guilt is. Thanks be to God that Jesus also speaks words of Gospel: through faith in Him by the power of His Spirit, we repent and are forgiven. Thus was Mary Magdalene. Thus may we all be.
Collect: O gracious God, Who didst work repentance and faith in the heart of St. Mary, so lead us by the working of Thy Holy Spirit that we may walk before Thee in repentance all our days and have consolation through the absolution which Thou dost grant to be proclaimed unto Thy Church, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
