Mary Magdalene in St. Baume - School of three types of love for Jesus

Beginning of the homily

Oh happy soul to live so, to die so, to suffer so in this desert! Oh happy exile of having and possessing for so long a time such a soul! This desert is a school of love. And for Magdalene a school of many kinds of love.

1. Among them, I distinguish a love that separates since Jesus is in heaven, Magdalen on earth.
2. I distinguish a love that crucifies since Jesus is united to her as crucified. And what is more, He unites to her as one who crucifies. Proper to the love and spirit of Jesus Crucified is to crucify in this way His most beloved souls. And Magdalene receives Him in this twofold quality as crucified and one who crucifies. And she embraces Him with all the strength of her soul as if He were more loving that the Spouse in the Song of Songs when with the slightest reason delays in receiving the beloved.
3. Yet still, I distinguish in this desert a third type of love, an incomparable love, a love that exceeds and crowns all antecedent loves, a love that ends her desert and her love. It is a love enraptured by the contemplation of Jesus but not crucified but glorified. A love that consumes, that raptures, that draws from the desert to heaven and from the cross to glory. Oh soul! Oh desert! Oh life! Oh cross! Oh love! Oh glory!

(Part 7...)