St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi. St. Mary was able to have such powerful mystical ecstasy during her life that she is known as the "ecstatic saint.”

St. Mary was born; Catherine de’ Pazzi on April 2, 1566. St. Mary was born into a very important noble family who lived in Florence. St. Mary was able to live a different life than most people during that time because most women would have to be married into wealth however, St. Mary was able to follow her own path.

When St. Mary was around the age of 9, she discovered how to meditate from the family confessor. St. Mary later made her first Communion early at age of 10, and St. Mary at this young age also made a vow of virginity one month later.

When St. Mary was only 16, she decided to enter the Carmelite convent in Florence because she would be able to receive Communion daily there.

St. Mary who was known as Catherine at the time decided to take the name Mary Magdalene and she had been a novice for about a year when she became critically ill. St. Mary’s death seemed extremely near, so her superiors allowed her to make her profession of vows in a private ceremony from a cot in the chapel.

Immediately after, St. Mary did this she actually fell into a deep ecstasy that lasted for about two hours. These events repeated after Communion on the following 40 mornings. The ecstasies that she was able to endure were rich experiences of union with God and contained many powerful insights into divine truths.

In order to avoid any possible deception and to preserve the revelations, St. Mary’s confessor asked her to dictate and describe her powerful experiences to sister secretaries. During the course of the next six years, five large books were filled with information.

The first three books that were written record the ecstasies that occurred from May of 1584 through Pentecost week the following year. This week was very important for St. Mary since it was the preparation for her severe five-year trial. The fourth book that was written records that trial and the fifth book is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Their are a few other books, however these are the ones that focus specifically on the ecstasies.

St. Mary lived a very powerful life she was able to read the thoughts of others and she was able to predict future events. During St. Mary’s lifetime, she appeared to many people in distant places and she was able to cure a number of sick people.

St. Mary however did not only have spiritual highs. St. Mary actually had five years of desolation that followed when she experienced spiritual dryness. St. Mary was also plunged into a state of darkness, during this state she was able to see nothing but what was horrible within herself and all around her. St. Mary had endured violent temptations and endured great physical suffering.

St. Mary died on May 25, 1607 at the age of 41. St. Mary was canonized during the year 1669. St. Mary’s feast is celebrated on May 25.

Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi St. Mary intercede that we may be able to strengthen our devotion and love with Christ, help us to be able to spend more time with Christ in prayer and help us to seek to be better people and overcome every temptation and trial we may encounter united to Christ. We ask this through Christ Our Lord and Mary Our Mother in Heaven Amen St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi pray for us St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works Cited

Information (read from, not taken):

Franciscan Media. "St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi. ”Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi | Franciscan Media. Accessed 24, May 2021.

Images:

St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi. May 24, 2021. Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi - Google Search.