God's love for man before and after the incarnation differs like light from darkness
Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi (1566–1607) did not leave us a complete doctrine about her spiritual life, because she lived and experienced her spirituality more than she systematically reflected on it. However, in the records of her ecstasies, her entire doctrine is factually contained. (1)
The center of her doctrine is the mystery of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, especially his suffering, symbolized by his blood, which he shed for the salvation of the world. The Lamb slain, yet alive and glorified is now in the bosom of the Father in union with the Holy Spirit, and his blood pours out from there through twelve fountains (2) upon the world and transforms it completely. Today, we would say that the Easter mystery was central for her.
In the beginning, outside of time, the Word was with God united with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Trinity, in that infinite abyss of love, in the burning fire, in which the divine Persons communicate their infinite treasures in infinite bliss. Here, however, human words fall silent, only awe and admiration remain.
“God's very being” is love. “God, you do what you are, it cannot be better expressed otherwise,” cries the saint. Everything is “opera d‘amore” – a work of love. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could not keep their infinite power, wisdom, and goodness within themselves, they “were compelled” to create the world. Creation has its beginning and its purpose in overflowing divine love.
However, man did not fully realize God’s intentions with him. Through the act of pride, he destroyed “his greatness, nobility, and beauty” and became incapable of receiving divine gifts. Yet in the Trinity arose “a new order of humility and love,” to redeem the world through the incarnation of the Word.
St. Mary Magdalene, along with other mystics, repeats several times that the Word would have incarnated even if man had not sinned. God the Father tells her in ecstasy:
“If Adam had not sinned, I would have brought you to heaven, and the Word would have incarnated, but it would have only gained glory and not victory. And the glory, which I would have given you, would have been partly from you if you had committed no sin, when I created you with free will. The glory, which I would have given you, would differ from the one I give you now, as the creature differs from me. O daughter, how great is the glory I give you.”
But after sin, the Son of God took on our weaknesses. He came to “ricreare la già creata creatura” – to re-create the already created creature. He voluntarily destroyed himself (3) to redeem man, who destroyed himself through his pride. The only motive for his coming was his love, which drove him to “the madness of the cross,” that he even “forgot his wisdom.” The words “humiliation,” “poverty,” “humility,” “suffering” repeatedly return to him. Magdalene particularly emphasizes the suffering that Jesus experienced within himself. The Son redeemed us through his humanity, which is “God's dwelling,” “the tree of life and not death,” a bridge, a ladder, a boat, a way, the perfect instrument of our salvation; whoever does not pass through him will not attain salvation. He is like a “thief,” who steals the riches from the Father and gives them to people, and steals souls from the devil, which were his prey; he is like a “ruler,” who “overcame his Father to make peace with us”; as an “anvil” between the wrath of the eternal Father and our sins.
The work of re-creation by Christ's blood elevated man above original justice, even above angels. God's love for man before and after the incarnation “differs like light from darkness.” The soul gains this greatness by imitating Jesus, who is “the book of life.” Her similarity to God is directly proportional to the one she has with Christ; Jesus’s humanity is for her “the way to the Father.”
Christ's humanity, which was so humiliated, the Father exalted and glorified, brought it to the throne of the Most Holy Trinity and into his bosom, granted it a place at his right hand and all power in heaven and on earth. This humanity remains our mediator “at the throne” of God.
This glorified humanity of Jesus also has – according to Magdalene – the power to send the Holy Spirit, who was promised and who continually filled him. Now a transformation of all mankind is gradually occurring, becoming “christian” – according to the term “rendere cristica,” which the saint uses. The work of the Holy Spirit (gradually renews and) will renew the entire universe.
(1) When in 1584 – less than two years after her entrance into the Carmelite monastery in Florence – she began to have ecstasies, her confessor ordered that the sisters record everything that happens with her and what she says, to find out if they are authentic and come from God. The sisters did this faithfully, thus producing a precious document, which was published for the first time in its entirety in 1960-1966 in seven volumes on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the saint's birth.
(2) See Rev 22:1–2.
(3) See Phil 2:6–11.
(According to the typewritten document of P. Methodius Minařík, OCarm.: Saints of Carmel; editorially revised)
