most totally obliterated. The town

was a place of evil repute, containing many bad women and worse men. Those of its inhabitants who were not given to vice were either careless of its scandal or fanatical in their opposition to it.

But why did Simon the Pharisee invite Jesus to dine with him? Not

from love, it would seem; for we shall find that
the Master received scant courtesy from His host.
Jesus had His own purposes, and accepted the
invitation. Leaving His sandals, according to
usage, at the door, He noticed as He entered that
He was
not offered the water and towel to wash
His feet, customary in that sub-tropical country;
nor was He given the usual kiss of welcome, nor
the perfumed oil for His hair and beard. What
happened afterwards is narrated by St. Luke with
such vividness as to be almost spoiled by comment.

Let us admit that the poor Pharisee might well be
indignant at seeing a harlot making her way through
the curious crowd which hung about the doors and
windows, entering, in spite of his servants, into his
dining-hall, and then going up to the couch on which
Jesus half reclined, according to custom, beside the
Pharisee himself. What would shock us more than
such boldness? But let us ask what were Mary's
feelings? The poor Magdalen blushed purple and
then was pale with nervous excitement.
She wept;
and Jesus, who hated shameless lust as no one else
ever could, was moved to tender pity by her grief
and her tears.

He had known her before; He had converted her and cast seven devils out of her (Luke vii. 2).

MAGDALA.

This had happened at one of His visits to this part of the lake shore; perhaps she had halted her splendid chariot on the edge of one of His assemblages and

caught some words of burning reproach, gone sorrowfully away, repented, returned and confessed, and now sought Him as her Master, and would begin her following of Him by public penance. She was of a respectable, doubtless a wealthy family, for we shall find her again at Bethany, a sister to Martha and Lazarus, our Saviour's faithful friends. The scene of her career as an evil woman was, as her name imports, at this town of Magdala, far away from her home, to which, we surmise, she did not return till after our Saviour had interceded for her with her brother and sister.

Her wayward heart had been transformed. Her eyes, whose flashing beauty had been a snare to herself and others, now served her to weep penitential tears upon the feet of Jesus, her beautiful tresses humbly to wipe them, and her lips, made clean by many earnest words of true contrition, privileged to kiss those feet whose unwearied zeal pursues lost souls through the briers and rocks of every hu

"Her career as an evil woman was at man misery. What our Saviour valued this town of Magdala."

most in Mary's case was the love in her heart, whose depths were stirred with gratitude, deep and true in proportion to her former degradation. The public penances inflicted by the Church for open vice which characterized the heroic age of Christianity had their beginning in Simon's dining-hall

that day, as Mary the public harlot, lately released by the word or look or thought of Jesus from seven devils of uncleanness, sought her pardon in this open way, as she had with open scandal sinned against her Maker and her fellow-creatures.

But after Jesus had set Simon right, He administered a rebuke to him, a bitter one surely, for it compared him unfavorably with this converted harlot. It is not seldom that a reformed Christian sets an example which puts an innocent Christian to the blush. Poor Mary had not spoken; so much did mingled grief and joy monopolize her heart that her tongue could find no words. But she was eloquent, none the less, by her affectionate humility. "And turning to the woman, He said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house: thou gavest Me no water for My feet; but she with tears hath washed My feet, and with her hair hath wiped them. Thou gavest Me no kiss, but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss My feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but she with ointment hath anointed My feet. Wherefore I say to thee, many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less. And He said to her, Thy sins are forgiven thee." How happy a lot for Simon if such words could have been said to him! But this was a gloomy outlook for Jesus-the state of mind revealed by Simon's objections. What could a Redeemer hope for when the best and most influential of the people were shocked at His love of sinners, and grumbled at the forgiveness of sins?"And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves :

Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And He said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe. Go in peace."

But if faith had saved her, love enchained her. Go away she would not. She becomes a close friend and follower of Jesus. The converted prostitute is one of the high personages in the history of Christ's mission, a chosen witness of His death and resurrection.

CHAPTER XXX.

AT NAZARETH AGAIN.

Matt. xiii. 54-58; Mark vi. 1-6; Luke vii. 11-17.

W

HATEVER mystery hides the re-
jection of our Saviour by the peo-
ple of Nazareth, His love for them
is in the open day. He returned
-probably at this time-to His
early home, that His suspicious
and jealous fellow-townsmen might

be allowed to atone for their previous rejection of
Him, and might offer some of their better spirits as
members of His apostolate. Many disciples went with
Him to Nazareth, and as He appeared in the synagogue
at the Sabbath meeting, their enthusiasm and the news
of His wonderful works gained Him at least a respect-
able reception. The halo of mira-
cles encircled His brow," and many
were in admiration at His doctrine."
Yes; but it was not the admiration
of docile spirits, but of vain men.
puzzled by a mystery and resenting
its difficulty: "How came this Man
by all these things?" The curios-
ity of a humble soul is the seed of
faith; but the people of Nazareth
had judicial curiosity. They would
seek truth as its masters and not as
its servants.

IS NOT THIS THE CARPENTER ?
And going out from thence, he went into
his own country, and his disciples followed
him. And when the Sabbath was come, he
began to teach in the synagogue: and
many hearing him were in admiration at
his doctrine, saying: How came this man

Among themselves

they talked over the family of Jesus, as if each humble name of mother, father, cousins (called by Jewish custom brothers and sisters) was

by all these things? and what wisdom is

this which is given to him, and such miracles as are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the and Simon? Are not also his sisters here brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, with us? And they were scandalized in regard of him. And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor save in his

own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred. And he could not do many miracles there, only that he cured a few that were sick, laying his hands upon them, and he wondered because of their unbelief. And he went through the villages, cities, and towns, teachGospel of the kingdom, and healing every ing in their synagogues and preaching the disease and every infirmity.