1) Last winter, at about 3:00 pm, after having taken care of a senior patient in her home over 7 months, I was driving East on 7 Mile in Detroit and made a Northern turn on to Woodward, the first main highway constructed in Detroit. As I made my turn, I noticed a lady in her thirties who was standing there at the road's edge apparently with the intent of going South on Woodward. I made my turn in the opposite direction and watched her in my rearview mirror. I drove about an 8th of mile, and saw her still standing there and thought to myself that she may be possibly in some need and that I should help her. I made a turn at the next turn around and went back to her. I pulled up to her and asked if she needed any help and if I could drop her off anywhere. She seemed not at all afraid and said: "Yes, you can help me. Could you drop me off down Woodward to a gas station that sells sandwitches about 2 miles towards Downtown. I opened the door for her. Being unaccustomed to such help, she had the beginning of tears in her eyes and confessed to me that she was a "whore" who lives on doing things bad for money. She said this with such hopeless saddness over who she was. I told her to please never call herself "that name" ever again because God does not see her as "that" but only as "His little child - His little daughter!" I gave her all the money I had ($18.00) and told her to use it to get something to eat. She broke down and cried. She was getting paid for not doing anything but only for being a good human being - because she was a "child of God" - for just being herself.
The money gift and words of affirmation and love touched her so deeply that she felt that God was forgiving her. She burst out: "Mary Magdalene was like me. God forgave her and loved her!" "Yes," I said, "she and you are both loved by God." We went to the gas station, and she got out and came over to the driver's side and I got out. She hugged me and kissed me on my cheek - a pure kiss - one I will never forget. Then she said: "I love you." and departed. I believe that it wasn't me she hugged and kissed, it was the Mary Magdalene IN HER that again kissed Jesus' feet, washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair! She was a lesson to all of us that we cannot ever judge someone. Jesus who cast 7 devils from Mary Magdalene saw the Saint in her; we should be wise, too, and see the potential Saint in all those we see who are "apparently" living sinful lives. Jesus may, Himself, kiss them clean.
2) After graduating from UD with an MA in Pscyhology, I applied and was accepted into UD Law School located in Downtown Detroit. As a freshman, I had on me a UD Law School ID with picture, much like a driver's license. Classes were every day at 6:30 pm since I worked full time at Ford Engineering in Dearborn. To go to class, I drove East on 6 Mile and then made a right turn onto Woodward going South.
As I made my turn, I notice a woman dressed all in tan leather with a leather hat to match. She wore boots. She was thin. What was unusual about her was that she was very much leaning up against a lamp post and seemed to be very sick. I thought she would fall over any second; so I stopped and asked if I could be of any assistance. She without hesitation but very wobbly got right into my car and placed her head on my shoulder. She needed to rest and recover. She was nearly ready to faint. She did ask if I were the police. I said I was not. I told her she should not be out and about and that I would gladly take her home. She seem to totally trust me. I have a kindly face which I got from my dad. I asked her for her home address. She just took out her driver's license from her leather purse and gave it to me. The location she lived in was easy to find. It was on Woodward just passed the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral on Woodeard and West Chicago. That was directly on my way to class. So, I took her home and went up with her to her apartment to make sure she did not fall down on the steps. We both went in. I took off her hat, placed her in her bed fully dressed in jacket and all with boots on, put covers over her and began to leave. I took notice of her phone number on the phone nearby. She closed her eyes and seem to go asleep almost immediately. With that, I left. 3 weeks later, I decided to call the number from work to check on her recovery. Her pimp answered. He said she was not home. I asked her how she was doing. He said she was in jail for soliciting and that her court date was that very afternoon at 3:00 pm at Beaubian Police Station and Court House. It was 2:00 pm, and I still had 2 and a half hours till work ended. So, I went to my supervisor, John Wortman, a very good man, very understanding and told him that I had a domestic problem and if I could please leave because it was a critical matter. He readily consented. I had a good work record; and he knew I would make it up somehow. Ford is very good in giving "personal business" time off. I raced Downtown. I went to the Court House and noticed some nuns there who worked for and with wayward girls. What a Providential meeting! I asked many questions about their girls who had been picked up for drugs or soliciting. These nuns were a wealth of information. I asked how to get a woman off who was in jail for soliciting and possession and use of drugs because this woman surely was on drugs. That is why she could not stand up. They told me to get her an apointment with a methadone clinic. Once she has a specific appointment date, the judge may release her into my custody. That is all I needed! As I was walking down the hall with these nuns, I passed a big jail cell containing about 15 women awaiting trial. Seems I did not have to look for my client. She saw me first! She called out loudly: "Peter!" It was a long and loud pronounciation of my name. How could she have remembered me? I went over to the bars and she did, too. She pleaded: "Peter, get me out of here!" I assured her I was working on it. I did call some clinics and obtain an appointment for her and her pimp at 4:30 pm that very afternoon in Wayne Michigan. Armed with this, I went into the courtroom, and talked to the baliff. " Here is my student ID; I am a law student at UD Law School. When this woman's name is called, please have the judge call me up because I am legally representing her." [I was like Rudy Balor - trying my first case.] He warned me: "Do you know that your name will be on her record for all time?" I said, "So be it." She finally came in with all the other women and her finally her name was called. My name was called as well. I stood by her and she looked at me with trust and relief. I told the Judge: "This woman has an appointment with the methadone clinic at Wayne Michigan at 4:30pm. I ask, Your Honor, that you place her in my custody so I can take her there myself, personally." The Judge looked at me. He had my ID in the file folder. I had no way passed the bar; but he treated me as a lawyer all the same. Maybe there is kinship between law people. Maybe he went to UD. He granted my request without qualification or instructions. She was free but in my custody. He admonished her to do what I say. Now, I never had a person in my custody before, but it feels like that person is your family and you are the parent. She did readedly obeyed me. We went first to her appartment and cleaned it out. She was moving out. She was leaving Downtown Detroit for good! From jail/captivity to a new, free promised land. Her pimp was very interested in getting into the methadone clinic and said: "Can I come, too?" I told him the appointment was for both of them. They loaded up my car with the meager belongings they had. As I was leaving their apartment on Woodward, Fr. Ed Farrell, an author and spiritual director to many, was driving from the Cathedral and saw me and called out to me: "Peter!" I waved back and smiled. [I wondered what he wondered about his seeing me coming out from this seedy apartment; but I left it all in the hands of God. I found out later that he did not at all think ill of it; but thought that I was engaged in ministry, which was true. Fr. Ed, before he died gave me as many of his books I wanted. After his Mass, he took me to his library and told me to take all of them if I wished. I loaded up my car with them. He died in his rocking chair peacefully at age 80, the author of 12 books on spirituality.] Wayne, Michigan was a good treck West; but we arrived there in good time. They unloaded their things. The pimp was excited. Wayne, Michigan was as far away from Downtown Detroit's drug scene as one could get. They both starting walking up the steps to their interview. We all said our good-byes. She looked at me with love. As I drove away, I saw both of them in my rearview mirror and was so glad they were far away from their past life - as far away from Detroit's criminal element and dissipated life. I never heard from them again; but I will surely see them one day again in heaven. I pray even now that their lives are good, safe, healthy and close to God who loves them both as His children. His love sent me to love them.
3) Today is the Feast of Mary Magdalene. She not only sold herself to many, she had sold herself to the devil, as well. But she met Jesus. He cast 7 devils out of her. Now, just one devil inside a person would be horrible; but it is hard to imagine how a person would feel with 7 of them inside one's soul. Remember, Jesus once let the devils to into the pigs who could not stand it and died. In the movie, Exorcist, there was only 1 devil there; and that was as bad as one could get; that movie was based on a true pocession of a man who use to sleep on the ceiling. He was exorcised by the priest. It seems that Mary Magdalene - through a life of sin - had allowed these 7 devils entrance, little by little. Once 1 gets in, he invites others. Evil begets evils and has evil offspring. But Jesus loves her through and through and even calls her to ministry! She had looked for happiness and fulfillment all in the wrong places. She was seeking Jesus but did not know it. "I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not; I called him but he gave no answer. 'I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not'. ...'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?' Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go ...I adure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild does: do not stip up or awaken love until it is ready!'" [Song of Songs: 3:1-5, taken from today's Mass reading for her Feast Day.] Dear Reader, do we not all go looking for our True Love? We search everywhere: in our careers, in our art and talents, in our family, in our friendships. Our true Love is Jesus! Once we have truly found HIM, then all these other things will fall into place as well. He, Himself, will give success because He said: "First seek the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you besides."
How interesting that in the Gospels, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first! She did not recognize Him as the gardener until He called her lovingly by name: "Mary". She returns the call by saying: "Rabboni" which means "My dearest Master." Yes, she has found the One she has sought for... all her life. He sent her to tell the other Apostles that He has risen. Here now is the irony of it all: She who had 7 devils is now -- after meeting Jesus, after having washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, after pouring costly ointment on them, after having all her sins forgiven because "she has loved much" -- becomes an "apostle to the apostles"! You don't see Jesus appearing to the apostles first. Surely John should be the first to see Jesus. No, Jesus waits till they are altogether. But the Good News that He is arisen: that he entrusts to Mary Magdalene! Could it be that Jesus was so right when he said: "He who is forgiven much loves much!" Maybe she loved Jesus more than all of them! Of course Jesus appeard to mother as soon as possible after the resurrection; but for the Gospel sake, John the evangelist [ John 20"1-20], tells of Mary Magdalene coming first to the tomb and finding it empty. John has Mary Magdalene playing a pivotal role in announcing the Kingdom of God. She is the first woman evangelist because of her words to the Apostles: "Jesus has risen!"
We is God teaching us in all these events: We surely cannot ever judge any one, can we? We would not think that St. Paul, once a murderer, would be called to bring Jesus to the Gentiles in the known world at that time. We would not think that Jesus would call a prostitute to become a Saint and Evangelist: a Proclaimer of the Good News that Jesus has indeed Risen! Hmmm....I wonder if you and I are called to do the same in our own lives! God is very creative....has a sense of humor.....can actually make us His little saints.
love, Pio
love, Pio
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