Saint Margaret of Cortona

Saint Margaret of Cortona was a 13th-century Italian saint who is celebrated as a great penitent. In her youth she was the mistress of a nobleman, even bearing him an illegitimate son. Upon her lover's sudden death, Saint Margaret repented from the sinfulness of her ways, and joined the Franciscan order. She lived in simplicity and helped the poor and sick. In time, her prayers and repentance led to her receiving visions and visitations from Jesus Christ.

In this episode we read and reflect on Saint Margaret's life, drawing primarily on accounts by Alban Butler and Anthony Francis Giovagnoll.

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Transcript

 Welcome to the Christian Saints Podcast. My name is Darren Ong, recording from Sepang in Malaysia. In this podcast, we explore the lives of the Christian saints, from the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Today, we will celebrate Saint Margaret of Cortona, a 13-th century Roman Catholic saint known as a penitent- that is, someone who demonstrated a great and sincere repentence for her past sin. Western Christians have just entered the period of Lent this week, and Eastern Christians will start their time of Lent soon too, so it is appropriate to contemplate the great penitent saints of the past, so we can consider the ways that we have to turn away from sin in this Lenten season.
 
 Here is the gospel reading appointed for her feast day in the Anglican lectionary:
 
Luke 7:36-50

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-- that she is a sinner." Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "Speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

This emphasis on the reconciliatory power of Jesus’ love is also demonstrated in this collect prayer for St Margaret’s feast day, on February 22:
 
O God, as your servant Margaret of Cortona found a home where her repentance led to a life of prayer, service, and leadership, Grant that we may always seek to dwell where estrangement yields to reconciliation, through Jesus Christ, who is himself the goal of all our seeking and the answer to our desires, unto whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
We will begin with an account of the early life of Saint Margaret, as recorded by the great English hagiographer, Rev Alban Butler:
 
***
 
 She was the daughter of a small farmer of Laviano in Tuscany. She had the misfortune to lose a good mother when she was only seven years old, and the stepmother whom her father brought home two years later was a hard and masterful woman who had little sympathy with the high-spirited, pleasure-loving child. Attractive in appearance and thirsting for the affection which was denied her in her home, it is no wonder that Margaret fell an easy prey to a young cavalier from Montepulciano, who induced her to elope with him one night to his castle among the hills. Besides holding out a prospect of love and luxury he appears

to have promised to marry her, but he never did so, and for nine years she lived openly as his mistress and caused much scandal, especially when she rode through the streets of Montepulciano on a superb horse and splendidly attired. Nevertheless she does not seem to have been in any sense the abandoned woman she afterwards considered herself to have been. She was faithful 'to her lover, whom she often entreated to marry her and to whom she bore one son, and, in spite of her apparent levity, there were times when she realized bitterly the sinfulness of her life. One day the young man went out to visit one of his estates and failed to return. All one night and the next day Margaret watched with growing anxiety, until at length she saw the dog that had accompanied him running back alone. He plucked at her dress and she followed him through a wood to the foot of an oak tree, where he began to scratch, and soon she perceived with horror the mangled body of her lover, who had been assassinated and then thrown into a pit and leaves.

A sudden revulsion came as she recognized in this the judgement of God. As soon as she possibly could she left Montepulciano, after having given up to the relations of the dead man all that was at her disposal (except a few ornaments which she sold for the benefit of the poor); and, clad in a robe of penitence and holding her little son by the hand, she returned to her father's house to ask forgiveness and admittance. Urged by her stepmother, her father refused to receive her, and Margaret was almost reduced to despair, when she was suddenly inspired to go to Cortona to seek the aid of the Friars Minor, of whose gentleness with sinners she seems to have heard.
 
 ***
 
The Friars minor are an order started by St Francis of Christians who dedicated their life to Christ by living a life of extreme simplicity and poverty, and showing compassion toward the poor and needy. One characteristic practice of the Friars minor was to beg for their sustenance, as a way to practice humility. St Margaret of Cortona lived like this for a while: from the life of Saint Margaret of Cortona, by Canon Anthony Francis Giovagnoll:
 
So at certain determined hours the humble saint begged from door to door: so cautious that she never ventured to enter a house ; so modest that she never raised her eyes to the face of a man ; and she would rather have met with ridi cule than charity : but from the great veneration with which the people of Cortona regarded her, she obtained charity, not scorn ; and charity so courteous, that when she asked soiled and torn clothes, they gave her white and whole ; when she could not refuse these, she either took them to some poor sick person, or changed them for the dirty rags of some less fortunate mendicant 
 
After a season of this, she felt that she needed instead to work for he sustenance. She resolved to earn her keep by helping women who had recently borne children:
 
Hence she resolved with the consent of Father Giunta not to beg any longer, but to support herself by her labor. And that this should be more acceptable to God and useful to her spirit, she resolved to make it rather a source of relief to others than profit to herself. She accordingly devoted herself to attending women in childbed, aiding them not only by her labor but also by feel 1 prayers ; so that all contended with each other for the privilege of having her in that perilous crisis In the various houses to which she was called to attend on these occasions, her conduct was invariably the same, she asked no pay, she took no gift, and of the food set before her she took only the worst, and so little of that, that it seemed proper rather to whet hunger than recruit the body. Every moment not devoted to the care of the ladies at these times, she spent in some secluded corner in smothered, half sup pressed tears, and in breathing from her broken heart, sighs of bitter repentance for her faults.
 
St Margaret Later joined the so-called “third order of Saint Francis”, and her son also joined the Franciscans a few years later. However, those in her community still doubted her sincerity and. People continued to spread vicious and false rumours about her throughout her life.There were even those within the Fransciscan order who continued to view her with suspicion.
 
 Nonetheless she persevered in her prayers and works of repentance. Modern Christians sometimes have an odd relationship with guilt. Either we feel so overwhelmed with it, it drives us away from God as Judas’ guilt did; or we take it lightly, minimize our sin to justify ourselves. St Margaret did neither. Even though she felt great contrition for her wrongdoing, it did not drive her to despair- rather, she turned towards Jesus, and towards the poor and sick in her community to help. And through patient prayer, and patiently working out these works of repentance, she began to receive visions of Jesus Christ, affirming that even if those in her community, her order, and her family had written her off, Jesus had not. In one such vision Jesus gave her these words of encouragement:
 
 "Fear not to obtain full remission of thy sins, 

which thou wilt infallibly obtain, and thou shalt 

inflame others, colder and more coy. I have 

destined thee as an example to sinners, in order 

that they may clearly understand, that if they 

will prepare to receive my grace, they will ever 

find me ready to give it, just as I have quickly 

turned to thee. I consign thee then as my pre-- 

cious treasure, O my poor little one, to the care 

and good direction of my Brethren (that is, the Fransciscans), whom I en 

join for my sake ever to protect and instruct 

thee wherever thou shalt dwell; for by the;spe- 

eia! care that these Fathers take of thy salvation 

their order will become more honorable to the 

whole world." 
 
 ***

And as Saint Margaret persevered in her work of repentance, the language Jesus used to address her became more intimate. At first, he referred to her as poverella, poor little one. Later, as “daughter”, and finally, as “spouse”. There is an immense amount of joy expressed in accounts fo Saint Margaret’s life as she embarks on this path of repentence: againt from the account by Canon Giovagnoll:
 
 Burst ing forth into most bitter tears, she turned suppliant to her beloved Father Saint Francis, to 

her beloved protectress Saint Mary Magdalene begging them to obtain for her a clearer know ledge and more intense sorrow for all her faults go as to cleanse her entirely from any remnanf of sin. She was heard to such an extent, that in her new general confession made to Father Giunta, she spent a whole week, exposing every minutia, enumerating every circumstance of her whole disorderly life, with such anguishing contrition, that it would be difficult to show a Peter more full of compunction, a Magdalene of grief. 

This sad confession was concluded at last, about the day of the Holy Innocents, and that same morning by order of her confessor she re ceived the bread of angels, and while she turned her inflamed heart to her Divine Guest, she heard resounding in the very centre of her soul the sweet and desired words : " My daughter." The expression immediately deprived her of sense, absorbed her in an ecstasy of inward joy. This ecstatic accident was witnessed by the Father Warden, the Gustos Father Bain aid, Father Giunta, a lady, and other bystanders. Margaret recovering a little from her ecstasy, and not noticing them, exclaimed with joy and exulta tion: O supreme sweetness of our good God I happy day for me, promised by my Jesus! O word full of all satisfaction, that thou hast deigned to call me daughter!

More she would have said, but excessive joy ravished her again from her senses; and the by standers who crowded up. could hear only "Daughter of Jesus," which as she felt it so deeply, was alone thought and expressed by her. O merciful God,- truly sweet with sinners! " If the impious man shall do penance for all his sins. I shall no longer re member all his iniquities that he hath wrought." So he promised by Ezechiel, and to prove it by a second evidence, most fortunate Margaret invites all by her example, as penitent David in conso lation invited by example and voice : " Taste and see how sweet the Lord is." 
 
 She received this visions and visitations from Jesus not just for her benefit, but also for those around her. Rev. Alban Butler relates this story of her warnings to the Bishop of Arezzo, who behaved much more as a worldy prince than a leader of the church:
 
 In one case she was told to send a message to Bishop William of Arezzo, warning him to amend his ways and to desist from fighting with the people of his diocese and Cortona in particular. Though he was a turbulent and worldly prelate he appears to have been impressed, for he made peace with Cortona soon afterwards and this was generally attributed to Margaret’s mediation. In 1289 she strove to avert war when Bishop William was again at strife with the Guelfs. Margaret went to him in person but this time he would not listen, and ten days later he was slain in battle. The bishop had, however, done one good turn to Margaret and Cortona, for in 1286 he had granted a charter which enabled her to start putting her work for the sick poor on a permanent basis. 

Margaret continued with her works of charity up until her death, starting a hospital , and also founded an order of women to assist her in serving the poor and suffering. She would call this order the poverella, or poor ones, the term that Jesus addressed her with in her visions.
 
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Christian saints podcast. Look for the Christian Saints podcast page on Facebook or Instagram, or look for us on Twitter at podcast_saints. All music in this episode was composed by my good friend, James John Marks of Generative sounds. Please check out his music at https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.com/
 
To end this episode, let us contemplate this prayer to St. Margaret of Cortona, prayed  by Pope John Paul II in 1999. And as Christians worldwide enter into this season of Lent, I pray that all of us will have this same heart of repentance, and desire to reconcile ourselves to God.

O Saint Margaret of Cortona, I too come today as a pilgrim and I pause to pray with you at the feet of the image of Christ Crucified and Risen, whom, as a penitent, you contemplated at length. Lord Jesus, crucified for us, in offering yourself on Calvary for all humanity, you have revealed to us the wellsprings of everlasting life. May the mystery of your Passion enlighten our life making us ready to follow you on the way of holiness and love. Rekindle our faith; teach us to recognize and welcome in our everyday life the plans of your mysterious Providence. Give us the courage to confess our sins and open our hearts to sorrow, in order to receive the gift of your mercy. Empower us to forgive our brethren following the example of your love that knows no bounds. Help us to be humbly disposed to repair the harm we have done by actively and generously serving the poor, the sick, and all who are marginalized and without hope. Give everyone the joy of persevering faithfully, in full harmony with the Church, along the way of the particular calling. Above all others, show the young the splendid plan of love that you intend to bring about for them and with them at the threshold of the new millennium. Enable us to be peacemakers, tenacious weavers of daily relationships of fraternal solidarity, artisans of reconciliation, witnesses and apostles of the civilization of love. O glorious Saint Margaret of Cortona, present this request to your Crucified Lord and ours. Guide us with the strength of your example, support us with your constant protection, be our companion we beg you, till we reach our Father’s house. Amen. –