By Guest Writer Steven Nelson, author of the recently published book by Sophia Institute Press, The Magdalena Prayer Book.
Maybe you’ve been there… By God’s grace, you finally mustered the courage to go to Confession after a long bout of repeatedly avoiding it. You show up early before Mass at dawn to get your place in line, on a Holy Day of Obligation, and the line is already out the door. As you await your turn, the shame and self-hatred that have been besetting you for weeks, reemerge and flank you. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to stay. Then, there you are: the last one in line. It’s almost time. Your hope returns, you find a new sense of resolve to amend your life, and your cause strengthens. And just then, the priest turns the light off in his confessional and leaves to vest for the Mass about to start, leaving you utterly alone and empty. Your whole being, your whole physiology, even down to your bones, feel desolate. As you leave the church, your arm bumps your coat pocket and reminds you of what you carry: a book of the Holy Gospels and the Psalms. You lift it, open it randomly, and read from the first penitential Psalm: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.” In that moment you realize: maybe I am not so alone after all.
In recent years, as the opportunity for Confession and Communion grew periodically scarce, our churches saw a spike in encouragement to attain perfect contrition and effect spiritual communions. Yet, often lacking in these recommendations were catechesis and practical guidelines for integrating these two beautiful elements of our Holy Faith into the life of prayer. God forbid that we see such a decline again in opportunities for Sacramental Confession and Holy Communion, but just in case, ‘The Magdalena Prayer Book’ is here to stand in the breach and help serve the soul who wishes to perfect his contrition and spiritual communions, and turn them into habits of prayer for the future.
In the case of the unrepentant mortal sinner, on the other hand, there need not be such restrictions from the various parish offices and rectories of the world, because without repentance his heart will become dull (Matt. 13:15)– cutting the soul off from desire for the sacraments altogether and removing the sting of conscience that compels us to repent and believe in the Gospel. Even still, ‘The Magdalena Prayer Book’ aims to interrupt this dreadful spiral, if the heart is willing, and provide a holy framework for turning back the tide of spiritual death and slavery to sin. So, whether you are having difficulty finding a confessional or communion, or are simply looking for ways to supplement your penitential spirit, this book was made with you in mind.
At the foot of our Lord’s Cross there stood three towers: a tower of immaculate ivory (our Lady), a tower of chaste fire (St. John), and a tower of thorns (St. Mary Magdalene). Each of these towers reaches to the open side of Jesus on the Cross and is a model of the sure path to Heaven according to the perennial teachings of Christ and His Church. For those who have fallen into mortal sin after baptism, egregiously and repeatedly, the tower of thorns is one we must climb, under the protection of our Lady, the Refuge of Sinners. St. Mary Magdalene has been called “The Queen of Penitents” and while on Earth she lived as a perfect illustration of possessing true sorrow for one’s sins with one’s entire heart – a necessary condition for perfect contrition (Roman Catechism, Part 2, Section 4, The First Part of Penance). In the Kingdom of Penitents, this Queen reigns supreme under the banner of the Cross. The Magdalene should be our inspiration, with the Church as our teacher, to become the best penitents we can possibly be this side of Heaven.
With regards to Church teaching, no council or catechism has taught as profoundly on perfect contrition and spiritual communion as the Council of Trent and its subsequent catechism. Perhaps it was the crisis of the Protestant Reformation that caused the Council Fathers to reopen the wonders and the breadth of God’s Mercy at a time when priests, parishes, dioceses, and whole countries were falling from the Faith and losing the sacraments. One can only speculate, but for ‘The Magdalena Prayer Book’ the Council of Trent and the Roman Catechism provide the devotional framework for perfect contrition and spiritual communion. With Trent as the foundation, King David’s seven penitential Psalms as the protective walls, and repeated heartfelt Acts of Contrition as the signal fire to Heaven, ‘The Magdalena Prayer Book’ arranges timeless prayers and teachings to help us build a fortress of prayerful defense against the world, the flesh, and the devil; as well as the despair that may threaten us if we find ourselves in the unfortunate state of mortal sin with no confessional in sight.
Author Bio – Steven Nelson:
Steven Nelson is the president and co-founder of Gaudent Angeli, a Catholic apostolate and nonprofit organization dedicated to rekindling devotion to St. Vibiana, the hidden patroness of Los Angeles. Though its mission is local, Gaudent Angeli’s operations go beyond the confines of the LA Archdiocese, aiming to foster a devout culture wherever the cultural influence of Los Angeles inevitably reaches. Gaudent Angeli recognizes that the renewal of culture hinges upon something of even greater importance and influence: the rekindling of pious devotion. Under the patronage of St. Vibiana, Gaudent Angeli identifies and addresses the spiritual needs of our age and invokes St. Vibiana’s intercession in order to shower abundant graces upon Los Angeles, California, the Americas, and the world.
Steven Nelson is a convert to Catholicism and lives in Southern California with his wife and 6 children.
