Meditations and Devotions

St. Mary Magdalene’s Example of Conversion and Repentance

David Warren July 22, 2026
Saint Cardinal John Henry Newman
Saint Cardinal John Henry Newman
St. Mary Magdalene's Example of Conversion and Repentance
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In the presence of the sinful woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, Jesus announced, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” This woman has been identified traditionally as St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast day we celebrate today. St. John Henry Newman also believed this passage referred to her (though this is no longer held to be the case by most exegetes) Newman saw in her meeting with Jesus after his resurrection, an example of the passion of the penitent.

Conversion does not happen quietly or peacefully; it is “warfare” Newman says. David’s inner turmoil in the Psalms, St. Paul’s conversion and St. Mary Magdalene’s tearful meetings with Jesus are primary examples of this warfare and reveal that “the love of the penitent is energetic, zealous, active, belligerent, [full] of emotion, of work, of passion.” With Mary in particular, Newman notes her “energy, thrusting herself into the room, tears in the room and in the garden” (Sermon notes, 1849).

Nothing but a passionate love like this can bring about conversion. Why? Because for the soul enslaved to sin, “whether to be converted or reclaimed, what is to counteract and antagonise to pride and pleasure? [to compete] with formed habits? What but a superior attraction?” 

And this is what the world does not understand about the followers of Christ. We are lovers. We do not attend Mass for lessons on morals or to hear nice stories or to dress up for our neighbors. We are not there to fulfill our civic or parental duties, to feel good about ourselves or to establish our reputations. Jesus Christ thirsts for us and we are burning with passion for him. We are much closer to addicts than to upstanding citizens. 

How often we forget this also and our hearts grow cold or they become attracted to the things of this world. Holy Spirit, may we feel the fire of your love and desire to love you with the same fire. Even if Mary Magdalene is no longer identified with the sinful woman in the Gospel we can learn from her manifestation of love for Jesus. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us, that we might love Jesus with the same passionate love you have for Him. 

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A Guide to John Henry Newman will interest educated readers and professors alike, and serve as a text for college seminars for the purpose of studying Newman.

Review by Catherine Maybanks
(Catholic Herald, April 1, 2023)

Review by Serenheed James
(Antiphon, April 2023)

 This book is being currently considered for reprinting, all enquiries to the Sales Team general@alivepublishing.co.uk
 

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Endorsement by Neyra Blanco (Amazon)
I bought this book for my son and he loved it, he wrote this review and urged my to submitted: “I think this book has a very beautiful message, because it shows how the young Newman was so determined to achieve his dream of becoming a priest, but even after his dream he continued to work in the church with passion until the day he died, it’s so admirable that even Newman so old and so weak still had that urge to continued his work of being a priest. And the book is well written with words not too complicated with very enjoyable texts and well illustrated pictures. I highly recommend this book for a 5th grader.  

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What is a Classical Liberal Arts Education? Why is it so important for the development of a person?

Fr. Juan R. Vélez answers these and more questions you might have about University Education in the 21st century. This book is aimed for parents, prospective University students, and educators. It will help you discern why adding Liberal Arts electives to your education will help it form it better, and help the student learn to reason, and not just learn.

He also explains how many Universities have changed the true meaning of Liberal Arts, and the subjects, and gives advise on how to choose College Campus, Subjects, and Teachers.

A wonderful book that every parent should also read way before your children are College bound. A Liberal Arts education can start earlier in life, even from home.

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Endorsement by Christopher Moellering (Goodreads, September 14, 2019)
In Passion for Truth Fr. Vélez gave us an outstanding biography of Cardinal Newman. In this work, he provides a concise overview of his thought and his devotion. This is a great work for someone who, perhaps hearing of Newman for the first time because of his beatification 13 October, 2019, wants to know more about this English saint.Vélez is a wonderful writer in his own right, and the frequent quotations from Newman round out the work nicely. I especially appreciated the frequent citing of Newman’s Meditations and Devotions, which show a different side of his spirituality than his more well-known works, Development of Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Assent.

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Review by Gregory J. Sullivan (Amazon, May 25, 2012)

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Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman, endorsement by Illow M. Roque (Amazon, September 3, 2010)
“There is a time to put direct inquiry on hold and give ourselves to prayer and practical duties.” Sound advice from one of the earlier, thought-provoking reminders in this sparkling gem of a book: Take Five | Meditations with John Henry Newman, written by Mike Aquilina and Fr. Juan R. Vélez and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This particular paragraph, referenced above, which begins with a direct quote from soon-to-be canonized priest, cardinal and poet, John Henry Newman: “Study is good, but it gets us only so far . . .” is actually the 15th in a series of 76 concise, logically organized meditations moving from the elementary to the sublime. Each meditation–one per page–is built upon the great man’s writings and remarkably rich spirituality. Whether taken whole in one reading or in part page-by-page over a course of weeks and months, these wonderfully insightful meditations will open up, even to the busiest reader in the midst of the world, a unique pathway into prayer and contemplation. My advice to spiritual inquirers at all levels, from the novice to the spiritually adept, is to follow the authors’ recommendation to use this book as a guide for daily prayer and meditation. The structure of the book itself is ideal: first, the authors introduce us to Cardinal Newman, the man, where we are given the opportunity to get to know him through a brief sketch of his life and spirituality at the beginning of the book. This is something readers will likely find themselves referring to again and again, prompting many, I suspect, to even wider explorations of this most gifted Christian leader. Then comes the meditations, consisting of a short summary of Newman’s thoughts on subjects taken, as the authors explain, from various salient points for which Newman is justly remembered: The pursuit of objective religious truth; Teaching on the Virtues; Defense of the Catholic Church; A devout spiritual and moral life; and Generosity and loyalty in his friendships, which sets the topic and tone for each meditation to follow. Each meditation consists of an excerpt taken from Newman’s thirty-plus volumes of writings and diaries. Next comes three brief and extremely useful sections entitled: “Think About It,” which establishes a prayerfully resonant tone throughout the book; “Just Imagine,” which provides a vivid, prayerful experience of the Scriptures that tie in, and finally, “Remember,” a pithy summation which the authors suggest may be used as a daily aspiration. Each meditation is given its own page, which makes it ideal for daily reflection for readers on the go. This book is a must have for every serious Catholic who wants to take their faith to the next level, which is to respond appropriately to the universal call to holiness and seek interior union with God.
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