THE HOLY

July 22

From the Prologue

Saint Marcella enjoys enormous respect on the island of Chios. In the church dedicated to her miracles occur every year. Not much is known about her life. However, according to tradition, Marcella was an unusually pious girl who, at an early age, was left motherless. Her pagan and bestial father wanted to live with his daughter as with a wife. Marcella fled from her father but he, enraged as a wild beast, caught up with her and hacked her to pieces. In the proximity of her church there are certain stones which, from time to time, become permeated with blood. People take these stones, bring them to church, pray to St. Marcella and place them on the sick who, from that, become healed.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE

Magdalene, in dark sorrow wrapped herself

Because of the bloody death of the Son of God.

Sorrow is to love, the most bitter sorrow,

It, in the world, has no comfort or companion,

To it, tears are comfort and pain its only companion,

To Saint Magdalene, in darkness the world became wrapped.

The weak creation of man, asked for light,

Without hope, in the dark Mary groped.

His tomb to her is light but behold, the tomb is empty!

Stolen she thought, naked and not anointed!

Bitterly she wept, to weeping never any end,

At that moment, a man's voice beside her, she heard:

Woman, why are you weeping, tell me: Whom do you seek?

Whom do I seek, you ask? To comfort me, do you wish!

But, if you took Him away, where did you place Him?

Tearful and melancholy, Jesus looked at her,

And with a sweet voice called her: Mary!

In Mary's heart, a light began to shine

O familiar voice, with sweetness unsurpassable,

The voice overly generous by life and power!

With that voice, the Lord healed the sick,

With that same voice, He resurrected the dead.

Life-creating voice, a miraculous voice!

Mary recoiled and turned around

Rabbi, she cried out at that moment the sun came out

A New Day dawned to Mary and to the world.