The Penitent of Cortona – A Lily Rising from the Mire
Feast Day: February 22
I. Early Life and Fall
Saint Margaret was born in 1247 in Laviano, near Cortona in Tuscany, Italy. Her early life was marked by sorrow and instability. Her mother died when she was young, and her relationship with her stepmother was strained. Lacking guidance and spiritual formation, Margaret fell into grave sin in her youth.
At about seventeen years old, she entered into an illicit relationship with a nobleman and lived with him for nine years, bearing him a son out of wedlock. During this time she lived in comfort and worldliness, but her conscience was not entirely silent. God was preparing her for conversion.
II. The Moment of Conversion
Her conversion came dramatically. Her companion failed to return home one day. Margaret followed his dog into the woods, where she discovered her lover murdered and left to decay.
The sight of the corrupted body shook her profoundly. She later said:
“Arise, wretched woman, and return to God.”
This moment pierced her soul. She saw clearly the vanity of sin and the certainty of death. Filled with horror at her life and deep contrition, she left immediately, taking her young son with her.
Rejected by her family at first, she eventually sought refuge with the Franciscans at Cortona, placing herself under their spiritual direction.
III. A Life of Severe Penance
Margaret embraced a life of radical penance:
- She publicly confessed her sins.
- She wore a hairshirt.
- She fasted strictly, often living on bread and vegetables.
- She devoted herself to prayer, especially meditation on the Passion of Christ.
She joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, embracing evangelical poverty. For years she endured humiliation, temptation, and interior trials. Many in Cortona initially distrusted her because of her past. She bore this contempt willingly as part of her penance.
Her confessor wisely moderated her austerities and guided her in obedience, preventing excess that might spring from pride rather than humility.
IV. Mystical Graces
After years of purification, God granted Margaret extraordinary mystical favors:
- Visions of Christ
- Locutions
- Deep contemplative prayer
- Insight into the spiritual state of souls
Our Lord is said to have spoken tenderly to her, calling her:
“My beloved daughter.”
Yet even amid these consolations, she was often plunged into spiritual darkness to deepen her humility.
Her penitence was never merely personal; it bore fruit in charity. She founded a hospital for the poor and sick in Cortona and devoted herself tirelessly to works of mercy.
V. Spiritual Themes of Her Life
Saint Margaret’s sanctity illustrates several profound truths:
1. No Sin Is Beyond God’s Mercy
Her life is a testimony to the infinite mercy of Christ. Like Mary Magdalene, she demonstrates that great sinners can become great saints.
2. True Contrition Requires Action
Her repentance was not sentimental but concrete: fasting, restitution, humility, obedience.
3. Penance Leads to Union
Through suffering accepted in love, she was gradually transformed into intimate union with Christ.
4. Humiliation as Purification
She accepted scorn as medicine for her soul.
VI. Death and Legacy
Saint Margaret died on February 22, 1297, after a life of heroic penance and charity. Miracles followed her death, and her incorrupt body has long been venerated in Cortona.
She was canonized in 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII.
She is patroness of:
- Penitents
- Single mothers
- The falsely accused
- Those struggling with past sins
Spiritual Meditation
Consider her turning point in the forest. The decaying body revealed the end of sin. Death shattered illusion.
Ask yourself:
- What attachments in my life keep me from God?
- Do I delay conversion, presuming upon time?
- Do I truly trust in Divine Mercy?
Prayer to Saint Margaret of Cortona
O glorious Saint Margaret,
who by sincere repentance didst obtain the grace
of intimate friendship with Christ,
obtain for us true contrition of heart.Teach us to despise the vanities of the world
and to cling to the Cross.Through thy intercession,
may we never despair of God’s mercy,
but rise from sin to sanctity.Amen.