Christ Crucified -“Inspice et fac Secundum Exemplar”

Christ Crucified is the model that captured the heart of Magdalene of Canossa. For her, Jesus hanging on the cross was the ultimate expression of the greatest love. That is why, she said that we are called to imitate and do the example of Christ Crucified (inspice et fac secundum exemplar). Every time Magdalene of Canossa attended the Eucharistic celebration, she would also contemplate to the Christ Crucified. She even experienced spiritual ecstacy or deep/mystical experiences with the Lord every communion.

 “Inspice et fac secundum exemplar” literally means “do and follow according to the example”. The word “example” is basically pointed to Jesus on the Cross. We all knew that the sacrificial action of Jesus on the cross was because of his obedience to the will of the Father and for his greater love for the humanity. Jesus Passion, Death, and in three days his Resurrection was not an ordinary event of his life. It happened with a purpose. That is why it’s called sacrificial, unconditional, greatest, and super-abundant love as what Magdalene of Canossa called it because it happened with so much love. If you are in love, you will do anything for your loved one. That is what Jesus did on the cross. That is also what Magdalene of Canossa wanted to every one of us. Not really to hang ourselves on the cross but to imitate the love of Jesus for all the humanity even to the point of letting himself be crucified on the cross. Magdalene is in love, before her eyes she has always Jesus Christ Crucified who is the divine source of every human love. The mental vision and the ecstatic contemplation of this mystery of human - divine Charity lived out in indescribable suffering, spurs Magdalene to relive Christ’s interior attitude in her own life. This means she must consume herself for Him by serving Him in those who are in dire need of bread and love.

In her writings and in her life, Magdalene evidently presented to us that we can only do things clearly when we begin to contemplate the suffering Christ and it moves us to do the same. Magdalene invites us to take the Cross of Christ as our own Cross. It is evident that her action was driven by the greater love of Christ Crucified. That was her purpose - to see the example of Jesus Crucified and follow his action. She was so clear about it, that even to the point of giving up her status and comfort in life for the sake of Christ Crucified. That is an invitation for us in our time we have to see the suffering Christ in the life of the poor the youths and the little ones in our society, and make a concrete action to response to their needs. We need to develop a spirituality that enables us to discern God’s calling at every moment and to respond in service to God in and at all times. Magdalene’s love for Eucharist, contemplation to Christ Crucified and devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows inspired her to create the branches of Charity. Magdalene loves the Crucified Christ because Christ on the cross is the only great model to look up to. She loves charity, directed first of all towards those who are most in need or are closest to her, as this is the only tangible way for sharing God’s love for us. In all her life, there has always been a firm and fundamental point of reference - Christ Crucified, a God who humbled himself, offering himself as a victim for the love of humanity.


The story of Magdalene is the story of a love that is ever more intense for Jesus on the Cross, poor and stripped of all except the love that spurred him to such great sacrifice. The response that Magdalene found ever more necessary is the choice of poverty and of the poor, the apostolic witness of the immense charity of God through charity towards the weakest brothers and   sisters, the self-emptying so as to become an instrument God’s love, making him known to those who do not know him, so that they can give him glory and not offend him through sin. Charity does not know of any limit or country other than those that lead from the imperfect exercise of Charity on earth to the perfect exercise of Charity in Heaven.