St. Catherine of Siena, 1347

 

catherine.jpgFeastday 29th April                                    

Born 1347                              

Died 1380

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youngest child in a large family. At the age of 6 she had a vision in which Jesus appeared and blessed her. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she became a Dominican tertiary. Mystic. Stigmatist. Received a vision in which she was in a mystical marriage with Christ, and the Infant Christ presented her with a wedding ring. Counselor to Pope Gregory XI and Pope Urban VI. Proclaimed Doctor of the Church on 4 October 1970. 1

 

1. Taken from the Patron Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc02.htm

 

“The bride (Church) now all deformed and clothed in rags, will then gleam with beauty and jewels and crowned with the diadem of all virtue. All believing nations will rejoice and have such excellent and holy shepherds, and the unbelieving world attracted by the glory of the Church, will be converted to her...” 1

 

“Do you know how I manifest Myself to the soul who loves Me in truth, and follows the doctrine of My sweet and amorous Word? In many is My virtue manifested in the soul in proportion to her desire, but I make three special manifestations. The first manifestation of My virtue, that is to say, of My love and charity in the soul, is made through the Word of My Son, and shown in the Blood, which He spilled with such fire of love. Now this charity is manifested in two ways; first, in general, to ordinary people, that is to those who live in the ordinary grace of God. It is manifested to them by the many and diverse benefits which they receive from Me. The second mode of manifestation, which is developed from the first, is peculiar to those who have become My friends in the way mentioned above, and is known through a sentiment of the soul, by which they taste, know, prove, and feel it. This second manifestation, however, is in men themselves; they manifesting Me, through the affection of their love. For though I am no Acceptor of creatures, I am an Acceptor of holy desires, and Myself in the soul in that precise degree of perfection which she seeks in Me. Sometimes I manifest Myself (and this is also a part of the second manifestation) by endowing men with the spirit of prophecy, showing them the things of the future. This I do in many and diverse ways, according as I see need in the soul herself and in other creatures. At other times the third manifestation takes place. I then form in the mind the presence of the Truth, My only-begotten Son, in many ways, according to the will and the desire of the soul. Sometimes she seeks Me in prayer, wishing to know My power, and I satisfy her by causing her to taste and see My virtue. Sometimes she seeks Me in the wisdom of My Son, and I satisfy her by placing His wisdom before the eye of her intellect, sometimes in the clemency of the Holy Spirit and then My Goodness causes her to taste the fire of Divine charity, and to conceive the true and royal virtues, which are founded on the pure love of her neighbour….” 2

 

References

1. Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Prophets and Our Times  (Tan Books and Publishers 1941) p 154

2.  The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin Catherine of Siena A Treatise of Discretion Of the way in which God Manifests Himself to the soul who loves Him Originally published in 1907 by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., London. p62 http://www.stjamescatholic.org/ebooks/catherine_dialog.pdf