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The Traditional Calendar today gives us the feast of St. Catherine of Siena; one of the greatest female saints in the long history of the Catholic Church.
St. Catherine was born as the twenty-third in a family of twenty-five children in 1347. From her youth she expressed a great love for God through intense prayer and mortification.
Initially, St. Catherine's parents wanted her to marry and refused their permission for her to enter religious life. After a while, they relented and allowed her to live at home as a Third-Order Dominican. At the age of 16, she began to go out and take care of the sick and destitute poor.
St. Catherine was blessed by God with supernatural favours, mysticism, invisible stigmata and deep wisdom.
Among the greatest achievements which God wrought through St. Catherine, was her contribution to the return of Pope Gregory XI to Rome from Avignon in 1377. In a series of letters, which demonstrate great humility, love of Christ and filial concern for the Supreme Pontiff, St. Catherine forthrightly informed Pope Gregory that God wanted him to return to Rome.
Those letters to the reigning Pontiff contain much of spiritual value and perennial wisdom. In one of these communications, St. Catherine wrote to Pope Gregory: ''I have heard here that you have appointed the cardinals. I believe that it would honour God and profit us more if you would take heed always to appoint virtuous men. If the contrary is done, it will be a great insult to God, and disaster to Holy Church. Let us not wonder later if God sends us His disciplines and scourges; for the thing is just. I beg you to do what you have to do manfully and in the fear of God.''
St. Catherine of Siena's Dialogues remain among the greatest of the classics of Catholic spirituality. They emphasize the great love of Christ as revealed in His Passion and Death on the Cross.
Although St. Catherine died and went to God on 29th April, 1380, much is still known about her personality, life and work from her correspondence with Popes Gregory XI and Urban VI, her spiritual Dialogues, sixteen preserved prayers and some 383 extant letters.
In 1970, St. Catherine of Siena was named Patron Saint of Italy, co-patroness of Europe and the second female Doctor of the Church. After more than seven centuries, she is still remembered for her outstanding charity, deeply Christocentric spirituality and courageous acts and words during some of the greatest trials ever to have faced the Catholic Church.
In the light of present events, St. Catherine can thus teach us a great deal about courage, humility, interior life and the importance of cultivating a love for the Pope which permits, and at times requires, forthright honesty. Any comments about the Pope and present events needs to be motivated by charity and concern for God's honour, the good of the Church and the salvation of souls.
Readers who are interested in learning more from St. Catherine of Siena might be interested in the following book titles: The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena from Baronius Press Classics; The Life of St. Catherine of Siena - The Classic on Her Life and Accomplishments by Her Spiritual Director Bl. Raymond of Capua from TAN Books; and Catherine of Siena, by Sigrid Unset, from Ignatius Press.
In the present times, we cannot recommend highly enough the practice of stocking up on spiritual works about great saints like St. Catherine of Siena, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Alphonsus de Liguori and St. Therese of Liseux to help sustain and deepen one's faith, and that of family members, in the times that lie ahead.
Collect Prayer from Traditional Latin Mass: O Almighty God, grant we beseech Thee, unto us, who commemorate the passing from this life of Thy blessed virgin Catherine, yearly to keep with rejoicing this her festival, and unceasingly to profit by the example of such great virtue. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, One God for ever and ever. Amen.Â
St. Catherine of Siena- Pray for us!
