 St. Catherine of Siena
Name: St. Catherine of Siena
Date: 30 April
Catherine, the daughter of a humble Christian tradesman, was raised up to be the guide andguardian of the Church in one of the darkest periods of its history, the fourteenth century. As achild, prayer was her delight. She would say the “Hail Mary” on each step as she mounted thestairs, and was granted in reward a vision of Christ in glory. And He revealed to her the secretsof Christian perfection. When only seven years old she made a vow of virginity, afterwardsenduring bitter persecution for refusing to marry. Her parents persisted long in their refusal to allow her to enter religious life, her only ambition;but she made a kind of spiritual and penitential convent cell in her heart’s depths, and there shefound her Beloved and conversed with Him each day. At the age of fifteen she was permitted toenter the Third Order of Saint Dominic, but continued to reside in her father’s house, where sheunited a life of active charity to the prayer of a contemplative Saint. Our Lord bestowed on herHis Heart in exchange for her own, gave her Communion with His own hands, and imprinted onher body the marks of His wounds. From this obscure home the seraphic virgin was taken by Providence to defend the Church’scause. Her life became a continuing miracle. Armed with Papal authority and accompanied bythree confessors, she traveled through Italy, reducing rebellious cities to the obedience of theHoly See, and winning hardened souls to God. In the sight of virtually the whole world shesought out Gregory XI at Avignon, brought him back to Rome, and by her letters to the kings andqueens of Europe made good the Papal cause. She was the counselor of Urban VI, and sternlyrebuked the disloyal cardinals who took part in electing an antipope. Long had the holy virgin foretold the terrible schism which began before she died. Day and nightshe wept and prayed for unity and peace. But in spirit she saw the entire city of Rome full ofdemons, who were tempting the people to revolt and even to slay the Vicar of Christ. Withintense earnestness Saint Catherine begged Our Lord to prevent this enormous crime. Theirseditious temper was subdued by her prayers, but they vented their rage by scourging the Saintherself, who gladly endured all for God and His Church. She died in Rome in 1380, at the age ofthirty-three. |
