Abbey-Roads2

Obviously, since we can switch liturgical calendars at will, in the old calendar, today would really be the feast of St. Catherine of Siena.  So I’ll write a bit about her today.

The Dialogue

St. Catherine’s greatest work remains her “Dialogue” or the dictation she gave regarding her ecstasies and revelations from God the Father. I also like the biography Blessed Raymond of Capua wrote. He was her spiritual director, appointed by the Dominicans because they were afraid that she was not authentic. Fra Raymond certainly found out otherwise. An excellent book to read on Catherine’s doctrine remains her “Dialogue” however, published by Paulist Press and translated By Dr. Suzanne Noffke with a preface by Giuliana Cavallini – both excellent scholars.

The Dialogue contains very good and practical teaching on prayer and the spiritual life. The text is so lofty and rich it would be excellent to use for lectio divina or mental prayer.  In the popular imagination, St. Catherine is often represented as a sort of firebrand, some even think of her as a sort of female Savanarola. That is really not the case however. Great penitent that she was, she was nothing but charity in regards others - especially sinners.

I love the story of how St. Catherine nursed a cantankerous old woman who despised the Saint, yet Catherine cared for her amidst great revilement, enduring daily abuse. In the end of course, the old woman was converted, although, unconverted as she had been, Catherine loved her and served her as if she was serving our Lord himself.  The Saint would not return to her cell in the evening and complain about the woman, or complain that she had to serve her – Catherine genuinely wanted to nurse her - it wasn’t as if it had been a task she had been assigned to do.  Charity does not measure or weigh, much less limit itself in doing good. 

It is so hard to explain this to spiritual people - much less comprehend myself, yet I believe her love of God and neighbor was so focused and intense that the abuse she endured was not repellent to her. It was almost as if it did not cost her anything – but of course, it did – remember, the saint wasn’t in ecstasy all of the time. Nevertheless, Catherine didn’t measure or tabulate her penance, prayers or works – she did not keep an accounting system or set limits upon herself. Neither was her work an end in itself. In the Dialogue our Lord taught her,

“It would not be right to make penance or other bodily works either your motivation or your goal, for as I have already said, they are only finite…Let no one make the judgment of considering those great penitents who put much effort into killing their bodies more perfect than those who do less. I have told you that penance is neither virtuous nor meritorious in itself. Were that the case, how unfortunate would be those who cannot perform actual works of penance. The merit of penance rests completely in the power of charity enlightened by true discernment.”

There is much to read in the “Dialogue” I believe is useful for those who wish to practice prayer while living in the world.  Catherine was a lay person, living in the world. She was not a nun but a third order Dominican. Her teaching concerning recollection, entering the cell of self-knowledge, etc. was much beloved by Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity and many other enclosed contemplatives. It seems quite obvious to me she is proof that contemplation and the active life are very compatible, and well adapted to lay people.

She had a troop of disciples as well, who called her “Mama’.  Mama Caterina! Pray for us that we may imitate you in charity and mercy and gentleness toward one another without ever counting the cost. Obtain for us light in the school of self knowledge and the grace of profound recollection. Let us do good without noticing ourselves, our hearts fixed upon Jesus alone.  neither fearing our faults, nor esteeming our merits, but trusting in Him alone.