St. Catherine
The Dialogue
I’ve once again been reading St. Catherine of Siena lately since Garrigou-Lagrange refers to her so often in the Three Ages of the Interior Life. As a lay person I’m almost more comfortable reading her because she was essentially a lay-Dominican. Her teaching on prayer is excellent. Chapter 60 is especially good as regards the passive night of the senses - very solid doctrine. (The Dialogue is Catherine’s exchange between God the Father and herself.)
“There are others who become faithful servants. They serve me with love rather than slavish fear which serve only for fear of punishment. But their love is imperfect, for they serve me for their own profit or for the delight and pleasure they find in me. Do you know how they show their love is imperfect? By the way they act when they find they are deprived of the comfort they find in me. And they love their neighbors with the same imperfect love. This is why their love is not strong enough to last. No, it becomes lax and often fails. It becomes lax toward me when sometimes, to exercise them in virtue and to lift them up out of their imperfection, I take back my spiritual comfort and let them experience struggle and vexations. I do this to bring them perfect knowledge of themselves, so that they will know that of themselves they have neither existence nor any grace. I want them in time of conflict, to take their refuge in me by seeking me and knowing me as their benefactor, in true humility seeking me alone. This is why I give them these troubles. And though I take away my comfort, I do not take away my grace.” - The Dialogue, Chapter 60
