Saint Catherine of Siena

posted in: Homilies, Saints | 0

Saint Catherine was born at Siena, in the region of Tuscany in Italy.  When she was six years old Jesus appeared to Catherine and blessed her.  As many parents do for their children, her mother and father wanted her to be happily married, preferably to a rich man.  But Catherine didn’t want that, she wanted to be a nun.

And so, to make herself as unattractive as possible to the men her parents wanted her to meet, she cut off her long, beautiful hair.  Her parents were very upset and became very critical of her.  They also gave her the most difficult housework to do.  But Catherine did not change her mind: her goal was to become a nun and give herself entirely to Jesus.  Finally, her parents allowed her to become a nun, and her father even set aside a room in the house where she could stay and pray.

When Catherine was eighteen years old, she entered the Dominican Third Order and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer and works of penance.  Gradually a group of followers gathered around her—men and women, priests and religious.   They all saw that Catherine was a holy woman and they flocked to her for spiritual advice.  During this time she wrote many letters, most of which gave spiritual instruction and encouragement to her followers.  But more and more, she would speak out on many topics and would stand up for the truth.  Because of this, many people began to oppose her and they brought false charges against her, but she was cleared of all of wrongdoing.

Because of her great influence, she was able to help the Church navigate a tumultuous period of two and eventually three anti-popes.  She even went to beg rulers to make peace with the pope and to avoid wars.  At one point, Saint Catherine asked the real pope to leave Avignon, France, where he had been staying in exile, and return to Rome to rule the Church, because she knew that this was God’s will.  He eventually took her advice, and this eventually led to peace in the Church.

Saint Catherine was always eager to share the love of Christ.  She nursed sick people and comforted the prisoners she visited in jail.  Even though she spent a lot of time in prayer, she was still able to reach out to those who were hurting.

Catherine had a mystical love of God, whose goodness and beauty was revealed to her more and more each day.  She wrote of God, “You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you.  But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more.  When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light.  I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are.”

Saint Catherine is one of just three female Doctors of the Church, being named so by Pope Paul VI in 1970.  She is the co-patron saint, with Saint Francis, of Italy.  Through her intercession may we all have a deep appreciation and love for the depths of the mysteries of God.