“She loved the Church and the Pope truly and with deeds.” (Saint Josemaría).
Saint Catherine of Siena is a very interesting medieval Saint to consider.
Saint Catherine was the twenty-fifth child born to her mother. She as a spiritual child, with a deep and close connection with Christ. When she was sixteen, after her sister’s death, her father proposed Saint Catherine in marriage to her brother in law. Saint Catherine, who had made a private vow of virginity refused the match and cut her hair to mar her appearance.
She dedicated herslf to prayer and works of charity for the poor and the sick. With great difficulty, Saint Catherine of Siena learned to read and dictated many letters and prayers and even her greatest piece of writing, “The Dialogue”. As a result of her contribution to theological thought, Saint Catherine of Siena was named Doctor of the Church.
During Catherine’s lifetime, Pope Gregory XI left Rome to live in Avignon. Saint Catherine – full of love for the Church – went to Avignon to attempt to reason with the Pope to convince him to return to Rome. Following the Pope’s death in 1378, the Great Schism began, which was the period of time when three bishops simultaneously declared themselves Pope. Saint Catherine worked tirelessly to unite the Church under one true Pope.
During the last two years of her life, Catherine remained in Rome, fasting and negotiating for the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim of love for the Church and died on 29 April 1380 at the age of 33 years old.
Saint Josemaría greatly admired Saint Catherine of Siena “because of her courage to speak the truth for the love of Christ, of the Church and of the Pope”. Next to her relic, Saint Josemaría wrote, “Dilexit opere et veritate Ecclesiam Dei ac Romanum Pontificem”, which is Latin for “She loved the Church and the Pope truly and with deeds”.
For Saint Catherine understood the words of the Gospel… “At that time Jesus declared, ‘Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’” (Matthew 11:25-30).
For it is possible to offer anything to God, knowing that we are taking Christ’s yoke upon us.
And I have been thinking about that today, as I go about my business. You see, Saint Catherine lived on the Blessed Eucharist alone, during the last years of her life, and Saint Faustina saw a vision of Saint Catherine of Siena seated beside God.
And when I think about that today, I consider the yoke and the burden of my life is light, and I should just find rest in Him…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.