Apr

29

St. Catherine - Now That’s a Woman!

April 29, 2008 |

I knew nothing about St. Catherine of Siena until I decided to do some reading last night knowing that today is the her feast day.  What I learned floored me.  This woman was incredible!  Just read this short synopsis of her life achievements from Catholic.org -

The 25th child of a wool dyer in northern Italy, St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. She persuaded the Pope to go back to Rome from Avignon, in 1377, and when she died she was endeavoring to heal the Great Western Schism. In 1375 Our Lord give her the Stigmata, which was visible only after her death. Her spiritual director was Blessed Raymond of Capua. St, Catherine’s letters, and a treatise called “a dialogue” are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of the Catholic Church. She died when she was only 33, and her body was found incorrupt in 1430.

She was born the youngest of 25 children - she died at 33.  In between, she did enough to do justice to five long lifetimes.

We should all read again what she accomplished - and think hard about what we are doing this day.  St. Catherine had to live every day with such incredible focus to accomplish what she did, that there was absolutely no time for distractions or meaninglessness.  And even better, she thought she could accomplish anything - come on, trying to heal the Great Western Schism! - while in her early thirties!

Let us live every day with that focus - that intensity - that drive.  We all have a brilliance at something - let us use that gift to do whatever God wants us to do.  St. Catherine never gave in to excuses and difficult challenges - let us go around every obstacle in our way and just do God’s work for us.

Let us pray to St. Catherine to help us achieve what we believe to be the impossible - but what God nevertheless expects us to get done.  No excuses - no regrets of time ill-spent and talents wasted.


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