Thursday, April 29, 2010

Catherine of Siena


In his brief biography of Catherine for today, James Kiefer describes this doctor of the Church as:
(1) a mystic devoted to contemplative prayer;
(2) a humanitarian who, as a nurse, cared for the suffering and the poor;
(3) an activist who did not shy away from speaking truth to power, and;
(4) a counselor to many (including popes).
Not a bad resume! In her own words, two quotes strike me as the unifying theme in her mystical/theological vision. First, these words from Letter T137:
I long to see you so totally ablaze with loving fire that you become one with gentle First Truth. Truly the soul's being united with and transformed into him is like fire consuming the dampness in logs. Once the logs are heated through and through, the fire burns and changes them into itself, giving them it's own color and warmth and power.
And then, from Letter T368:
If you are what you should be, then you will set all Italy ablaze.
One can go a long way on these two statements about what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what it means to be the Church. To be transformed into the Body of Christ is to set our own world ablaze and in some small measure honor this extraordinary woman by becoming a bit more mystical, a bit more compassionate, a bit more activist, and a bit more of a friend to all.

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