ON TODAY’s HOLIDAY, the liturgy of the Church puts this prayer on our lips: “God, you ignited warm love in Saint Catherine when she contemplated the Lord’s Passion and served your Church; through her intercession, grant that your people, to whom you have given a share in the mysteries of Christ, may rejoice forever when Christ appears in his glory”. These words describe the life of the saint we are celebrating: a fervent love for Jesus Christ that led her to devote herself to work for others and for the Church.
Katarína Benincasa was born in 1347 in Siena in a large family. From childhood she cultivated a deep piety that led her to consecrate her life to the Lord, despite the misunderstanding of her family. At the age of eighteen, she was accepted among the Dominican Tertiaries in the city. She continued living at home with her parents and led an intense prayer life amid the natural hustle and bustle of a family with many children. At the age of 21, Katarina had an experience that marked her life forever: she understood that God was calling her to devote herself with all her strength to acts of love and to work for the conversion of sinners. St. Josemaria was interested in the fact that this saint “was on the streets and created an inner cell in her soul, so wherever she was, she did not leave her cell”. This decision marked the beginning of several years during which the young woman moved around the city of Siena to take care of the sick and at the same time ignite the hearts of many people in the love of God and neighbor.
“A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither will they light a lamp and place it under a lampstand, but on a candlestick, so that it may give light to all who are in the house” (Mt 5, 14-15). Catherine was enlightened by the kind face of Jesus and understood that his light could not remain enclosed within the walls of her house. Thus she caused a revolution around her, which was made up of prayer and acts of service.
True wisdom is to be in harmony with God’s heart …
In the LETTERS of St. Catherine and in her well-known work Dialogue, the harmony between teaching and mystical experience is astonishing, especially if we consider that the saint did not have the opportunity to receive a broad cultural formation. From a young age, however, she attended the sermons of the Dominican fathers in her town: there she listened attentively to the interpretations of the Scriptures, examples from the lives of the saints, and catechesis on the faith. Over time, she cultivated her inner life also under the guidance of a local spiritual leader.
On St. Catherine, the words that Jesus uttered one day full of joy came true: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little ones” (Mt 11, 25). “True wisdom also comes from the heart, it is not just an understanding of thoughts (…). If you know many things but your heart is closed, you are not wise. Jesus says that the secrets of his Father were revealed to the little ones, to those who open themselves to his word of salvation with confidence, feel that they need him and expect everything from him; they have an open and trusting heart towards the Lord”. St. Catherine accepted the lights that the Lord gave her, and thus achieved a deep knowledge of God’s mystery. “Oh priceless, sweetest love,” she wrote. “Who is not ignited by such great love? What heart can resist without fainting? You, the abyss of love, as if you have gone crazy for your creatures, as if you cannot live without them, although you are a God who does not need us. Your greatness does not grow by our good deeds, for it cannot change; no harm comes to you from our evil, because you are the highest and eternal Good. Who will move you to such mercy?”.
Driven by this intense contemplation, the saint from Siena passed on God’s love to the people around her. She began with those who gathered to listen to her and be encouraged in her spiritual life. However, this outpouring of her inner life did not end there: over the years she wrote letters to many people, many of whom were public figures of the time. More than once, her letters were accompanied by calls for the addressees to live by the Gospel and seek God’s will. From her intimate relationship with Jesus, she drew energy to speak clearly and gently about God.
Sharing your faith with others …
AMONG THE MANY CHRISTIANS who were inspired by the life of St. Catherine, we also find St. Josemaria. He had a special respect for her from his youth; for example, he called the notes he made about the events of his inner life “Catharines”. “I fell in love with the power of St. Catherine,” says the founder of Opus Dei, “who speaks the truth to the most important people, with burning love and transparent clarity”. Therefore, in 1964, the founder of Opus Dei decided to appoint her as the intercessor of the apostolate, which is extremely valued: for informing a wide field of public opinion with the love of Christ.
Jesus is the truth that enlightens every person and saves him from darkness. To offer this light to others – to strive for it to be ignited in our own life – is one of the works of mercy. To bring one’s faith to others “means to make revelation visible, so that the Holy Spirit can work in people through witness: service is a way of life (…) If I say I am a Christian and live as a Christian, it attracts (…) Faith must be passed on: not to persuade, but to offer a treasure.
Before exhorting anyone to come to faith, Saint Catherine spent a lot of time tending to the sick in her city. The same love that led her to attend to the neediest later moved her to write letters inviting them to be faithful children of the Church. The credibility of her message was based on a life that radiated love for God and neighbor. Let us ask St. Catherine and our Heavenly Mother to intercede with God to give us love that feeds on prayer, manifests itself in acts of love, and proclaims the truth that leads to life. “The deepest teaching that we are called to impart and the surest certainty that dispels doubts is God’s love with which we have been loved (cf. 1 Jn 4:10). Great love, gratuitous and given forever, God never turns away from his love!”.
