Today, April 30, is the the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, and also the TENTH (!!) anniversary of my vacating of my old real estate holdings and officially entering into my status of living in the proverbial “van down by the river”.
Here are just a few of the illiterate laywoman Catherine’s words to remind us why she is a Doctor of the Church, defender of the Papacy, and our dear patroness:
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
Yes, Ma’am.
“Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light. Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realize instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything.”
Yes, Ma’am.
“You are rewarded not according to your work or your time but according to the measure of your love.”
Yes, Ma’am.
He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely.
Yes, Ma’am.
Preach the Truth as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world.
Yes, Ma’am.
A soul cannot live without loving. It must have something to love, for it was created to love.
Yes, Ma’am.
It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.
Yes, Ma’am.
To the servant of God… every place is the right place, and every time is the right time.
Yes, Ma’am.
Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.
Yes, Ma’am.
We are of such value to God that He came to live among us… and to guide us home. He will go to any length to seek us, even to being lifted high upon the cross to draw us back to Himself. We can only respond by loving God for His love.
Yes, Ma’am.
We’ve had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence.
Yes, Ma’am.
Strange that so much suffering is caused because of the misunderstandings of God’s true nature. God’s heart is more gentle than the Virgin’s first kiss upon the Christ. And God’s forgiveness to all, to any thought or act, is more certain than our own being.
Yes, Ma’am.
You must believe in truth that whatever God gives or permits is for your salvation.
Yes, Ma’am.
Do not be satisfied with little things, because God wants great things!
Yes, Ma’am.
And of what should we be afraid? Our captain on this battlefield is Christ Jesus. We have discovered what we have to do. Christ has bound our enemies for us and weakened them that they cannot overcome us unless we so choose to let them. So we must fight courageously and mark ourselves with the sign of the most Holy Cross.
Yes, Ma’am.
Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God: The Father is your table, the Son is your food, and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes His dwelling in you.
Yes, Ma’am.
Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.
Yes, Ma’am.
The devil fears hearts on fire with love of God.
Yes, Ma’am.
Of course you are unworthy. But when do you hope to be worthy? You will be no more worthy at the end than at the beginning. God alone is worthy of Himself, He alone can make us worthy of Him.
Yes, Ma’am.
Dear St. Catherine of Siena, mystical bride of Christ, and our most admirable, exemplary and charitable patroness, pray for us.
The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine to Christ Jesus, at the behest and witness of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Clemente de Torres. ARSH 1700