This April 29 (Tuesday), the Catholic Church celebrates the universal memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena—the Great Peacemaker!
Catherine was the daughter of an Italian cloth merchant and was so easygoing during her childhood that they gave her the Greek nickname “Euphrosyne” (which means “Joy” in English). By the time she reached adolescence, Catherine had already dedicated her life to the Lord. Unfortunately, her parents wanted to marry her off, and in protest, Catherine went on a hunger strike and shaved her head to avoid looking attractive. Despite her rebellious nature, she saw her family as representatives of Christ and was always kind towards them.
Her mother and father ultimately surrendered, allowing Catherine to follow her own will. Women who undertook vows of celibacy usually went on to become cloistered nuns, but Catherine chose to remain a layperson. She continued living in her parents’ house (much to their annoyance since she had a habit of giving away their possessions to the poor without asking permission).
At age 21, Catherine received a vision from Jesus telling her to go on public missions on His behalf. She accepted, and Jesus gave her a wedding ring to symbolize their marriage. (Controversially, Catherine said that the ring was made of Christ’s foreskin, a rather visceral sign of their complete and total spiritual and physical bond).
For several years, Catherine embarked on various journeys, attending to clergy and laity alike, urging them to reform their lives and the Church. In particular, the papacy at that time had resettled in Avignon, France, because of political pressure from the French monarchy. Catherine wrote multiple letters to Pope Gregory XI, requesting, pleading, and even threatening him to return to Rome. The Pope finally heeded her demands and transferred the papal office back to the Vatican.
Political affairs were also not exempted from Catherine’s wrath, and she constantly meddled in them, which was relatively uncommon for a woman of that period. Eventually, Catherine became a well-known ambassador and frequently visited leaders in warring countries, attempting to convince them to sue for unity and peace. Not all her efforts were successful, but the respect she gained from both the high and low classes was undeniable.
Catherine died at the age of 33, mainly as a result of extreme fasting and mortification that reached a point wherein she could no longer voluntarily eat or drink. Her last words were the same as her Husband’s: “Father, into Your hands I commend my soul and my spirit.”
People nowadays consider peace a lack of conflict, but this is antithetical to the true peace that Catherine of Siena tried to impart. She was well aware that the problems of this world were caused by silence and discomfort in addressing the pressing issues that were right in front of everyone. Because of this conviction, Catherine became an extremely noisy peacemaker, using her voice and platform to call attention to the ills that her peers desperately tried to ignore. The number one enemy of goodwill and harmony is not conflict but denial.
Let us beg the Lord to give us the same courage that He bestowed on Catherine so that we can face difficulties in the Church and society without using the mask of respectability as an excuse to stay out of the fight.
Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us!
|Painting used: Saint Catherine of Siena c. 1611-90 by Baldassare Franceschini
Beloved Son
This April 29 (Tuesday), the Catholic Church celebrates the universal memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena—the Great Peacemaker!
Catherine was the daughter of an Italian cloth merchant and was so easygoing during her childhood that they gave her the Greek nickname “Euphrosyne” (which means “Joy” in English). By the time she reached adolescence, Catherine had already dedicated her life to the Lord. Unfortunately, her parents wanted to marry her off, and in protest, Catherine went on a hunger strike and shaved her head to avoid looking attractive. Despite her rebellious nature, she saw her family as representatives of Christ and was always kind towards them.
Her mother and father ultimately surrendered, allowing Catherine to follow her own will. Women who undertook vows of celibacy usually went on to become cloistered nuns, but Catherine chose to remain a layperson. She continued living in her parents’ house (much to their annoyance since she had a habit of giving away their possessions to the poor without asking permission).
At age 21, Catherine received a vision from Jesus telling her to go on public missions on His behalf. She accepted, and Jesus gave her a wedding ring to symbolize their marriage. (Controversially, Catherine said that the ring was made of Christ’s foreskin, a rather visceral sign of their complete and total spiritual and physical bond).
For several years, Catherine embarked on various journeys, attending to clergy and laity alike, urging them to reform their lives and the Church. In particular, the papacy at that time had resettled in Avignon, France, because of political pressure from the French monarchy. Catherine wrote multiple letters to Pope Gregory XI, requesting, pleading, and even threatening him to return to Rome. The Pope finally heeded her demands and transferred the papal office back to the Vatican.
Political affairs were also not exempted from Catherine’s wrath, and she constantly meddled in them, which was relatively uncommon for a woman of that period. Eventually, Catherine became a well-known ambassador and frequently visited leaders in warring countries, attempting to convince them to sue for unity and peace. Not all her efforts were successful, but the respect she gained from both the high and low classes was undeniable.
Catherine died at the age of 33, mainly as a result of extreme fasting and mortification that reached a point wherein she could no longer voluntarily eat or drink. Her last words were the same as her Husband’s: “Father, into Your hands I commend my soul and my spirit.”
People nowadays consider peace a lack of conflict, but this is antithetical to the true peace that Catherine of Siena tried to impart. She was well aware that the problems of this world were caused by silence and discomfort in addressing the pressing issues that were right in front of everyone. Because of this conviction, Catherine became an extremely noisy peacemaker, using her voice and platform to call attention to the ills that her peers desperately tried to ignore. The number one enemy of goodwill and harmony is not conflict but denial.
Let us beg the Lord to give us the same courage that He bestowed on Catherine so that we can face difficulties in the Church and society without using the mask of respectability as an excuse to stay out of the fight.
Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us!
|Painting used: Saint Catherine of Siena c. 1611-90 by Baldassare Franceschini
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