St. Catherine of Siena is famous for telling the Pope, Gregory XI, to leave Avignon and return to Rome. In watching this You Tube Video of Fr. Thomas McDermott, OP talk about St. Catherine, I was struck how the times in which she lived, were even worse than our own. Talk about scandals! Not only were the politicians and priests corrupt, but the pope, too! War surrounded her. Diseases, immorality, death, family dysfunction... what else!
In the first place, she couldn't have done what she did, if she weren't a Lay Dominican. Really? Yeah, really. Think about it: fourteenth century woman, who's going to pay attention to her? She was a pious woman so you would think that she'd have become a nun. But then how could she have traveled around to make peace between warring Italian cities, never mind travel to Avignon? She would have had to obey her religious superior. She was attractive, not only in appearance, but also in personality (in and out)so she would have had plenty of suitors, if she wanted. But if she were married, she would have had to obey her husband. How could she have left her children? The perfect place for her was with the Lay Dominicans. There she has the religious spirituality, peace, community, that the Dominicans offer, combined with life on the outside. As a Lay Dominican, she was a contemplative in the market place.
Perfect. Well, this isn't heaven, so even saints run into the wall, especially when it's dark. I'm talking about Catherine's "dark night of the soul." Here's Catherine of Siena, confident of God's love; she converses with Jesus; she has such a personal, loving relationship with God; and one day she finds that its gone. You know how that is?
You don't?
Then thank God. It's depression. It's a sudden feeling of loneliness, abandonment, blackness, coldnes;, it's just an overall feeling that something happened. One minute is fine and then the next........ What happened? God dropped your hand? I can't explain it. It's a feeling of immense difference in your being.
Anyway, Catherine explains it by calling it a loss of consolation. She had such wonderful intimate personal experiences. Then they stopped. Nothing.
But she persisted in praying. Of course her prayer probably was "Why?" And God answers all prayers. God responded by explaining to her that she needed to know that her love should be for God, not the graces He gifted her with. God needed to purify her love. He wanted to be loved for Himself, not His gifts. He is always present through grace. She was to focus on the Giver, not the gifts.
She did. She taught the Truth. The Truth to Catherine was Magisterium. She never despaired. The church was corrupt, governments were corrupt, the whole world was going to hell in a hand basket, and how did she respond? She concentrated on God. She prayed and drew closer to Him. She loved the Church, and God used her to help the church. Contrast her response to her world, to Martin Luther's response. What's your response? How many people see the scandals in the Church and leave?
St. Catherine of Siena is a saint for our times. Fr. McDermott has a web site devoted to her. Catherine said that what is needed is a conversion of heart. Even if you're Pope and think your pious, your heart needs to be notched up. She calls this conversion "The Bridge." It's a bridge that leads you up to God. At first one enters because they're afraid of God's damnation. Spiritual growth teaches you to love. Then you're comfortable with the love relationship you have between the Father and yourself. But it's kind of mercenary, because you're getting something out of it. You're in it for what you can get. Think about it. Why do you go to church?
The final step up and over the bridge is your love for God, purified. That's what you aim for. That's the end of the journey. That's your goal.
See you there.
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