To Catherine Siena, Jesus is the bridge on which we cross over the turbulent river of life. In one of their dialogs, God spoke to Catherine:
"But first I want you to look at the bridge of my only begotten Son, and notice its greatness. Look! It stretches from heaven to earth, joining the earth of your humanity with the greatness of the God-head. This is what I mean when I say it stretches from heaven to earth--through my union with humanity.
This was necessary if I wanted to remake the road that had been broken up, so that you might pass over the bitterness of the world and reach life. From earth alone I could not have made it great enough to cross the river and bring you to eternal life. The earth of human nature by itself, as I have told you, was incapable of atoning for sin and draining off the pus from Adam's sin, for that stinking pus had infected the whole human race. Your nature had to be joined with the height of mine, the eternal Godhead, before it could make atonement for all of humanity. Then human nature could endure the suffering, and the divine nature, joined with that humanity, would accept my son's sacrifice on your behalf to release you from death and give you life.
So the height stooped to the earth of your humanity, bridging the chasm between us and rebuilding the road. And why should he have made of himself a roadway? So that you might in truth come to the same joy as the angels. But my Son's having made of himself a bridge for you could not bring you to life unless you make your way along that bridge." (The Dialogue, p. 59)
Catherine called the bridge Jesus and sometimes she called it the cross. She sought to imitate Jesus, who suffered and died, bridging the gap between humanity and divinity. Suffering is part of life. It definitely is a part of love. Offering our suffering to God, is offering our love, just as Jesus loved us.
Come Gesu, anch'io ti amo fino a morire.
"But first I want you to look at the bridge of my only begotten Son, and notice its greatness. Look! It stretches from heaven to earth, joining the earth of your humanity with the greatness of the God-head. This is what I mean when I say it stretches from heaven to earth--through my union with humanity.This was necessary if I wanted to remake the road that had been broken up, so that you might pass over the bitterness of the world and reach life. From earth alone I could not have made it great enough to cross the river and bring you to eternal life. The earth of human nature by itself, as I have told you, was incapable of atoning for sin and draining off the pus from Adam's sin, for that stinking pus had infected the whole human race. Your nature had to be joined with the height of mine, the eternal Godhead, before it could make atonement for all of humanity. Then human nature could endure the suffering, and the divine nature, joined with that humanity, would accept my son's sacrifice on your behalf to release you from death and give you life.
So the height stooped to the earth of your humanity, bridging the chasm between us and rebuilding the road. And why should he have made of himself a roadway? So that you might in truth come to the same joy as the angels. But my Son's having made of himself a bridge for you could not bring you to life unless you make your way along that bridge." (The Dialogue, p. 59)
Catherine called the bridge Jesus and sometimes she called it the cross. She sought to imitate Jesus, who suffered and died, bridging the gap between humanity and divinity. Suffering is part of life. It definitely is a part of love. Offering our suffering to God, is offering our love, just as Jesus loved us.
Come Gesu, anch'io ti amo fino a morire.
