Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin
by VP
Posted on Wednesday April 30, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Wake Forest NC
“The sins of the clergy should not lessen your reverence for them.” -- Saint Catherine of Siena, (Dialogue 116)
"A HOLY virgin of Sienna, of the order of St. Dominic, who was wonderful for her religious fasting and great austerities. God was pleased to exercise this His servant with long and violent temptations, and painful sickness for many years. Under all these trials, she held out with admirable patience, humility and resignation, and had the reward of her labours even in this life, in many signal favours received from the hand of God. Pray for the spirit of this holy virgin; and first, that if you are not advised to extraordinary rigours, you may at least be faithful in those which the Church prescribes to all the faithful; not requiring unnecessary dispensations, nor by studied contrivances endeavouring to take off all self-denial from them; but willingly admitting some uneasiness in those institutions which are ordained for your punishment and humiliation.
Secondly, that you may be courageous and faithful under the violence of temptations. These can be no prejudice to your soul, if you yield not, though they were as lasting as life. Christ himself has taught you this in the temptations with which He was assaulted, and with which He has been pleased to exercise the best of His servants. They may be very troublesome to you, but patience under this trouble will render you more acceptable to God. It is self-love which puts you often upon desiring quiet and ease, and it has an effect of the same ill root to be fretful, impatient, and dejected under such disquiets.
"(...) At the age of fifteen Catherine entered the Third Order of Saint Dominic, but continued to reside in her father's shop, where she united a life of active charity with the prayer of a contemplative Saint. From this obscure home the seraphic virgin was summoned to defend the Church's cause. Armed with Papal authority, and accompanied by three confessors, she traveled through Italy, reducing rebellious cities to the obedience of the Holy See, and winning hardened souls to God. In the face well-nigh of the whole world she sought out Gregory XI. at Avignon, brought him back to Rome, and by her letters to the kings and queens of Europe made good the Papal cause. She was the counselor of Urban VI., and sternly rebuked the disloyal cardinals who had part in electing an antipope. Long had the holy virgin foretold the terrible schism which began before she died. Day and night she wept and prayed for the unity and peace. But the devil excited the Roman people against the Pope, so that some sought the life of Christ's vicar. With intense earnestness did St. Catherine beg our Lord to prevent this enormous crime. In spirit she saw the whole city full of demons tempting the people to resist and even slay the Pope. The seditious temper was subdued by Catherine's prayers; but the devils vented their malice by scourging the Saint herself, who gladly endured all for God and His Church. She died in Rome, in 1380, at the age of thirty-three.
Reflection: The seraphic St. Catherine willingly sacrificed the delights of contemplation to labor for the Church and the Apostolic See. How deeply do the troubles of the Church and the consequent loss of souls afflict us? How often do we pray for the Church and the Pope?" source: Little Pictorial lives of the Saints.
Prayer for the Church and Priests (St. Catherine of Siena)
My Lord, do not look upon my sins, but
hear Thy servant through the clemency of Thine inestimable charity. When
Thou left us Thou didst not leave us orphans, but Thou left us Thy
vicar and Thy ministers who give us the baptism of the Holy Ghost; and
not only once, but always, through Thy holy power they wash our souls
from sin.
O eternal Piety, may Thy vicar and all ministers be hungry for souls,
may they burn with holy desires for Thy honor, may they remain with
thee always, because Thou are the almighty and the eternal goodness.
Once again, eternal God, sanctify these Thy servants so that, with
simplicity of heart and a perfect will they may follow Thee and Thee
alone. Do not look upon my misery, but place them in the garden of Thy
will.
I know, eternal God, that Thy arm is so strong as to be able to free
the Church and Thy people, to pull them out of the devilʼs hands, and
to cease all persecutions against the Church. I know that the wisdom of
Thy Son, which is one with thine, can illuminate the eye of my
intellect, that of Thy people and lift the darkness from Thy spouse the
Church.
I thus supplicate Thy almighty power, O eternal Father, the wisdom of
Thine Only-begotten Son, the clemency of the Holy Ghost, fire and abyss
of charity, so that Thy mercy may be given to the world and that there
may be the warmth of charity with peace and union in the holy Church. I
pray that Thine infinite goodness will lead Thee not to close the eye of
Thy mercy upon Thy holy spouse. Sweet Jesus, loving Jesus.
Amen.
