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- Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, Exterior
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- Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena in Rome
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- Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena in Rome: Close up
St. Catherine of Siena
The Dialogue
My Lord, turn the eye of your mercy on your people and on your mystic body, holy Church…
You said, “Let us make humankind in our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26). And this you did, eternal Trinity, willing that we should share all that you are, high eternal Trinity! You, eternal Father, gave us memory to hold your gifts and share your power. You gave us understanding so that, seeing your goodness, we might share the wisdom of your only-begotten Son. And you gave us free will to love what our understanding sees and knows of your truth, and so share the mercy of your Holy Spirit.
Why did you so dignify us? With unimaginable love you looked upon your creatures within your very self, and you fell in love with us. So it was love that made you create us and give us being, just so that we might taste your supreme eternal good.
Then I see how by our sin we lost the dignity you have given us. Rebels that we were, we declared war on your mercy and became your enemies. But stirred by the same fire that made you create us, you decided to give this warring human race a way to reconciliation, bringing great peace out of our war. So you gave us your only-begotten Son, your Word, to be mediator between us and you. He became our justice (1 Cor. 1:30) taking on himself the punishment for our injustices. He offered you the obedience you required of him in clothing him with our humanity, eternal Father, taking on our likeness and our human nature!
O DEPTH OF LOVE! What heart could keep from breaking at the sight of your greatness descending to the lowliness of our humanity? We are your image, and now by making yourself one with us you have become our image, veiling your eternal divinity in the wretched cloud and dung heap of Adam. And why? For love! You, God, became human and we have been made divine! In the name of this unspeakable love, then, I beg you—I would force you even!—to have mercy on your creatures.
Amen.
The Word Became Flesh
Refelections for Advent and Christmas
Third Sunday of Advent
Word on Fire
Word on Fire Logo
The statue featured here is an exact replica of the one in her home in Siena.
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- St. Catherine of Siena before Pope Gregory XI by Giovanni Pellegrini (1675-1741)
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- A Moment in Rome with St. Catherine of Siena
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- St. Catherine of Siena: The Statue an Exact Replica
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- A Relic of St. Catherine of Siena from the Papal Artifacts’ Collection of Relics
Be the person God created you to be, and you will set the whole world on fire. —St. Catherine of Siena
April 29th is the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, instrumental in convincing Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome.
Amidst conditions of grave political unrest and intrigue, with the papacy located in Avignon, rather than in Rome, Gregory XI intended to return to Rome. He was cognizant of the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden who warned him of his dependence on political alliances.
Equally compelling was the visit from a young Dominican nun, Catherine of Siena. She visited Pope Gregory at Avignon as an ambassador of peace. Catherine could neither read nor write, but her powers of persuasion were immense, and she spoke to him through an interpreter.
Known in her native land for her considerable compassion and great love for the poor, she was equally at home writing to popes, bishops, European leaders, and leaders in the Papal States.
Her contention was the pope simply had to return to Rome, and she both chided him (he listened meekly to her words) and spoke with affection for him. Her letter, written to him in 1376, is lengthy and persuasive.
And in another letter, she warned him, Don’t make it necessary for me to complain about you to Christ!
Pope St. Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1970.
