196. ST.
Catherine of Siena. Part one
ST. Catherine (1347- 1380) is one of the greatest mystics of
all times.
She was not only a mystic but also a church reformer. She is
only one of the two women, other being ST Teresa of Avila, who has ever been awarded
the title of Doctor of the Church. One is dazzled by the plethora of miracle
that she performed. She performed more miracles than any other person I know,
except Jesus Christ. This mote holds the opinion that miracles reflect the
power of God. God gives His own special powers to persons close to Him. Very
few humans are worthy to hold these powers. Most persons are given one or two
of these supernatural powers ( although this does not mean that closeness to
God can be solely judged on the variety of powers; a person can be very close
to God and have no supernatural power
such as ST Therese of Lisieux), very few have many . ST. Catherine had several powers.
The second thing which impressed me was her extraordinary
proximity to Jesus. She was mentally talking to him most of the time, and he
talking back. She could see him most of the time. He was in her heart. I quote:
‘For she herself revealed to me, she would no sooner be
enclosed in her cell that He would deign to appear to her and reveal things useful
to her soul’
The third glaring feature of her life is her endeavors to
reform the church. Clergymen lived in luxury. Popes and their advisors used
their power and wealth for their own good. She exhorted them to abandon such
life.
The fourth facet of her life was her love of neighbor.
The fifth aspect that struck me was her pious life. Her
austerities, her selflessness, her stigmata, her ecstasies, fill one with awe
and wonder.
Now the details. But before we go in details we have to
prove the authenticity of various events. Otherwise no one will believe us.
Biographies are full of exaggeration and unbelievable events. What makes her
life story believable is the fact that the book ‘The life of St. Catherine of
Siena” was written by her contemporary and confessor; Blessed Raymond of Capua.
This book is the principle source of information about Catherine. At the end of
each chapter he mentions, how he learned it. Were there any witnesses and who
were they? For example at the end of one chapter is the following paragraph:
“ What I have said in
this chapter has been told to me by Lapa, Catherine’s mother, and Lisa, the
wife of one of her brothers; and what I could not be told by other people in
the house, I learned from the holy virgin herself.
At the end of chapter 6 on ecstasies and revelations, is the
following paragraph:
“Lastly, with regards to the rising in the air and remaining
there………this was witnessed by a number of the Sisters of St Dominic, including
a certain Catherine, the daughter of Ghetto da Siena, who was a for a long time
the virgin’s inseparable companion; and if I am not mistaken, her sister-in-law
Lisa, who is still alive, and the above mentioned Alessia was also there at the
time”
In another place, he writes, “As to the facts, you must know
that whatever I relate, I made myself fully conversant with, either through
witnesses, or through writings, or from my own experience…….I can also remember
the gist of many other things she said….I have been obliged to add this aside,
for fear of offending against truth”.
Who was Raymond of Capua (1330-1399)?
As Catherine’s fame grew, so did the vicious rumors and
controversies about her. Did she really eat or sleep very little? Was it the
work of God or Satan? Since she belonged to the order of St Dominic, the Church
Elders felt compelled to investigate. She was ordered to appear before the Master-General
of the order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1374. After the meeting she was sent
home without censure. Soon afterward, Father Raymond of Capua, a scholar of
great ability and renown, was sent to Siena to be her confessor and advisor. He
took over from a fellow member of the Dominican community, Thomas della Fonte.
Raymond was a man of stature in the church. He was the best man they had. He
rose to the rank of Master General of his Order later in life. He wrote her
official biography. He leaves the impression of a truthful man, not capable of
lies, but not a critical observer either. He was her confessor only for six
years. In a letter she wrote to him in 1377, she said, “Sweetest Father, your
soul has made itself food for me.”
He had three personal supernatural encounters with her.
As he arrived in Siena he contracted plague. The epidemic
killed hundreds of citizens of Siena. Raymond struggled to her house in
delirium. When she came home she put her hands on his head and prayed. He felt
as if the sickness was being pulled out of her body. He wrote, “It was as if
something was being pulled out of me at the end of all my limbs”. At the end of
half hour prayer, he was completely cured.
To be continued
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
1.
‘The life of ST. Catherine
of Siena’ by Blessed Raymond of Capua, Confessor to the saint.
Translated by George Lamb.
2.
‘Catherine of Siena , a
biography’ by Anne Baldwin
