St. Catherine of Siena

G'day to you all!

On my hour and a half train commutes to and from my clinical, I have been able to accomplish more leisurely reading than I have been able to do in a long time! I suppose I could be using the commute to study, but, well, after eight or nine hours of physical therapy related work, I relish the down time.

One of the books I have been working my way through is Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset, a Norwegian novelist who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1924.

Anthony has highly recommended Kristin Lavransdatter by the same author, which is currently on my "to read" list.

Sigrid Undset

This book really develops the personality of St. Catherine, her family, and the devout friends and religious who aided her throughout her life. The book also puts her in the context of the tumultuous events happening in the world and in the Church at that time. St. Catherine demonstrated such a beautiful balance of tenderness and directness during her life. She had been content to spend her life solitude and constant prayer in her small cell, but God eventually called her to perform His work in the world, requiring constant contact with some of the most prominent political and religious leaders of the time.

Although this manner of life was not necessarily her desire, she was so completely focused on God's will and decided to create a "cell" within herself. In this way, she could have interior peace whilst in the midst of a materialistic world filled with pride, hate, and envy. It is this type of interior cell I pray to develop in my own life as well.

Interestingly, I never realized that St. Catherine was not a nun! She was a part of St. Dominic's third order, the Sisters and Brothers of Penitence. The history of this group at the time is thoroughly described in the book.

Sigrid Undset has quite a way with imagery, as well as with taking the writings of St. Catherine and putting them into context. While describing part of the contents of the Dialogue, which represent the dialogue of St. Catherine's soul with God in a state of ecstasy, Undset intertwines the creation of the Dialogue so expertly with its content. Undset mentions that St. Catherine often uses a bridge symbol in these writings in many different manners.

St. Catherine of Siena Dictating Dialogue

The description below is one of my favorites found in the book by Undset:

But when Adam rebelled against God the old royal road which led innocent man from earth to heaven was destroyed. An abyss opened between the two kingdoms, and through this abyss runs a dark and tumultuous river ---all the unreal, fleeting things to which mankind's contorted desire aspires. For we cannot live without desire; our soul's actions are desire, holy or unholy. So when mankind had rebelled against God it immediately rebelled against itself; the flesh rebelled against the spirit and mankind drowned in the dark and bitter waters of sin. Because these waters lack solidity, none can live in them without drowning. These waters are the joys and honours of this world: in all eternity they stream past and are carried away in the current. Man thinks it is the things he loves which float, but in reality it is he himself who is swept by the stream towards the end of his life. He would like to stop, to keep hold of this life and the things he loves, so that they are not washed out of his reach. He reaches out blindly to whatever he happens to touch, but he cannot tell the difference between the valuable and the valueless. Then comes death and takes him from all he loves, or Providence takes a hand, and even before his death he may be robbed of all his beloved worldly treasures. And because he has run after unreality he has followed the way of lies and is the child of the devil who is the Father of Lies. And so he is carried forward to the gates of lies and eternal damnation.

God made a bridge over this abyss when He gave the world His Son. For God, who created us without our having anything to do with it, demands of us that we should work with Him for our salvation...

St. Catherine knew what in this life held true value. 

I really love the imagery of the flowing waters and the bridge created by God in order to repair what we had undone and which requires us to actively cross it in order to reach Him.

A continuation of the analogy is the manner in which the soul steps onto the bridge.

The soul steps onto the bridge by three steps. Sometimes, according to her [Catherine], the steps mean the three grades of intimacy with Christ, which are also expressed by the kiss on His feet, the kiss on the wound in His side and the kiss on His mouth.

St. Catherine of Siena was given such a profound and overwhelming understanding of the love of God which she manifested in her words and actions.

Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena by Clemente de Torres, c. 1700

I highly recommend this book to come to better know this brave and loving soul who turned her entire being and will over to God. My description of the book in no way does it justice!

And now, as St. Catherine signed her letters (and she dictated many of them!), I shall sign mine.

Sweet Jesus, Jesus Love,

Andrea Rose