Thursday, April 29, 2010

Homily – April 29, 2010 – St. Catherine of Siena

The 25th child of a wool dyer in northern Italy, St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. She persuaded Pope Gregory XI to go back to Rome from Avignon, was forceful in achieving a reform of the clergy of the day, and when she died, she was endeavoring to heal the Great Western Schism. Catherine saw clearly that the Church was both the sweet Bride of Christ, but also greatly blemished in its human existence and in need of great purification. Her spiritual director was Blessed Raymond of Capua. Her letters and a treatise called "a dialogue with God the Father" are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of the Catholic Church. She died in 1377 at the age of 33, and her body was found incorrupt in 1430. She was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Our readings today tell us that for those who seek to know the Lord, he may be found – not so much at the demand of the seeker, but at the grace of the one being sought: no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. We must remember that we are the burdened and the laborsome sheep of God's flock who will find rest in him – if we go to him and trust in his mercy! And he will give it – because we are associated (by Baptism) with the Blood of his Son – which frees us from sin and makes us very pleasing in his sight! This gives us the right to have fellowship with one another and with him.

We pray this day that we may be a part of the sweetness of the Church, rather than its corrupted, cancerous cells that most certainly still exist today. It is only by the grace of God that this can happen: God give us this grace, now!

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