Masterpiece Sunday - St. Catherine of Siena

Saint Catherine of Siena, Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, 1919. The Golden Book of Famous Women, Eleanor Foretescue-Brickdale.

I recently heard in a podcast something that went like this “There are some topics about the Catholic faith that should not be talked about in OCIA until the very end. That includes relics and Saint Catherine of Siena”. Now when I tell you this makes me continually laugh about the truthfulness to it, it would be an understatement. From levitating to a mystical marriage with Jesus, Saint Catherine of Siena is a hard saint to know, to understand, to be comfortable with.  I think some of the best saints are this way. They are so deeply in love with and in line with our God that they get wrapped up in the divine in a way that is beyond this earth’s understanding. 

Purgatory is often described as the purifying love of God. It is a fire that burns with the love of God for each one of us, so that we may be pure when we finally are granted the privilege of seeing Him face to face. I think that Saint Catherine encapsulates this fiery love of God for humanity and also for God Himself. She could not stand back and watch things happen in the Church and the world. She saw the great need for God to be put back into the center and also in the forward sights of the paths of many.  

St. Catherine could have chosen to be quiet and live a faithful life, serving the poor and spending time with Christ. But she didn't. She saw the brokenness and hurt in the Church and she could not ignore it. Her mystical spouse, Jesus Christ, laid down His life for the salvation of humanity. As the Church became more divided, Catherine wore herself down for its unification. She sided with Urban as the rightful pope (which he was) and exhausted herself in writing letter upon letter to the princes and leaders of Europe. She even wrote to Pope Urban himself, instructing him to control his temper and giving him further counsel. This was more than just desires; it was counsel, chide remarks, and commands. 

She had a way of commanding respect and gaining the ear of the most important of secular and church leaders, which we can see in this painting where she is speaking to several cardinals. Pope Urban even summoned her to Rome so that he could receive more of her advice and consultation. Although she did not necessarily want to leave her home, she went to the Holy City as well as other places across Italy to talk with theologians, philosophers, cardinals, political leaders, Church leaders, and the most influential of men. Their hard questions and mistrust was quickly melted away as they were often humbled by her wisdom, faith, and intellect. 

One of my favorite books on Saint Catherine calls her a mystic of fire and a preacher of freedom. St. Catherine of Siena truly did set the world on fire that destroyed heresies and brokenness, cleansing the world to be pure for God. I think that we should all be inspired to do the same, purifying ourselves and then also bringing others to heaven. She was a mystic of fire because His love was lit brightly in her heart. This was evident to all who met her and heard her talk with the passion and directness that she did. She knows that her wealth and true success is in heaven. So even though she does her best to set straight these leaders and the whole Church, she has abandoned herself to live freely in His Will.

Image: https://www.wikiart.org/en/eleanor-fortescue-brickdale/st-catherine-of-siena-1919