Lay Domincan Postulancy / O.P. Notes
(Lesson given by Rev. Ramilo de Belen, O.P.)
Saint Catherine of Siena, (Caterina di Giacomo di Benincasa), was born on 25 March, 1347 in Black-Death ravaged Siena, Italy. Her parents were Giacomo di Benincasa and Lapa Piagenti.
Letter to Benincasa,
her brother
"Assume the armour of patience."
(Lesson given by Rev. Ramilo de Belen, O.P.)
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| Saint Catherine of Siena and Pope Gregory XI by Sebastiano Conca |
Saint Catherine had a twin sister, Giovanna, who died while still an infant. She was a merry child that the family gave her the pet name of "Euphrosyne', which is Greek for joy and a name of an early Christian saint. When she was 6 years old, she had a vision wherein Christ was seated in glory with Saints Peter, Paul, and John.
Saint Catherine vowed her virginity to Christ at the age of 12, and at 16, she was vested with the black and white habit of Saint Dominic. She lived most of her life in seclusion. She told her confessor, Blessed Raymond of Capua, O.P. that she learned the way of salvation from "the sweet bridegroom of my soul, the Lord Jesus Christ."
She sought God in everything, spent a life in seclusion, and had mystical experiences. In in a vision she had on Shrove Tuesday in 1366, Jesus appeared with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the heavenly host. Our Lady held up Saint Catherine's hand to Christ, who placed a ring upon it and espoused her to Himself. This ring was said to have been always visible to her, but invisible to others.
Saint Catherine's letters admonished, empowered, and encouraged with compassion. Her letters were straightforward, direct, brave, full of love for the recipient, and for the Church. She was not keen on superficial people who only wanted the husk of things.
(Click here for Saint Catherine's letters)
(Click here for Saint Catherine's letters)
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| Saint Catherine of Siena by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale |
Letter to Monna Alessa dei Saracini
(A young widow from a noble family)
In her letter, she told Alessa to "Make Two Homes". First, an actual home, or a cell, so that one does not go running about into many places, unless for necessity or obedience to the prioress; or for charity's sake. This home becomes a refuge from worldly affairs. Second, a spiritual home, which one must carry always~ "the cell of true self-knowledge", where one shall find within thyself the knowledge of the goodness of God, that we belong to God; and to see one's true self-worth, strengths, talents, even our weaknesses. We should carry our spiritual home within us always.
"These are two cells in one, and when abiding in the one it behoves thee to abide in the other, for otherwise the soul would fall into either confusion or presumption. For didst thou rest in knowledge of thyself, confusion of mind would fall on thee; and didst thou abide in the knowledge of God alone, thou wouldst fall into presumption. The two then, must be build together and made one same thing, if thou dost this, thou wilt attain perfection. For from self-knowledge thou wilt gain hatred of thine own fleshliness, and through hate thou wilt become a judge, and sit upon the seat of thy conscience, and pass judgement, and thou wilt not let a fault go without giving sentence on it.
From such knowledge flows the stream of humility; which never seizes on mere report, nor takes offence at anything, but bears every insult, every loss of consolation, and every sorrow, from whatever direction they may come, patiently, with joy. Shames appear glory, and great persecutions refreshment; and it rejoices in all, seeing itself punished for that perverse law of self-will in its members which for ever rebels against God; and sees itself conformed with Christ Jesus crucified, the way and the doctrine of Truth.
In the knowledge of God thous shalt find the fire of divine charity. Where shalt thou rejoice? Upon the Cross, with the Spotless Lamb, seeking His honor and the salvation of souls, through continual, humble prayer. Now herein is all our perfection. There are many other things also, but this is the chief, from which we receive so much light that we cannot err in the lesser works that follow.
Rejoice, my daughter, to conform thee to the shame of Christ. And watch over the impulse of the tongue, that the tongue may not always respond to the impulse of the heart, but digest what is in thy heart, with hatred and distaste for thyself. Do thou be the least of the least, subject in humility and patience to every creature through God; not making excuses, but saying: the fault is mine. Thus are vices conquered in thy soul and in the soul of him to whom thou shouldest so speak: through the virtue of humility.
Order thy time: the night to vigil, when thou has paid the debt of sleep to thy body; and the morning in church with sweet prayer; do not spend it in chatting until the appointed hour. Let nothing except necessity, or obedience, or charity, as I said, draw thee away from this or anything else..."
Notes: > We must pray for the knowledge of self against the confusion of the mind.
> Confusion of the mind is a result of lack of goals and purpose.
> Beware of "Heroic Despair" where one lives one's life as it is, but without a goal and a purpose.
> There must be a balance between work and prayer. (And study, for aspiring Lay Dominicans!) It is best to concentrate at a particular task at a certain time instead of multi-tasking.
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| Saint Catherine of Siena by Rutilio Manetti |
her brother
"Assume the armour of patience."
"And should it seem very hard to you to endure your many troubles, bear in memory three things, that you may endure more patiently.
First, I want you to think of the shortness of your time, for on one day you are not certain of the morrow. We may truly say that we do not feel past trouble, not that which is to come, but only the moment of time at which we are. Surely, then, we ought to endure patiently, since the time is so short.
The second thing is, for your to consider the fruit which follows our troubles. For Saint Paul says there is no comparison between our troubles and the fruit and reward of supernal glory.
The third is, for you to consider the loss which results to those who endure in wrath and impatience; for loss follows this here, and eternal punishment to the soul."
Notes: > Saint Catherine also asked her brother to take care of their mother. "Honour thy father and mother."
> Do it in love and gratitude to your parents.
> Do it in obedience to the commandment of God.
Letter to Monna Agnese
(The wife of Messer Orso Malavolti)
This noble woman was sorrowfully tried; her son was beheaded in 1372 in punishment for a heinous sin, and her only daughter also died.
The general subject of Saint Catherine's letter to Monna Agnese was "Santissima Pazienza", but she also wrote about the danger of spiritual self-will, "proud humility" resorted to a soul ravaged by a sense of neglect, and the bitter and corroding power of the sin "that burns and does not consume".
"I consider that without patience we cannot please God. For just as impatience gives much pleasure to the devil and to one's own lower nature, and revels in nothing but anger when it misses what the lower nature wants, so it is very displeasing to God. It is because anger and impatience are the very pith and sap of pride that they please the devil so much. Impatience loses the fruit of its labour, deprives the soul of God; it begins by knowing a foretaste of hell, and later it brings men to eternal damnation: for in hell the evil perverted will burns with anger, hate and impatience. It burns and does not consume, but is evermore renewed -- that is, it never grows less, and therefore I say, it does not consume. It has indeed parched and consumed grace in the souls of the lost, but as I said it has not consumed their being, and so their punishment lasts eternally. The saints say that the damned ask for death and cannot have it, because the soul never dies. It dies to be sure to grace, by mortal sin; but it does not die to existence. There is no sin nor wrong that gives a man such a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience. It is hated by God, it holds its neighbour in aversion, and has neither knowledge nor desire to bear and forbear with its faults. And whatever is said or done to it, it at once empoisons, and its impulses blow about like a leaf in the wind. It becomes unendurable to itself, for perverted will is always gnawing at it, and it craves what it cannot have; it is discordant with the will of God and with the rational part of its own soul. And all this comes from the tree of Pride, from which oozes out the sap of anger and impatience. The man becomes an incarnate demon, and it is much worse to fight with these visible demons than with the invisible. Surely, then, every reasonable being ought to flee this sin.
Notes: 2 Sources of Impatience
A. The common kind, felt by ordinary men in the world which befalls them on account of the inordinate love they have for themselves and for temporal things, which they love apart from God.
> Man should realize this kind of impatience, otherwise he is beyond help.
> The Tree of Pride may be cut down with the sword of True Humility, which produces charity in the soul.
> Patience is deep within the Tree of Love, whose pith is patience and goodwill toward one's neighbour.
B. Impatience of those who have already despised the world, and who wish to be servants of Christ crucified in their own way
> Spiritual self-will that grows from the tree of pride which was cut down but not uprooted.
> The soul suffers when "one's own way" of serving God fails; the suffering makes the soul impatient and unendurable to itself.
> Spiritual self-will suffers under the delusion that it is wronging God, while the trouble is really with its own lower nature.
> The humble soul seeks ever the honour of God and the salvation of souls; it endures with more reverence.
"So greatly did the virtue of humility please Him in Mary that He was constrained to give her the Word His Only-Begotten Son and she was the sweet mother who gave Him to us. Know well, that until Mary showed by her spoken words her humility and pure will, when she said: 'Ecce Ancilla Domini (I am the handmaid of the Lord), be it done unto me according to Thy word' (Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) -- the Son of God was not incarnate in her; but when she had said this, she conceived within herself that sweet and Spotless Lamb..."
What would Saint Catherine say to us?
"There is no obedience without humility, nor humility without charity."
> Don't be impatient with struggles
> Don't question God what will happen.
> Uproot pride and practice true humility.
> Surrender the will totally to God.
> Hold on to the same things: patience, gratitude, humility, charity, prayer, a balanced-life.
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| Saint Catherine by Domenico Ghirlandaio |
(The wife of Messer Orso Malavolti)
This noble woman was sorrowfully tried; her son was beheaded in 1372 in punishment for a heinous sin, and her only daughter also died.
The general subject of Saint Catherine's letter to Monna Agnese was "Santissima Pazienza", but she also wrote about the danger of spiritual self-will, "proud humility" resorted to a soul ravaged by a sense of neglect, and the bitter and corroding power of the sin "that burns and does not consume".
"I consider that without patience we cannot please God. For just as impatience gives much pleasure to the devil and to one's own lower nature, and revels in nothing but anger when it misses what the lower nature wants, so it is very displeasing to God. It is because anger and impatience are the very pith and sap of pride that they please the devil so much. Impatience loses the fruit of its labour, deprives the soul of God; it begins by knowing a foretaste of hell, and later it brings men to eternal damnation: for in hell the evil perverted will burns with anger, hate and impatience. It burns and does not consume, but is evermore renewed -- that is, it never grows less, and therefore I say, it does not consume. It has indeed parched and consumed grace in the souls of the lost, but as I said it has not consumed their being, and so their punishment lasts eternally. The saints say that the damned ask for death and cannot have it, because the soul never dies. It dies to be sure to grace, by mortal sin; but it does not die to existence. There is no sin nor wrong that gives a man such a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience. It is hated by God, it holds its neighbour in aversion, and has neither knowledge nor desire to bear and forbear with its faults. And whatever is said or done to it, it at once empoisons, and its impulses blow about like a leaf in the wind. It becomes unendurable to itself, for perverted will is always gnawing at it, and it craves what it cannot have; it is discordant with the will of God and with the rational part of its own soul. And all this comes from the tree of Pride, from which oozes out the sap of anger and impatience. The man becomes an incarnate demon, and it is much worse to fight with these visible demons than with the invisible. Surely, then, every reasonable being ought to flee this sin.
Notes: 2 Sources of Impatience
A. The common kind, felt by ordinary men in the world which befalls them on account of the inordinate love they have for themselves and for temporal things, which they love apart from God.
> Man should realize this kind of impatience, otherwise he is beyond help.
> The Tree of Pride may be cut down with the sword of True Humility, which produces charity in the soul.
> Patience is deep within the Tree of Love, whose pith is patience and goodwill toward one's neighbour.
B. Impatience of those who have already despised the world, and who wish to be servants of Christ crucified in their own way
> Spiritual self-will that grows from the tree of pride which was cut down but not uprooted.
> The soul suffers when "one's own way" of serving God fails; the suffering makes the soul impatient and unendurable to itself.
> Spiritual self-will suffers under the delusion that it is wronging God, while the trouble is really with its own lower nature.
> The humble soul seeks ever the honour of God and the salvation of souls; it endures with more reverence.
"So greatly did the virtue of humility please Him in Mary that He was constrained to give her the Word His Only-Begotten Son and she was the sweet mother who gave Him to us. Know well, that until Mary showed by her spoken words her humility and pure will, when she said: 'Ecce Ancilla Domini (I am the handmaid of the Lord), be it done unto me according to Thy word' (Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) -- the Son of God was not incarnate in her; but when she had said this, she conceived within herself that sweet and Spotless Lamb..."
What would Saint Catherine say to us?
"There is no obedience without humility, nor humility without charity."
> Don't be impatient with struggles
> Don't question God what will happen.
> Uproot pride and practice true humility.
> Surrender the will totally to God.
> Hold on to the same things: patience, gratitude, humility, charity, prayer, a balanced-life.
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