Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry

I have always believed that nothing happens to us in life unless God wills it so. Yes, we have our free will and we make our own choices, but it is with great conviction that I know our Loving Almighty Father always watches over us. “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

Today, on the feast of Saint Padre Pio, I reminisce and reflect on my visit to San Giovanni Rotondo in the summer of 2011. The experience left an indelible mark on my soul.

It was weeks after weeks after World Youth Day Madrid. I went on a pilgrimage to several religious sites, Lourdes and Lisieux among them, and was at the end of my European sojourn. I visited relatives in Milan, and instead of flying straight to Manila, I decided to pay Padre Pio a visit.  

Milano Centrale. Photo © en.wikipedia.org

I did a little research on how to go around Padre Pio’s town. I was scheduled to leave Milano Centrale on August 31st, a little past 11pm and was expected to arrive Foggia at around 7 in the morning the next day. My aunt prepared packed breakfast for me (chicken adobo and rice), and my cousin ensured I had enough supply of water and snacks till I reach Fiumicino (in Rome). My aunt was not totally in favor of me travelling alone to an unfamiliar town. I did not speak the language. And I did not know anyone in San Giovanni Rotondo. But I assured her that I wouldn’t be entirely alone ~ I have my guardian angel to protect me, and Padre Pio to pray for me. 

My bus ticket to San Giovanni Rotondo; 
and a souvenir calendar.

Inside the night train, I barely even had forty winks. I used the time to pray several decades of the rosary and process everything I had been learning in that particular trip. I was inside a cabin for 6, with all male passengers except myself. At day break, when everyone started to wake up from a peaceful slumber, the Italians took notice that I was l'unica donna (the only lady), and got me engaged in conversation thanks to a younger passenger beside me who spoke comprehensible English! They gave me tips for my solo pilgrimage, and asked that I include them in prayers, saying that God knows who they are, and what the desires of their hearts are. A reminder on the lesson on charity: to always pray for others.

I arrived at Foggia around 7:30 in the morning. I freshened up before going to the bus stop that would take me to San Giovanni Rotondo. It wouldn’t leave till 8:15am. The Sita bus ride, according to one of my train cabin mates, would be about an hour. On the way, I sat by the window side to take in the beauty of that Italian city. From a distance was the Gargano Mountains, where San Giovanni Rotondo is. It felt like I was going to burst with excitement. 

(L-R) Entrance to the old Church of 
Holy Mary of Grace and the sanctuary inside

The Chiesa delle Santa Marie della Grazie (Church of Holy Mary of Grace) is atop a hill. The old church was where Padre Pio used to celebrate the Holy Mass, but due to the increasing number of pilgrims each year, the Santuario de Padre Pio was built beside it. As I entered its wooden door, it felt like coming home. I always have this sense of being welcome every single time I enter a church. I can spend hours and hours inside, contemplating the immeasurable love of God for me and for mankind! What a lovely way to end my European trip ~ to be in the house of God, to spend time adoring Him, together with His Mother Mary and servant Padre Pio!

I cannot remember exactly how long I spent inside the church, praying for my loved ones, for my country, for the world, and for my personal intentions. I even had the time to put all my prayer intentions in writing and drop it in one of the prayer boxes inside. 

It felt like a taste of a piece of heaven here on earth just being there. I can only imagine what God’s kingdom would be like; I am certain it’s going to surpass my expectations!

(L) Main Altar inside the Santuario de Padre Pio; and (R) details

I have to specially note that I absolutely loved the statue of Our Lady of Grace! There was that mother-son intimacy in the way the Blessed Virgin and the baby Jesus was depicted. Mother Mary had a faint smile on her face, and sadness in her eyes, too. Oh such sorrow and anguish she must have felt, knowing how her precious Son would suffer and die on the Cross. Yet she surrendered to the will of God, and believed with trust, courage and love that echoed her fiat until the very end.

I visited the crypt just below the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, where Padre Pio’s body used to lie. He had an unfulfilled wish ~ “When I die I wish to be buried underground, because I am a worm, a great sinner.” His body is now inside the golden crypt of the Padre Pio pilgrimage church. 40 years after his death on September 23, 1968, his remains were found incorruptible on March 02, 2008.

The statue of Santa Maria delle Grazie

Around noon, my stomach started to grumble. (I opted a granola bar and water for breakfast). I tried to walk around the vicinity of the church but did not find a shaded area where I can eat lunch. Still inside the old church, I saw a nun and politely asked her if she spoke English. She replied in Filipino, to my utter joy I almost hugged her! She took me to a café downhill from the shrine, where I willingly shared my food with her. 

Over lunch, she told me how she has been inspired by Padre Pio’s simplicity and love for God. Padre Pio was known to have been a man of prayer who prayed almost continuously. Bearing the stigmata, his health declined, and yet he offered his sufferings to God for the conversion of souls. Sr. Marlyn Castor of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in Ulpiani,  also shared that Padre Pio’s witness of the Love of God was almost palpable because of his humility and total submission to the will of God. 

Padre Pio's confessional. 
He had the gift to "read hearts"

Padre Pio used to say, "Unite yourself to my prayers... Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers." He also encouraged his parishioners to pray for souls; "We must empty Purgatory with our prayers", he said.

I enjoyed my conversation with Sr. Marlyn about life, faith and even love. I told her someday I want to return to San Giovanni Rotondo again. Next time, mainly to thank Padre Pio for interceding for me. She told me to "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer." Sr. Marlyn said, if it's meant to be, there is no way we can escape from God's will. I cannot even hide inside the belly of a whale!

Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church, 
dedicated on July 01, 2004.

Time and again, I have proven the power of prayer and the perfect timing of Divine Providence. God's generosity can never be outdone. And how amazing are His surprises, too! Sr. Marlyn was one of my earth angels that day. It was a wonderful blessing to have gained another precious friend. I also met some sisters from the Suore dell'Immacolata di Santa Chiara. I was spiritually refreshed and nourished and felt God’s love through the people He sent to me. 

What of my misadventures? Imagine going around a quaint Italian town pulling your 20-kilogram suitcase. Yup, I did just that. I won’t go through the details but I did learn from that experience, too.

Sr. Perpetua of Suore dell'Immacolata di Santa Chiara beside me,
and the Sr. Marlyn (in white habit).

What has Padre Pio taught me during my visit to his town?

In his words, “You must always humble yourself lovingly before God and before men, because God speaks only to those who are truly humble and He enriches them with His gifts. The Lord is willing to do great things, but on condition that we are truly humble.”

"Stairway to heaven." 
From the crypt of the new church 
going back to the old shrine.

“Don’t allow any sadness to dwell in your soul, for sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from acting freely. Live in such a way that your Heavenly Father may be proud of you, as he is proud of so many other chosen souls.”

A painting inside the Santuario de Padre Pio.
(Quotations added.)

4 Pillars to the Dominican Life

Lay Dominican Postulancy/ O.P. Notes

(Lecturer: Bro. Lito Datu, O.P.)

In the past, Lay Dominicans were called the Third Order of Saint Dominic, or Dominican Tertiaries. The Lay Fraternities of the Order was founded in 1285, and was officially recognized by the Church on the feast of Saint Thomas Aguinas in 1286.

The lay Dominican's spiritual life is guided by norms and practices~ a combination of sense and spirit that gives rise to Christian perfection. Lay Dominicans serve God in light of the Dominican norms, practices and discipline,wherever they are in the world. They are ordinary people seeking higher spiritual discipline. 

The Rule states that the lay members of the Order participate in its apostolic mission through its four (4) pillars: prayer, study, community life, and apostolic ministry.  

The Ecstasy of Saint Catherine of Siena
by Francesco Vanni

I. Prayer

The Catechism (CCC s.2559)  defines prayer as the raising of one's mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God. 

Prayer is the beginning point of Dominican life. It is only through daily prayer and contemplation of God can a Dominican bear lasting fruits to give to the world. A Dominican speaks and listens to our Lord in prayer, and it is centered on the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Holy rosary, and personal prayers. 

One great Dominican motto which sums up prayer is taken from Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae: "Contemplata aliis tradere" ~ to contemplate and to share the fruits of contemplation.

Different forms of prayer:

1. Private prayer > It is a spontaneous conversation with God, the fruit of which is communion with Him.

2. Common prayer > We pray in common with the universal Church through the Divine Office, or the Liturgy of the Hours that is centered around the Psalms, and which sanctify the hours of the day. It also contains Old and New Testament readings, prayers, petitions, meditations from the saints, etc. Lay Dominicans are obligated to pray the Morning and Evening prayer. By praying these prayers, we become one with the entire body of Christ (including the Pope) who also meditate on the same Psalms and readings. 

3. The MASS  > The Catechism (CCC s. 1324) teaches us that "the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. By the Eucharistic celebration, we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life when God will be all in all. If possible, Lay Dominicans are encouraged to attend Daily Mass. Communion with Christ is a privilege one must treasure and pursue faithfully.

4. The Sacrament of Reconciliation > A lay Dominican is encouraged to go to Confession monthly, for it strengthens prayer life, it purifies the heart, and helps a person strengthen his trust in God's mercy and love. 

Saint Dominic, studying
Detail of the Mocking of Christ
by Fra Angelico

II. Study

Study of the Truth forms the human soul and makes a man alert; to study not merely for its own sake, but with the goal of benefiting one's soul, and reaching others with that Truth. Scripture tells us to be "always prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1Peter 3:15).

Centered around the Holy Scriptures, the Teachings and Traditions of the Church, a lay Dominican is formed in the Truth of Jesus Christ to be effective witnesses of the Gospel, and to be the salt and light in the world.

The Virgin Mary appearing to
Saint Catherine of Siena,
Saint Rose of Lima, and Saint Agnes
of Montepulciano
by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

III. Community

Community life for a Lay Dominican is sought in one's family life ~both the personal family, and their Dominican family. The monthly chapter meetings for prayer, formation, and other celebrations is a way of being in constant touch with the community. The local chapter is a group of lay individuals in a certain area who share in common a vocation to the Order. When lived fully and faithfully, a Dominican chapter life refines the edges of a tertiary's character. Acceptance of the community into which Christ has placed them humbles and purifies Dominicans in a beautiful way.

Saint Martin de Porres, O.P.

IV. Apostolate

Apostolic ministry refers to the work that we do for God, and for the salvation of souls. At the heart of it involves preaching. The apostolic life of a Dominican is where the call to preach is set in motion; and that the benefits of one's prayer, study and community life are infused into what is being preached. The ministry is not necessarily a formal or liturgical preaching, but rather one that speaks and evangelizes others in the ordinariness of everyday life. It's often heard that a Christian ought to "walk the talk"; but it is also of utmost importance for a Dominican to be a fearless and zealous defender of the Truth. A lay member of the Order has the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the poorly catechized, to the unbelievers, and to those who are hostile to the Gospels. We preach the Gospel and the Triumph of the Cross in our speech, actions, even in our thoughts, and relationships with others.

The Seraphic Virgin Saint Catherine of Siena

Lay Dominican Postulancy/ O.P. Notes

From a Polyptych of San Caterina (1488) by
Ludovico Brea | Dominican Church in Taggia

Saint Catherine of Siena, a Third Order Dominican mystic, scholastic, philosopher, and theologian, is known to have written straightforward, fiery, and fearless letters during her time that even popes and politicians were moved into action. She was instrumental in bringing the papacy from Avignon, France back to Rome. 

(I took note of a line from her letter to Pope Gregory XI: "Cursed be you, for time and power were entrusted to you and you did not use them!" -->  It is a reminder for me to make use of my time wisely, and whatever little power I have, for the common good.)

She has also been instrumental in my discernment, (for almost 3 years) and I did not even have a clue before as to who she was. Except that I clearly remember she's a Dominican Saint. (That journey with her ought to be written one of these days...) 

Who is Saint Catarina de Siena?

Saint Catherine by Agostino Carracci

Saint Catherine was born on the feast of the Annunciation in 1347, when Siena was ravaged by the Black Death. She is one of 25 children to her father Giacomo (Jacope) Benincasa,  a prosperous wool dyer, and mother Lapa Piagenti, a local poet's daughter. She had a twin sister, Giovanna who died in infancy.  The twins were born prematurely when their mother was forty. She was a merry child, and thus was nicknamed Euphrosyne by her family, which is Greek for "joy", and the name of an early Christian saint.

Her deep love for God was shown in her sweetness and patience towards others; people were drawn to her because of her charm and wisdom. She was known to practice a rigorous asceticism and austerity, scourging herself three times a day with an iron chain, eating and sleeping very little, and sleeping on a board. She had mystical visions, often enraptured in them, but also tormented by temptations and severe trials. In humble obedience, she embraced a life of poverty, chastity, and holiness, and total devotion to God.

As a tertiary Dominican, she volunteered to nurse the most incurable in hospitals, she took care of the poor, counseled and visited those in prison, even buried the dead with her own hands, and all these while also teaching her followers, giving them the fruits of her contemplation.

Saint Catherine is the patroness against fire, bodily ills, fire prevention, miscarriages, people ridiculed for their piety, sexual temptations, sick people, and nurses. She is also the patroness of Siena, of Italy, and of Europe.

A Mystical Saint
Saint Catherine began to have mystical experiences when she was six years old. Her first vision was of Jesus seated in glory, along with Saints Peter, Paul, and John. At age seven, she made a promise of virginity. Her mother, who wanted her for marriage, urged her to pay more attention to her appearance. She instead cut-off her beautiful golden-brown hair, to make her point clear that she belonged to God and to Him alone.

The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena
by Alessandro Franchi and Gaetano Marinello, 1896

In 1366, on Shrove Tuesday, she had a vision of Christ, Mother Mary, and the heavenly host. In it, the Blessed Mother held her hand up to Jesus, Who placed a precious nuptial ring upon it and espoused her to Himself. This ring was said to have always been visible to Saint Catherine, but invisible to others. She described this vision in her letters as her Mystical Marriage with Jesus Christ.

According to Blessed Raymond of Capua, her confessor, she told him that Jesus appeared to her "holding in His holy hands a human heart, bright red and shining." The Lord opened her side and put the heart within her saying: "Dearest daughter, as I took your heart away from you the other day, now, you see, I am giving you mine, so that you can go on living with it forever."  

Saint Catherine receives the stigmata.
Painting by Rutilio Manetti.

In February of 1375, while in Pisa, Saint Catherine had one of many of her mystical experiences. She had just received Holy Communion, and while gazing at a crucifix, she received the five wounds of Jesus in her hands, feet and heart.  

"I saw our Lord fastened upon the cross coming down towards me, and surrounding me with a marvelous light... Then there came down from the holes of His blessed wounds five bloody beams, which were directed towards the same parts of my body: to my hands, feet, and heart." This was how she received the stigmata. It was visible at first to her and to everyone around her, but in great humility she prayed that they might be invisible, and she got what she prayed for. The wounds were clearly seen only after her death.


A Fiery, Spontaneous and Fearless Saint

Saint Catherine writing
by Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti

Saint Catherine lived at a time when there was great disturbance and confusion. Italy in the 14th century was made desolate by the plague. There was schism in the Church, and political turmoils. Yet in all of these, she rose above the troubles of her own time; her strong will, amazing intellect and charm enabling her to restore peace between nations and health to our decaying church. True to her Dominican charism, she praised God in her works, she blessed others by being an example of what it was like to be an unsung hero in the Master's vineyard, and she preached the Truth and detested the wickedness and corruption of those who sought only self-interest. The truth in her heart was expressed in her words and actions. 

She was highly respected, and was also known as a peacemaker. She helped settle various family quarrels, helped reconcile even the worst enemies, and she aided in establishing peace among the Italian city states during her time. 

Saint Catherine was in correspondence with men and women from all walks of life ~ family, friends, disciples, royalty, public officials, bishops, cardinals, and even popes! Her letters, though assertive and confrontational, were concerned on the eternal dimension of those people's affairs.  (Read excerpts of her letters here.)

The most notable of all these letters was the one for Pope Gregory XI. Her stirring words urged the pope to "fulfill what he had promised", reminding him of a vow he had once taken and had never disclosed to anyone. Pope Gregory XI regarded it as a sign from heaven, and so acted at once. He was the 7th and last Avignon Pope, and his return to Rome on 13 September, 1376 ended the Avignon Papacy (1309 to 1377).  

From an Illiterate to a Doctor of the Church

Saint Catherine's mystic Communion
by Francesco Brizzi,
San Domenico Basilica, Bologna

Saint Catherine was said to have been illiterate for most of her life, and learned only to read and write as an adult; but she left for the Church one of the great literary works in our Catholic tradition: The Dialogue. It is a spiritual testament about God the Father's private revelations to the saint; it is a conversation between God and the soul. The Dialogue was was written by her own hands, to her secretaries while she was in a state of ecstasy. It talks about four things, which Saint Catherine called four treatises: Divine Providence, Discretion, Prayer, and Obedience. 

Here are some quotations from the Dialogue: 

"My providence will never fail you, and every man, if he be humble, shall receive that which he is fit to receive; and every minister, that which I have given him to administer, each in his own way, according to what he has received and will receive from My goodness."

"Discretion is the only child of self-knowledge, and, wedding with charity, has indeed many other descendants, as a tree which has many branches; but that which gives life to the tree, to its branches, and its root, is the ground of humility, in which it is planted, which humility is the foster-mother and nurse of charity, by whose means this tree remains in the perpetual calm of discretion." 

"Echange des Coeurs" (Exchange of Hearts)
by Ventura Salimbeni

"Wherefore, first I gave you the Bridge of My Son living and conversing in very deed amongst men, and when He, the living Bridge, left you, there remained the Bridge and the road of His doctrine, as has been said, His doctrine being joined with My power and with His wisdom, and with the clemency of the Holy Spirit. This power of Mine gives the virtue of fortitude to whoever follows this road, wisdom gives him light, so that, in this road, he may recognize the truth, and the Holy Spirit gives him love, which consumes and takes away all sensitive love out of the soul, leaving there only the love of virtue. Thus, in both ways, both actually and through His doctrine, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; that is, the Bridge which leads you to the height of Heaven."

"Wherefore charity, the mother of patience, has given her as a sister to obedience, and so closely united them together that one cannot be lost without the other. Either you have them both or you have neither. This virtue has a nurse who feeds her, that is, true humility; therefore a soul is obedience in proportion to her humility, and humble in proportion to her obedience. This humility is the foster-mother and nurse of charity, and with the same milk she feeds the virtue of obedience."

Death of the Seraphic Virgin
(As told in a letter to Sr. Catherine Petriboni, written by Ser Barduccio di Piero Canigiani, one of Saint Catherine's disciples)

"Her transit occurred on the Sunday at the hour of Sext, but we kept her unburied until the hour of Compline of Tuesday, without any odor being perceptible, her body remaining so pure, intact, and fragrant that her arms, her neck and her legs remained as flexible as if she were still alive. During those three days the body was visited by crowds of people, and lucky he thought himself who was able to touch it. Almighty God also worked many miracles in that time, which in my hurry I omit. Her tomb is visited devoutly by the faithful, like those of the other holy bodies which are in Rome, and Almighty God is granting many graces in the name of His blessed spouse, and I doubt not that there will be many more, and we are made great by hearing of them. I say no more..."

Death of Saint Catherine of Siena by Sevillian School

Having suffered a stroke, Saint Catherine died in Rome on 29th April 1380, at the age of thirty-three. Her body was buried in the Roman cemetery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon. But Blessed Raymond of Capua moved her inside the Basilica where she lies to this day. Her incorruptible head and finger however were entombed in the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena, where they remain.

On 29th June, 1461, Sienese Pope Pius II canonized her. She was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI on 3rd October, 1970. She was declared co-patroness of Rome by Pope Pius IX on 13th April 1866. She was also named by Pope Pius XII as joint patron saint of Italy alongside Saint Francis of Assisi, on 18th June 1939. 

On 1st October, 1999, then Pope and now Saint John Paul II made her one of Europe's patron saints, along with Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD (Edith Stein), and Saint Bridget of Sweden.  

Saint Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Europe
by Michele de Meo
Chapel of St. James, Sta.Maria sopra Minerva

A prayer by Saint Catherine of Siena: Thanks, thanks be to You, Eternal Father, that You have not despised me, Your handiwork, nor turned Your face from me, nor made light of these desires of mine. You, Light, have disregarded my darksomeness; You, Life, have not considered that I am death; nor You, Doctor, considered these grave weaknesses of mine. You, eternal Purity, have disregarded my wretched filthiness; You who are infinite have overlooked that fact that I am finite; and You, Wisdom, the fact that I am foolishness. For all these and so many other endless evils and sins of mine, Your wisdom, Your kindness, Your mercy, Your infinite goodness have not despised me. No, in Your light You have given me light. In Your wisdome I have come to know the Truth; in Your mercy I have found Your charity and affection for my neighbors. What has compelled you? Not my virtues, but only Your charity. Thanks be to You. Amen.

Sources: 
a. Notes from Lay O.P. Postulancy Lectures
b. 8 Things to Know and Share about Saint Catherine of Siena 
c. Saint Catherine of Siena, EWTN Library
d. The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Benedict Press Classics, 2008
e. Paintings depicting Saint Catherine

The Role of the Laity : Canon Law

Lay Dominican Postulancy/ O.P. Notes

(Lesson given by Rev. Noel Castor, O.P.)

"It appears sufficiently clear that the Code is in no way intended as a substitute for faith, grace and the charisms in the life of the Church and of the faithful." ~Saint John Paul II, 28January 1983.

The Code> is a principal legislative document of the Church, founded on the juridical-legislative heritage of the Revelation and Tradition.

Status of the Laity

Canon 204, paragraph 1
The laity participates in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ

> All are called according to his/her condition.

In Lumen Gentium, the laity is described as "all baptized constitute the Christian faithful; our destiny is the kingdom of God. All baptized are called without distinction; all are called to sanctify and to do apostolate. All the faithful from the pope to the baptized child share the "common priesthood".


Principle of Diversity
Functional distinction in the 1983 Code of Canon Law

A. Clerical State
> to serve the people of God in Persona Christi; the one who administers the Sacraments, etc.

B. Laity
> to imbue the temporal reality with Gospel truths and values; to exercise the mission which God entrusted to the Church, ad serves the people of God by living the Gospel values in the world.


Rights of the Laity

A person is one who is free; a master of his own acts; autonomous and regulates his own acts according to his conscience.

> Rights give rise to obligations
> In the Church, rights and obligations of a Christian comes with baptism.
>Participation in Church life in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly functions of Christ.

Canon 207
> The laity, clergy, and religious constitute the Faithful.

Canon 209
> The Christian faithful, even in their own manner of acting, are always obliged to maintain communion with the Church.
> With great diligence they are to fulfill the duties which they owe to the Universal Church and the particular church to which they belong according to the prescripts of the law. 

Canon 210
> All the Christian faithful must direct their efforts to lead a holy life and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual sanctification, according to their own condition.

Canon 211
> All the Christian faithful have the duty and the right to work so that the divine message of salvation more and more reaches all people in every age and in every land.

Canon 213
> The Christian faithful have the right to receive assistance from the sacred pastors out of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the Word of God and the Sacraments.

Canon 216
> Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.

Canon 217
> Since they are called by baptism to lead a life in keeping with the teaching of the Gospel, the Christian faithful have the right to a Christian education by which they are to be instructed properly to strive for the maturity of the human person and at the same time to know and live the mystery of salvation. 

Canon 219
> All the Christian faithful have the right to be free from any kind of coercion in choosing a state of life.

Canon 224
Rights and Obligations of the Lay Faithful

Rights
> Communion in the Church
> Personal sanctification
> Christian education
> Apostolate
> Association
> Good name and privacy.
> The Christian faithful has the right to be assisted pastorally by the clergy. There is a necessity of an ongoing formation of the lay faithful. (Canon 231)
> The lay faithful has the obligation and the right to receive doctrinal instruction, and acquire the full knowledge of religious sciences. The lay also has the right to teach the Sacred Sciences.
>The lay who dedicate their lives in the service of the Church are entitled to the rights of workers, like health benefits, etc.
> The lay is best to be part of Media where he can effectively proclaim the truths of the Gospel and upholding Christian values.


Obligation
> Proclamation of the message of salvation.
> The laity is not a passive member of the Church.

Sanctification of the Temporal Order/Affairs
> Primary mission of the lay faithful.
> In the world, we are called to live the Gospels. 

(Click to read more on the Obligations and Rights of the Christian Faithful)



The Code of Canon Law is divided into 7 parts (or 7 Books)

Book I. General Norms | Liber I. De Normis Generalibus
-> Ecclesiatical Laws, Common Norms, Privileges, Dispensations, etc.

Book II. The People of God | Liber II. De Populo Dei
-> The Christian Faithful, Sacred Ministers or Clerics, the Hierarchical Constitution of the Church, etc.

Book III. The Teaching Function of the Church | Liber III. De Ecclesiae Munere Docendi
-> The Ministry of the Divine Word, The Missionary Action of the Church, Instruments of Social Communication, Profession of Faith, etc.

Book IV. Function of the Church
-> The Sacraments, The Other Acts of Divine Worship, Sacred Places, etc. 

Book V. The Temporal Goods of the Church | Liber V. De Bonis Ecclesiae Temporalibus

Book VI. Sanctions in the Church | Liber VI. De Sanctionibus in Ecclesia 
-> Penalties, Censures, etc.

Book VII. Processes
-> Trials in General, Marriage Tribunals, Penal Process, etc.

Excerpts from the Letters of Saint Catherine of Siena

Lay Domincan Postulancy / O.P. Notes
(Lesson given by Rev. Ramilo de Belen, O.P.)

Saint Catherine of Siena and Pope Gregory XI
by Sebastiano Conca

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.

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)

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.

Saint Catherine of Siena
by Rutilio Manetti

Letter to Benincasa, 
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.

Saint Catherine
by Domenico Ghirlandaio

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.