SAINT FEAST DAY 13 FEBRUARY: ST CATHERINE DEI RICCI

SAINT CATHERINE DEI RICCI, VIRGIN

[February 13, February 2.] Saint Catherine dei Ricci was born in Italy in 1522 and at the age of 13 entered the Dominican Convent at Prato.

SHE WAS ELECTED PRIORESS

As a young nun St Catherine became mistress of novices and at the age of 30 was elected prioress for life. She became famous for her sound teaching, much of which she communicated in letters to nuns, priests and laity.

SHE RECEIVED THE STIGMATA

For 12 years, from 1542 until 1554, St Catherine received an extraordinary ecstasy. She ‘experienced’ in a deep way the Passion of Christ, receiving the stigmata. Inconvenienced and embarrassed by these phenomena, she would say that they came uninvited from God. In 1554 St Catherine and the other nuns prayed for this to stop, and they did. She died in 1590 after patiently suffering a long illness.

WE MUST LOVE GOD UNCONDITIONALLY

St Catherine wrote a ‘summary of Christian perfection’ to a young nun:

‘We must force ourselves to detach our heart and will from all earthly loves, except for the love of God. We must love no fleeting things. Above all, we must not love God selfishly for our own sakes, but with a love as pure as His own goodness.

EVERYTHING FOR GOD'S GREATER GLORY

We must direct all our thoughts, words and actions to His honour. And by prayer, counsel, and good example seek His glory solely, whether for ourselves or for others, so that through our actions all may love and honour God. This second thing is more pleasing to Him than the first, as it better fulfils His will.

ACCOMPLISHING THE DIVINE WILL

We must aim more and more to accomplish the Divine will: not only desiring nothing special to happen to us, bad or even good, in this wretched life, thus always keeping ourselves at God’s disposal, with heart and soul at peace. But we must also believe with a firm faith that Almighty God loves us more than we love ourselves, and takes more care of us than we could take care of ourselves.

GOD TAKES MORE CARE OF US THAN WE COULD TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES

Let us always remember, never doubting, that it is the eternal, sovereign, all-powerful God who does, orders, or allows everything that happens. Know that nothing comes to pass without His divine will. If, through His mercy, this conviction becomes strongly impressed upon our wills, we shall easily take all things from His sacred hand with well-contented hearts, always thanking Him for fulfilling His holy will in us.'

From: Spiritual Thought from Fr Chris

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Catherine may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

WELCOME

Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 February - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 ...

BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...

SAINT FEAST DAY FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Search This Blog