ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 13th of February
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.
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