On March 25, 1347, in Siena, Italy, a special girl was born!
Her parents named her Caterina (Catherine)!
She was the 24th child of a dyer couple!
(Yes, they had 25 children! Huge family!)
The family was humble! Father Jacopo was a dyer! Mother Lapa helped!
Catherine was born a twin! But her twin sister died soon!
No one imagined that this little girl would change the Church and the world!
The Vision at Age 6
When Catherine was only 6 years old, something extraordinary happened!
She was walking with her older brother!
Suddenly, she stopped! She looked at the sky! She went into ecstasy!
She saw Jesus Christ in heaven!
He was seated on a glorious throne!
Dressed as Pope! With Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint John!
Jesus looked at her! He smiled! He blessed her!
Catherine stood still! Ecstatic! Looking!
Her brother called her: "Catherine! Catherine! Let's go!"
But she didn't hear! She didn't respond!
Finally, the vision disappeared!
Catherine "woke up"! She cried because the vision had ended!
"What did you see?" asked her brother.
"I saw Jesus!" she responded simply.
From that day on, Catherine was never the same!
The Vow of Virginity
At age 7, Catherine made an extraordinary decision!
She made a secret vow of virginity!
"Jesus, I promise never to marry! I want to be only Yours!"
At 7 years old! Imagine the determination!
From then on, she lived differently!
While other girls played with dolls, Catherine prayed!
She hid in corners to pray! She fasted! She did penances!
The Pressure to Marry
At age 12, tragedy: her sister Bonaventura died!
Bonaventura was married! She had guided Catherine to dress up, be beautiful!
After her death, the family pressured Catherine:
"You need to marry! You're already 12!"
"Let's arrange a good husband for you!"
At the time, girls married early! 12-14 years was normal!
But Catherine refused: "I won't marry! I'm promised to Christ!"
Her parents didn't accept!
"Nonsense! You will marry!"
They forced her to dress up! Use makeup! Style her hair!
They tried to arrange suitors!
Catherine suffered! But she resisted!
Finally, she took a radical action!
She cut all her hair!
At the time, hair was a symbol of feminine beauty!
Without hair, suitors didn't want her!
Her parents were furious!
"How dare you?"
They punished her! They took away her room!
They made her work as a servant in the house!
"If you don't want to marry, then work!"
Catherine obeyed humbly!
She worked! She served! But she continued praying!
She transformed the kitchen into a monastery! The house into a convent!
"I can make a cell within me!" she said. "Wherever I am, I'm with Jesus!"
The Vision of the Room
Finally, God intervened!
Catherine's father had a vision!
He saw a white dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit) over Catherine's head while she prayed!
He was impressed!
He called his wife: "Lapa, we can't force her anymore! God chose her!"
They returned Catherine's room!
They allowed her to live as she wished!
Catherine, at 15, transformed her room into a hermit's cell!
Three Years of Solitude
From age 15 to 18, Catherine lived an extraordinary life!
She stayed in her room! Rarely left!
She prayed for hours! She slept only 30 minutes per night!
She fasted rigorously! She ate almost nothing!
She did harsh penances!
Why such severity?
Because she wanted total union with Christ!
She wanted to participate in His sufferings!
During these three years, Catherine had extraordinary mystical experiences!
Frequent visions of Jesus, Mary, saints!
Conversations with Jesus! He taught her!
Terrible temptations from the devil! But she overcame them with prayer!
Trials from God! To purify her!
It was a school of holiness! Mystical university!
God was preparing her for an extraordinary mission!
The Mystical Marriage
In 1367, when Catherine was 20 years old, the most extraordinary thing happened!
It was Carnival Tuesday - last day before Lent!
All of Siena was celebrating! Partying! Having fun!
But Catherine was in her room! Praying!
Suddenly, Jesus appeared to her!
With Our Lady! Saint John the Evangelist! Saint Paul! Saint Dominic!
Jesus looked at Catherine with immense love!
He said: "Catherine, you promised to be my bride! Now I will wed you!"
Our Lady took Catherine's hand!
She placed it in Jesus' hand!
And Jesus placed a ring on Catherine's finger!
It was a gold ring with a diamond in the center!
(Catherine saw it! But it was invisible to others!)
Jesus said: "I, your Creator and Savior, wed you in faith!"
"Keep this faith intact until you come to Me in Heaven!"
Catherine was in ecstasy of joy!
She was mystical spouse of Christ!
Betrothed! Wedded! United to Him!
Forever she saw the ring! It was a constant reminder!
She never felt alone again!
Jesus was her Spouse! Companion! Everything!
Leaving the Room
After the mystical marriage, Jesus gave Catherine an order:
"Now, go out! Go serve your brothers and sisters!"
Catherine was confused!
"But Lord, I wanted to stay here with you always!"
Jesus: "You serve me by serving others!"
"Love God and love your neighbor! They're inseparable!"
"Leave the room! Go to the sick, the poor, sinners!"
Catherine obeyed!
She left her room! She returned to the world!
But now it was different!
She didn't return to marry or live a common life!
She returned to serve!
She joined the Mantellate - Dominican third order for lay women!
They were women who lived in the world but followed Saint Dominic's rule!
They wore white and black habits! They served the poor and sick!
Serving the Sick
Catherine began serving the sick in Siena's hospitals!
Especially the most difficult cases!
Lepers! Cancer patients! The dying! Those no one wanted to care for!
She washed wounds! She cleaned pus! She fed them!
Without disgust! Without fear! With heroic love!
Once, she was caring for a very difficult leper!
The woman was ungrateful! She complained! She insulted Catherine!
One day, the leper spat at Catherine!
Catherine didn't get angry!
She calmly cleaned herself! She continued serving!
The woman was impressed! "Why do you put up with me?"
Catherine: "Because I see Jesus in you! To serve you is to serve Him!"
The woman converted! She asked forgiveness! She died in peace!
Catherine transformed souls while caring for bodies!
The Disciples
Catherine's fame for holiness spread!
People came to consult her!
To ask for prayers! Advice! Spiritual direction!
Priests! Nobles! Common people!
A group formed around her!
"La Bella Brigata" (The Beautiful Brigade) - as they called it!
They were disciples! Followers! Spiritual friends!
Among them was Raymond of Capua!
Dominican friar! Wise theologian!
He became Catherine's confessor and secretary!
He wrote her biography!
Catherine dictated letters! (She was illiterate at first!)
Raymond wrote them!
Hundreds of letters! To popes, kings, bishops, sinners!
1374: The Black Death in Siena
In 1374, the terrible Black Death struck Siena!
Horrible disease! It killed thousands!
People died in the streets! Hospitals overflowed!
Doctors fled! Priests fled! Everyone fled!
But Catherine stayed!
She and her disciples cared for the sick!
Day and night! Without stopping! Without fear!
Catherine cared for the most serious cases!
Those no one would touch!
She washed! She fed! She comforted!
Many died in her arms!
But she prepared them! She heard confessions! She gave hope!
"Don't fear! You're going to God! To Heaven!"
Dozens she cared for converted before dying!
Catherine saved bodies when she could! But she always saved souls!
The Invisible Stigmata
In 1375, Catherine was praying in Pisa!
Suddenly, she had an extraordinary vision!
Jesus crucified appeared!
From the five wounds (hands, feet, side) came five rays of light!
The rays struck Catherine's hands, feet and side!
She felt indescribable pain! As if being pierced!
She screamed! She fainted!
When she woke up, there were no visible wounds!
But she felt terrible pain! Constant!
They were invisible stigmata!
Catherine asked Jesus not to let marks appear!
"Lord, I don't want them to see! I want to remain hidden!"
Jesus answered! The pain remained! But marks didn't appear!
(They only became visible after her death!)
Reflection
