This song was played during our Sunday Mass. So when I searched it on Spotify, I found this rendition by Marian Grace. It’s perfect. Happy Advent!
Category: Catholic
St. Catherine of Siena
As I was learning more about my faith, I heard many share with me who they chose as their patron saint. I kept thinking how does one choose that? I vaguely remember at confirmation it being a requirement to choose a Saint but if I did, I don’t remember who I chose.
Once I started to read more books and learn about my faith, there was always a Saint that would flutter my heart. St. Catherine of Siena was the Saint for me. My interest in her started about the same time the Catholic Church was being exposed for the awful sexual abuses. I remember our parish had a sense of divide. Some left since they could not separate the men who did harm from the Church, then there were those that followed the excommunicated priest to their own made up church, and others like me who stayed put.
The books I read about St. Catherine of Siena came at the right time. Her history is based on recognizing what the Church is and what it is not. Her determination to set things right and to share the intensity of following Christ. She was a Dominican and is a Doctor of the Church. Her main caveat was her effort and success in reforming the papacy during the 14th century when she convinced Pope Gregory XI to move back to Rome from Avignon.
My husband and I were blessed in 2006 to go on a Catholic pilgrimage to Italy. We really went into it blind not knowing what to expect. As a gift for our travels, a close friend of mine gave me a card she had wrote with a quote from St. Catherine. I thought…wow…it’s a sign. There’s a reason why I keep connecting to this Saint.
On our trip, we made a stop in Siena. What a gorgeous place! Picturesque walkways that would lead to the piazza/main square. Restaurants, bakeries, shops all set in medieval architecture. The end of our day, our hosts guided us to visit the Chapel of Saint Catherine, Basilica of San Domenico. Here only her incorruptible head entombed is shown. At first I was a bit freaked. Why was it that we only had her head and why was it shown? On the tour, our great host priests clarified that back in the day, m
any towns all over the world where the Saints walked had bits or pieces of their bodies for reverence purposes like bone fragments, clothing, “relics”. Also, many had miracles tied to them so the thought was spread them around for the chance of increased faith to grow.
This trip gave me a boost! A boost in love of faith. I felt like a warrior ready to get back home and go deeper! To get a grip and better understanding of the Church with guidance from St. Catherine. It’s amazing how much we can take for granted on what the Saints did for the Church, for us. If we took the time out and read up on a Saint, we would see how relevant their examples are to our day today. Most of the popular TV evangelists are not saying anything new. And the Saints that did speak about similar life issues, most likely did it with their life in the balance.
Another inspiring tidbit about St. Catherine…she’s the Patron Saint of Italy!!!! Of course!! Of course she would be. I have loved Italy for so long starting with pizza as a child, which led to Italian food, and then developed into it’s beauty, food, art, lifestyle. Of course she would include that for me too.
Hopefully, this will get you to thinking who would you like to read about? Google it! I’m telling you, you won’t be disappointed.
Thank God for the Saints and thank you St. Catherine for always punching those words into my heart and set fire!+++
Mid Life Crisis Awareness Month
Actually, this might just be on my calendar.
Lately, it seems some of my sisters (not literally, I mean friends) are battling emotional struggles all at the same time.
It feels weighty on my relationship with them and I can see some headed down a damaging road.
With my own life changes, I always try to do my best and stay in touch with my girl friends or my female cousins who I refer all as “Sisters”. My friendships have not always kept up and I know I am part to blame, but I still care for them and if there was ever a chance to meet up, I would do it.
At times, I don’t know if it’s just my life but I don’t have many gal pals. I think it has to do with not having children, not staying in the workforce, or other entities to cause some to dismantle. In any case, I haven’t really worried about it but I noticed some relationships appear to be ending.
I feel some around me are going through emotional changes. Mid life crisis maybe? I don’t know. I don’t know why all of a sudden a shift has occurred in our relationships. Am I focusing too much on my life that maybe these individuals were always this way and I’m barely now taking notice?? I truly care about them and do wish our friendship’s would stay strong.
I try to be patient and let them know I’m here for them. I do my best in understanding all factors to a situation. We don’t always know everything going on in one’s life.
In any case, I realize we all have trials and tribulations. I’ve had times where I’ve felt unaccomplished and know those closest could see it in me. It can be hard to break out of that ‘spell’ of feeling down and depressed. The evil one can certainly make you start believing things that are untrue about yourself and about those around you.
What I have learned in practicing my faith is to ask myself questions. Identifiers. Like whatever it is I’m feeling, is this a thought from God or the evil one? If the feeling is causing me to be down, then it’s not from God. If it is to cause harm on anyone, then it’s not from God. If it’s something that doesn’t keep me on the side of virtue, then it’s not from God. You know what I mean?
Is it okay to do something once and a while that is foot loose and fancy free? Sure. At least I think so. The issue is whether you start believing this is all your life needs. Ways to give you short term, empty joy.
I’ve seen some who end their marriages because they found “true happiness” in other outlets. They start to believe this is what they need and end up ridding their life of important people. Most of the time, it relates to the idea of feeling young again. I’ve seen this false sense cause damage and havoc in many lives.
For myself, my guard against these realms need attention. Don’t take the bait! Combat with prayer! I pray with and over my husband, our home, our life. Asking Jesus to consecrate our marriage! It’s true! You spend less time with Jesus, you leave an door open for weakness to come in.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
[The woman] said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the well is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
CATHOLIC AND CHOCOLATE 