Date: April 29, 2020 ()

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Today, we honor St. Catherine of Sienna, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, a Dominican Third Order known for her great love for Christ - manifested in her complete surrender to the Lord. Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. She remains a greatly respected figure for her spiritual writings, and political boldness to "speak truth to power" - it being exceptional for a woman, in her time period, to have had such influence in politics and on world history. She made a deep impact on the pope; worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope; and at the beginning of the Great Schism, she advocated for the pope in Rome and spent the last two years of her life pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the church.

A devotee said: St. Catherine of Siena’s life was the inspiration used by the founders of Caritas Christi. What attracted them to this Dominican Saint was her desire to live in the world for the service of the Church. She was chosen by God to offer herself for the Church. In her writings, St. Catherine was found saying: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

In particular situations, God calls us to respond to Him according to the call of our faith. The early Christians, when severe persecution broke out, their faith never wavered - the apostles continued to preach, devout men continued to witness for Christ by way of martyrdom. In today’s trying times, God wants us to respond too according to our gifts; the pastors will continue to shepherd their flock perhaps in an unprecedented way, in a new mode - like Fr. John’s Operation Safe Mode; the front-liners will take care of the patients with the courage and compassion driven by their faith in the Lord; those of us who stay or work at home will act prudently as to avoid the spread of the “invisible beast.” Pope Francis tweeted: “At this time, as indications emerge for a way out of quarantine, we pray that the Lord will grant us the grace of prudence and obedience to these indications, so that the pandemic does not return.” As for all of us, we are called to unite in bended knees to offer prayers for the end of the pandemic!