SAINT OF THE DAY -- March 24 - Saint Catherine of Genoa
March 24
St. Catherine of Genoa
Apostle of Purgatory
Patron Saint of Brides, the Childless, Difficult Marriages, Temptation, Widows
(1447 - 1510)
"If it were given to a man to see virtue's reward in the next world, he
would occupy his intellect, memory and will in nothing but good works,
careless of danger or fatigue."~ St. Catherine of Genoa
"O
Lord, do with me what you will."
~ St. Catherine of Genoa
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Going to confession one day was the turning point of Catherine’s life.
When
Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance
artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often
overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-indulgence.
Catherine’s
parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13 she attempted to
become a nun but failed because of her age. At 16 she married Julian, a
nobleman who turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she
tried to numb her disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure.
One
day in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God
loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian, who
soon turned from his self-centered life of distraction.
Julian’s
spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine
decided to live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and to
dedicate themselves to works of charity there. After Julian’s death in
1497, Catherine took over management of the hospital.
She wrote
about purgatory which, she said, begins on earth for souls open to God.
Life with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life
with God begun on earth.
Exhausted by her life of self-sacrifice, she died September 15, 1510, and was canonized in 1737.
Comment:
Regular
confessions and frequent Communion can help us see the direction (or
drift) of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their
own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are
most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Catherine began her
hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult
times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was
renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
Quote:Shortly
before Catherine’s death she told her goddaughter: "Tomasina! Jesus in
your heart! Eternity in your mind! The will of God in all your actions!
But above all, love, God’s love, entire love!" (Marion A. Habig,
O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 212).
Source: American Catholic Organization
The Rosary is a powerful prayer!
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?