Catherine of Siena, Mystic and Prophetic Witness, 1380
As we heard in the first reading today, “When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one’s case is subverted—does the Lord not see it?” No matter where you stand politically, there can be no doubt that we are seeing prisoners of our land crushed under foot, seeing human rights perverted, and cases subverted. I mean, you and I can see all those things happening if we just open a newspaper! And if we are seeing them, it means that God definitely sees them. And don’t even get me started on the first four verses of Psalm 36!
We are living in turbulent times. But we are not the first to live in such times. In fact, “turbulent times” seems to be all times. Our struggles are not the struggles that Catherine of Siena went through, but there are parallels to be sure. And in Catherine’s life, we might find inspiration for our own times. In the face of the challenges of the 14th century, we can see her focus on self-determination, healing, and unity. And I think those are three good things for us to focus on in our own. time. Self-determination, healing, and unity.
As a young woman in a family with 25 children, there were expectations put on Catherine and her sisters. Namely, get married! Each of the daughters would be expected to do everything she could to find a husband and establish a life as a married woman outside the crowded family home. Look pretty, smile a lot, and get out of here. In response to those pressures, Catherine chose to cut her hair, which our biography calls “her chief beauty.” The forces in her life told her it was important to appeal to the superficial impulses of the world around her. Catherine chose a different path. A dangerous path. She stood up for herself, and eventually the authorities relented. An inspirational example of self-determination, which we would do well to notice in our current climate.
As for healing, Catherine became a nurse within the Dominican order, which was a common practice at the time. But we hear that she specifically focused on those with leprosy and suffering from cancer; people whom others did not want to come near. And how common it is that those who make us uncomfortable or afraid get mistreated and ignored. It’s easy to walk away from the suffering of others. What is not easy is to step into the breach and risk one’s own life and safety for those who are not like us. It is easy to say to ourselves, “Well those aren’t my children,” or “those aren’t my people,” and wash our hands of the matter. But Catherine went where others would not, with bravery and compassion. An inspirational example of healing, which we would do well to notice in our current climate.
And then we come to unity. As we await the start of the Conclave that will choose a next Pope, it is hard to imagine a time when there were two popes. But in what is called “The Great Schism,” there were two men making claim to the title of the one Holy Father. And throughout that period, as we heard “Catherine wrote tirelessly to princes, kings, and popes, urging them to restore unity to the Church.” It is easy to imagine how each pope would have surrounded himself with sycophants and enablers, assuring them both that they alone wielded the power and the voice of God on the earth. How does one even begin to sort that out? But Catherine did not give up. She knew the importance of the Church being One. An inspirational example of unity, which we would do well to notice in our current climate.
In all three of these areas, self-determination, healing, and unity, Catherine of Siena exemplifies the type of person we should strive to be, with God’s help. Standing up for our own rights as people created in the image of God. Standing up for those that society finds it is easier to shun or ignore. Standing up to those with earthly power to remind them of the value of unity, across all divides.
It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to cower in fear of authority, or join the crowd that wants to send away those who are different, or buy into the lie that says we are fighting on different sides, when we are actually one people. May Catherine’s life, devoted to self-determination, healing, and unity, be an example to us all.
Amen
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