The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena: Modern English Edition - Softcover

Siena, St. Catherine Of

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0945272553 ISBN 13: 9780945272557

Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing, 2011

Synopsis

"The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena" is a Catholic Classic. This writing was dictated by the saint while in the mystical state of ecstasy while in dialogue with God the Father. Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was the second woman to be given the title of Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church mainly because on her writings. Her "Dialogue" will help one better understand God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, the real meaning of life, and how to live an authentic Christian life. It includes sections on Divine Providence, Discretion, Prayer, and Obedience. These mystical writings contain explanations and affirmations of many Bible passages and traditional Church teachings including what is needed to attain Heaven and avoid hell, and how to progress through the stages of the spiritual life to union with God. Highly recommended for a better understanding of what God desires and requires of us. The book is also filled with wisdom including insights how to be happy, for example, "Man is placed above all creatures, and not beneath them, and he cannot be satisfied or content except in something greater than himself. Greater than himself there is nothing but Myself, the Eternal God. Therefore I alone can satisfy him." (page 111) This translation has been updated into modern English with minimal editing by Kathryn Marcellino, OCDS, www.catholicspiritualdirection.org. The editing mainly consists of changing older and archaic expressions to modern ones and replacing most archaic words to their modern equivalent.

About this title

About the Author:

Saint Catherine of Siena (March 25, 1347 - April 29, 1380) was a tertiary of the Dominican Order. She worked to bring the Papacy back to Rome from its displacement in France, and to establish peace among the Italian city-states. She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970 and is one of only three women Doctors of the Church. She is one of the two patron saints of Italy, together with Francis of Assisi. Catherine had her first vision of Christ when she was age five or six saying that Jesus smiled at her, blessed her, and left her in ecstasy. At age seven she vowed chastity. Her parents were not supportive of some of her religious desires. She was advised by her confessor and biographer Raymond of Capua to "Build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee." Serving her family humbly became an opportunity for spiritual growth. A vision of St. Dominic strengthened her. Catherine received the habit of a Dominican tertiary. As a third order member she lived at home with her family. In about 1366, Catherine experienced what she described in her letters as a "Mystical Marriage" with Jesus. She was told by Christ to leave her withdrawn life and enter the public life of the world. Catherine dedicated much of her life to helping the ill and the poor. After investigation by the Dominican order, she began traveling with her followers advocating reform of the clergy and advising people that repentance and renewal could be done through "the total love for God." She also began writing letters including to figures in authority as she begged for peace between the republics and principalities of Italy and for the return of the Papacy from Avignon, France to Rome. She corresponded with Pope Gregory XI, also asking him to reform the clergy and the administration of the Papal States. Through her requests and prayers, Pope Gregory XI returned his administration to Rome in January 1377. St Catherine's letters are considered one of the great works of early Tuscan literature. St Catherine died in Rome, the spring of 1380, at the age of thirty-three. Jesus Christ is also thought to have died at the same age. On May 5, 1940 Pope Pius XII named her a joint Patron Saint of Italy along with Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Paul VI gave her the title of Doctor of the Church in 1970 along with Saint Teresa of Avila making them the first women to receive this honor. In 1999 Pope John Paul II made her one of Europe's patron saints. (This biography is adapted from Wikipedia.)

From the Inside Flap:

Saint Catherine of Siena's Dialogue describes the entire spiritual life through a series of conversations between God and the soul, represented by Catherine herself. Readers of The Dialogue will find Catherine's revelations from God as informative and formative as those who recognized her sanctity during her life. The universally applicable yet intimately personal messages she received from God are as much for us as they were for Catherine. We can read God's communications to his beloved daughter with detached awe or we can receive His messages to us through her writings.

Do you long for certainty that Divine Providence exists in the midst of our chaotic world? Does your prayer seem too dry, or too routine? Have you sought guidance for the challenges of your life from unhelpful people or things? Or has your pride kept you from humble obedience to the Church? If so, The Dialogue will provide consolation, encouragement, and hope.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0945272553
• ISBN 13: 9780945272557
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 184
• Editor: Marcellino Kathryn