MEMORIAL OF ST CATHERINE OF SIENA OP, VIRGIN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE MEMORIAL OF ST CATHERINE OF SIENA OP, VIRGIN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3: 7 - 15).

Tuesday April 29th 2025 in the 2nd Week in the Easter Season is the feast of St Catherine of Siena OP, Virgin and Doctor of the Church.

St Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380). Italian Dominican Tertiary. Virgin and Doctor of the Church.

Catherine died at the age of 33 and accomplished for the Kingdom of God what most of us could never accomplish even if we live to be 90 years.

She brought about the renewal of the Church in a period of moral laxity. She was instrumental in reuniting the Church during the great Western Schism. She authored a spiritual classic, THE DIALOGUE. Catherine is the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church. She is the patron saint of plagues and Italy and co-patron saint of Europe with St Benedict.

God set St Catherine on fire with divine love and boldness in the service of the Church. And Catherine set the Church on fire with her zeal and service.

"Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire." St Catherine of Siena said and lived this maxim.

A few quotes to nourish our faith from St Catherine of Siena:

1. “Love follows knowledge.”
2. “The human heart is drawn by love.”
3. "Humanity is nothing of itself; what we have, we have from God by grace, not because he owes it to us."
4. “God is more willing to pardon than we have been to sin.”
5. “What father ever gave up his son to death for the sake of his slave!”.
6. “God was made man and man was made God.”
7. “Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.”
8. “All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, "I am the way.”

Let us note that St Catherine of Siena had no formal education.

"Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children." (Matthew 11: 25).

Jesus was born, lived and died to establish the Kingdom of God.

In our Gospel of today, Jesus answered Nicodemus, quoting from the AMP Bible translation, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

The carnal man is incapable of experiencing spiritual things. He is acquainted only with material carnal things. (Cf Romans 8: 6; 1 Corinthians 2: 14). This is what Jesus teaches Nicodemus. This is also a truth anyone can bear witness to by reflecting on his acquaintances.

Everything is created twice. The first creation is from the earth and unsurprisingly earthy. The second creation is from above and is heavenly. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the second birth. And this happens when we are baptized. We become born anew and in fact new creation.

Since we died with Christ when we were immersed into the water of Baptism and raised with Christ, let us seek what is above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. (Cf Colossians 3: 1).

THE EUCHARIST IS THE PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

The Church honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.

For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-holy-eucharist_31.html?m=1