Chapter, Paragraph

2501   4,     11  |           heaviness of my body, and to give my life for the glory
2502   4,     11  |         myself in You, I saw myself to be Your image, my life being
2503   4,     11  |          Your wisdom, which belongs to Your only-begotten Son,
2504   4,     11  |         Your Son, by whom I am able to love You. You, Eternal Trinity,
2505   4,     11  |         faith I hope, suffer me not to faint by the way. This light,
2506   4,     11  |          turbid, and causes no fear to the soul, for she knows
2507   4,     11  |     humanity. For this light I know to represent to myself You --
2508   4,     11  |           light I know to represent to myself You -- the Supreme
2509   4,     11  |          Yourself in a fire of love to men; You, the garment which
2510   4,     11  |            things You have declared to me, explaining to me the
2511   4,     11  |          declared to me, explaining to me the path of supreme perfection,
2512   4,     11  |          Your light. Who can attain to Your Greatness, and give
2513   4,     11  |          graces which You give also to Your other creatures? You
2514   4,     11  |    creatures? You have been willing to condescend to my need and
2515   4,     11  |          been willing to condescend to my need and to that of Your
2516   4,     11  |           condescend to my need and to that of Your creatures --
2517   4,     11  |        Having first given the grace to ask the question, You reply
2518   4,     11  |             the question, You reply to it, and satisfy Your servant,
2519   4,     11  |          feel that my soul is about to become inebriated afresh." ~
2520 Lette        |           Saint Catherine of Siena, to Sister Catherine Petriboni
2521 Lette,      0|            sinner, recommend myself to your holy prayers as a feeble
2522 Lette,      0|       pleasure, and communicated it to my afflicted mothers here,
2523 Lette,      0|            greatly, for their part, to your prayers, and beg you
2524 Lette,      0|           your prayers, and beg you to recommend them to the Prioress
2525 Lette,      0|           beg you to recommend them to the Prioress and all the
2526 Lette,      0|      sisters that they may be ready to do all that may be pleasing
2527 Lette,      0|            all that may be pleasing to God concerning themselves
2528 Lette,      0|           faithful daughter, desire to know the end of our common
2529 Lette,      0|            mother, I am constrained to satisfy your desire; and
2530 Lette,      0|          and although I know myself to be but little fitted to
2531 Lette,      0|             to be but little fitted to give such a narration, I
2532 Lette,      0|           of my soul have been able to comprehend. ~
2533 Lette,      0|             the Circumcision, began to feel so great a change both
2534 Lette,      0|          body, that she was obliged to alter her mode of life,
2535 Lette,      0|    sustenance becoming so loathsome to her, that it was only with
2536 Lette,      0|             she could force herself to take any, and, when she
2537 Lette,      0|            refreshment, whence came to her a most violent and tedious
2538 Lette,      0|       throat that her breath seemed to be fire, with all which,
2539 Lette,      0|             spite of her infirmity, to give herself with such application
2540 Lette,      0|            such application of mind to prayer that the frequency
2541 Lette,      0|         depth of her heart appeared to us a miracle. I think, too,
2542 Lette,      0|      reduced that dear tender frame to greater weakness than would
2543 Lette,      0|           and was thus carried back to bed. Thence, after an hour
2544 Lette,      0|             afresh, and we would go to St. Peter's, although a
2545 Lette,      0|          vespers, finally returning to the house so worn out that
2546 Lette,      0|             dangers ever more grave to which she knew the Holy
2547 Lette,      0|            she knew the Holy Church to be exposed, on account of
2548 Lette,      0|             for eight weeks, unable to lift her head, and full
2549 Lette,      0|          from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head, to
2550 Lette,      0|           to the crown of her head, to such an extent that she
2551 Lette,      0|            God has given permission to the devils to torment this
2552 Lette,      0|            permission to the devils to torment this body at their
2553 Lette,      0|    evidently was so; for, if I were to attempt to explain the patience
2554 Lette,      0|           for, if I were to attempt to explain the patience which
2555 Lette,      0|     unheard-of agony, I should fear to injure, by my explanations,
2556 Lette,      0|        raise her eyes and her heart to God and say: "Thanks to
2557 Lette,      0|             to God and say: "Thanks to You, oh eternal Spouse,
2558 Lette,      0|             graces afresh every day to me, Your miserable and most
2559 Lette,      0|         this way her body continued to consume itself until the
2560 Lette,      0|            that time it was reduced to such a state that it seemed
2561 Lette,      0|             a little, from one side to another. In the night preceding
2562 Lette,      0|            and devotion, made signs to those who were standing
2563 Lette,      0|      standing near that she desired to receive Holy Absolution
2564 Lette,      0|            faults and the pains due to them, and so it was done.
2565 Lette,      0|            became gradually reduced to such a state that we could
2566 Lette,      0|             of this it seemed right to give her extreme unction,
2567 Lette,      0|        unction she began altogether to change, and to make various
2568 Lette,      0|           altogether to change, and to make various signs with
2569 Lette,      0|             head and her arms as if to show that she was suffering
2570 Lette,      0|        passed in silence, she began to say: "I have sinned! Oh
2571 Lette,      0|         suddenly changed from gloom to angelic light, and her tearful
2572 Lette,      0|          deep sea, she was restored to herself, which circumstance
2573 Lette,      0|            with a little help began to sit up, leaning against
2574 Lette,      0|          cross set in it, and began to adore it, explaining, in
2575 Lette,      0|          which are given in general to all, or those which Your
2576 Lette,      0|         with which You commanded me to seek always to give You
2577 Lette,      0|         commanded me to seek always to give You honor, and to spend
2578 Lette,      0|       always to give You honor, and to spend myself in labors for
2579 Lette,      0|             command me, oh, my God! to abandon all thought of myself
2580 Lette,      0|           all thought of myself and to consider solely the praise
2581 Lette,      0|             of the most holy Cross, to comfort myself? But I have
2582 Lette,      0|              You did ever invite me to bind myself to You alone
2583 Lette,      0|            invite me to bind myself to You alone by sweet, loving,
2584 Lette,      0|          world, and give new beauty to Your Spouse; but I, wretched
2585 Lette,      0|          charge of souls, assigning to me so many beloved sons,
2586 Lette,      0|       singular love and direct them to You by the way of Life,
2587 Lette,      0|            of Life, but I have been to them nothing but a mirror
2588 Lette,      0|         labors which it pleased You to accumulate on this fragile
2589 Lette,      0|            with which You sent them to me. Alas! oh, my Love, through
2590 Lette,      0|           in fact, I was unfaithful to You, because I did not keep
2591 Lette,      0|             keep my memory faithful to You alone and to Your most
2592 Lette,      0|           faithful to You alone and to Your most high benefits;
2593 Lette,      0|            only or disposed my will to love You immediately with
2594 Lette,      0|             need, and then, turning to the priest, said: "For the
2595 Lette,      0|          the crucifix, began afresh to adore it with the greatest
2596 Lette,      0|          the greatest devotion, and to say certain very profound
2597 Lette,      0|             my sins, was not worthy to understand, and also on
2598 Lette,      0|          while we, placing our ears to her mouth, were able to
2599 Lette,      0|             to her mouth, were able to catch one or two now or
2600 Lette,      0|            passing them on from one to the other. After this she
2601 Lette,      0|        other. After this she turned to certain of her sons, who
2602 Lette,      0|            previously, she had made to the whole family, showing
2603 Lette,      0|        particular task which he was to perform after her death.
2604 Lette,      0|         death. She now did the same to these others, begging most
2605 Lette,      0|        slight care which she seemed to have had of our salvation.
2606 Lette,      0|             she said certain things to Lucio and to another, and
2607 Lette,      0|         certain things to Lucio and to another, and finally to
2608 Lette,      0|             to another, and finally to me, and then turned herself
2609 Lette,      0|          turned herself straightway to prayer. ~
2610 Lette,      0|          that it was a bitter sweet to her. How full of tender
2611 Lette,      0|        mother, recommending herself to her blessed child, and begging
2612 Lette,      0|      blessed child, and begging her to obtain a particular grace
2613 Lette,      0|      approaching her end, she began to pray especially for the
2614 Lette,      0|            she resolutely confessed to be the true Pontiff, and
2615 Lette,      0|         strengthened her sons never to hesitate to give their life
2616 Lette,      0|          her sons never to hesitate to give their life for that
2617 Lette,      0|             the Lord had given her, to love Him alone, repeating
2618 Lette,      0|           recommended the disciples to the Father, praying with
2619 Lette,      0|            thus continued in prayer to the end of her life for
2620 Lette,      0|           Lord, call me, and I come to You, not through my merits,
2621 Lette,      0|        thought himself who was able to touch it. Almighty God also
2622 Lette,      0|           say no more. Recommend me to the Prioress and all the
2623 Lette,      0|           preserve you and help you to grow in His grace. ~