From a Letter of St. Catherine of Sienna, virgin, to Christophora, Prioress of the Monastery of St. Agnes of Montepulciano

 

 

From a Letter of St. Catherine of Sienna, virgin, to Christophora, Prioress of the Monastery of St. Agnes of Montepulciano

 

I implore you and I wish you to follow her teaching and her character. For you know that she always gave you the teaching and example of true humility. This was her chief virtue. I am not surprised by this in the least, she had what a bride must have who wishes to follow the humility of spouse. She had that uncreated charity that continually burned and consumed her heart. She had the taste and hunger for souls, and always applied herself to keeping vigil in prayer. There is no other way of acquiring the virtue of humility, because there is no humility without   charity, and the one nourishes the other.

Do you know what made her arrive at a perfect and authentic virtue? It was free and voluntary self-denial, which made her renounce herself and goods of this world, not wishing to possess anything. This glorious virgin realized that the possession of temporal good leads one to pride. One loses the sweet virtue of true humility, falls into self-love, loses the warmth of charity and abandons the habit of watching and praying. A heart and senses full of this world and of self-love are unable to be filled with Christ and cannot taste true and sweet prayer. Seeing this, Agnes put off hell and put on the crucified Christ. This was not only for herself, but for us. Her example obliges you to it, and you must follow it.

You know well, consecrated brides of Christ, that it is not what comes from your father that you are supposed to possess. Since you have a spouse, you have to guard and possess what comes from your eternal spouse. What you have from your father is your sensuality, which we have to abandon, when the moment has come to follow Christ and to possess his treasure. What was the treasure of Christ crucified? The Cross, disgrace, pain, torture, mockery and reproaches, voluntary poverty, hunger for the honor and for our salvation.

If you possess this treasure with the force of your reason, moved by the charity, you will arrive at that virtue of which we have spoken. You true daughters of your mother, and eager and watchful brides. You will merit to be received by Christ crucified. By his grace, he will open to door of a life that does not end. I will not say any more. Wash in the blood of Christ crucified, Arise, full of zeal and love. If united and not divided, there will be no demon, no creature, that can harm you or hinder your perfection. Abide in the sweet and holy love of God. Sweet Jesus, Jesus my love.