our Saint of the Day ✝️ wrote and prayed extensively about purgatory. Find out who it is!
March 26, 2024
Dear Fellow Seekers,
As Holy Week unfolds before us, I'm filled with a sense of reverence and anticipation for the sacred moments that lie ahead. This Tuesday, let’s take a moment to reflect upon from where we’ve come.
Has Lent led you to a deeper experience of God? Are you recognizing the changes that you must make to claim your humanity? Are you experiencing clarity in your mission – what is being asked of you as disciple of Jesus?
Saint Peter is asked three questions later this week. Will you answer as he did or has Lent enabled you to respond differently? I hope today brings you new insights on the way to the cross.
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Going to confession one day was the turning point of Catherine’s life. When Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-indulgence. Catherine’s parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13, she attempted to become a nun but failed because of her age. At 16, she married Julian, a nobleman who turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure.
One day in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian, who soon turned from his self-centered life of distraction. Julian’s spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and to dedicate themselves to works of charity there. After Julian’s death in 1497, Catherine took over management of the hospital. She wrote about purgatory which, she said, begins on earth for souls open to God. Life with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life with God begun on earth.
Exhausted by her life of self-sacrifice, Catherine died September 15, 1510, and was canonized in 1737. The liturgical feast of Saint Catherine of Genoa is celebrated on September 15.
Reflection
Regular confession and frequent Communion can help us see the direction–or drift–of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Saint Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
Find a deeper understanding of pain and healing from Ronald Rolheiser, OMI.
Ronald Rolheiser, one of the most influential spiritual writers of our day, offers profound reflections on the central mystery of our Christian faith. His meditations on the passion and the cross invites you to a new understanding of redemption and offers insight into the meaning of your own suffering.
We must not forget how the legend of St. Francis’ initial conversion to religious life begins before the cross in the form of the now-famous San Damiano crucifix.
This is not a God who is vindictive, vengeful, sadistic, or punishing that speaks to the heart of Francis and calls him forth to live more deliberately his baptismal vocation to follow the Gospel, but a God of love. It is a God who suffered on the cross precisely because of love, not despite it. And this love, this passion for humanity, touched the life of Francis in a permanent, life-altering way.
After Francis’ death, Bonaventure will talk about the “transformative power of love.” Love is what moved the heart and mind of the saint from Assisi, and it is love that is the greatest force for change and good in our world. The cross, therefore, was not a sign of sin and death, but a sign of the tremendous power of love that speaks through the centuries, across all times and places, to the daily human experiences of true love.
Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni, caster of ceremonies for Pope Francis, takes pilgrims on an unforgettable tour of the most important sites in the Holy Land through guided meditations and prayerful reflections.
Eighteen original watercolor drawings by Alessandro Alghisi capture the beauty and sacredness of these places.
Every greeting can be an opportunity to acknowledge the holiness of our companions. United in the Holy Spirit, our spirits bless one another. Our “hello” can be our blessing and affirmation that we are God’s beloved children and make a commitment to support each other.
Pray
Parent of us all, whose love joins us in spirit and love, let every greeting be a prayer and every word be a blessing. Let me see the holiness in myself and in my neighbor, and share your love with everyone I meet. Amen.
Act
In the spirit of seeing every encounter as a blessing, let me consciously bless everyone I meet today, surrounding them with God’s love and treating them with respect and civility.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Bruce Epperly. Learn more here!
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