A lay Dominican of the 14th century, St. Catherine of Siena is remembered for her boldness in confronting corruption, her defense of truth, and her unquenchable zeal for God. The second woman to be granted the title “Doctor of the Church,” she experienced numerous visions of Christ and recounted her conversations with God in the text The Dialogue. As we celebrate her Memorial on April 29, we invite you to reflect on 10 quotes from her writings that continue to inspire the faithful today.
On Standing for Truth
“The world is lost through silence.”
On Love and Selflessness
“You are rewarded not according to time or work, but according to the measure of your love.”
“For ye are all trees of love, and without love ye cannot live, for ye have been made by Me for love.”
“Love transforms you into what you love.”
“To show the love we have to Him, we ought to serve and love every rational creature.”
“Lose yourself wholly; the more you lose, the more you will find.”
On the Attributes of God
“Eternal Beauty! …You act as if You could not live without Your creature, even though You are Life itself, and everything has its life from You and nothing can live without You. Why then are you so mad? Because You have fallen madly in love with what You have made.”
“You are the Fire that takes away the cold, illuminates the mind with its light, and causes me to know the truth.”
On Loving Your Neighbor
“God said: I have placed you in the midst of your fellows so that you may do to them what you cannot do to Me – that is, so that you may love your neighbor freely without expecting any return from him. And what you do to him I count as done to Me.”
“It is impossible to fulfill the law concerning love for Me, God eternal, apart from the law concerning love for your neighbors. These are the two feet of affection on which you must follow the commandments and counsels given you by Christ crucified.”
Sources:
A Dictionary of Quotes from the Saints, Dr. Paul Thigpen
Butler’s Lives of Saints, edited by Bernard Bangley
Saint Catherine of Siena as Seen in Her Letters, translated and edited by Vida D. Scudder
The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin Catherine of Siena, translated by Algar Thorold
The Way of Saints, Tom Cowan