A hearty soup and Saint Catherine of Siena



"Thanks to you, O God, for showing us how madly in love you are with us!"

When I first heard this description of God's love for us, I

wanted to know the woman who uttered them: Catherine

of Siena born March 25th 1347 and died at the age of 33

on April 29th. Her short life was just as intense as her

love for her God and Church. She fascinated me as a

young student in Rome. I visited her city which seemed to

capture her vibrant spirit and is still as beautiful as I

imagined. This marble statue designed in 1961 by Francesco

Messina, adorns the gardens of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.

She died there, where she had gone to advise the pope.

Understandly there are many books written about her.

   This creative and passionate woman often spoke about

Gentle Truth and love of neighbor. For her, savoring Truth

meant allowing it to sink deeply in one's heart and putting

those thoughts into action. She herself was in her own words

"madly in love with God" which kept her focused in her

activities. Her claim to history was healing through diplomacy

the schism that pitted two Popes against each other: Urban VI

and Clement VII. Eventually, she convinced Pope Gregory XI

to leave Avignon in France to return to the Vatican in Rome.

This was a monumental achievement by any standard.

   She described God's love as a hearty soup. I remember asking the cook to start off a weekend discussion on Catherine by

making us a hearty soup. I thought that incredible soup did

more for us than my fancy words. Until we encounter this

hearty soup, Catherine tells us, we will not see the truth of

God's love. For her, divine truth was in her savior's sacrifice

on the cross through his precious blood. In our century, we

would say she was an A+ personality whose work consumed

her life. She did not suffer fools gladly, equally tough on

herself as well as her friends. She did not mince words and was

insistent on our responsibility in seeking out what is right and

just. Her major work, The Dialogues, tells us about her

experiences. Of the 400 letters written to various persons, I like

her letter to a Niccolo di Toldo who was sentenced to death. It

shows her compassion and care. Confident in the power of

grace, Catherine believed we have to begin with truth or the

journey we embark upon is bound to have a poor ending.

   On this unusually cool summer day, I am thinking of making

a hearty soup. I remembered Catherine's description of God's

love. May we never forget that truth on our journey!