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The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa

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The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa Author(s): Catherine of Genoa, St. Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa tells the powerful story of fifteenth century mystic and humanitarian, St. Catherine of Genoa. It begins with her biography, which depicts both her great pain over various difficulties and her great love for the poor and the sick as she helped them in the hospital of Genoa. But the Life and Doctrine doesn't simply tell the story of St. Catherine's life; it also contains her two important treatises. The first--Spiritual Dialogue--is a dialogue that emphasizes love and devotion to God and fel- low human beings. The second--Treatise on Purgatory--is her extended reflection upon suffering, death, purgatory, and the afterlife. Together, all three works illustrate the power and meaningfulness of a life dedicated to God; further, The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa can help nur- ture such a life of dedication. Tim Perrine CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: Christian Denominations Roman Catholic Church Biography and portraits Individual Saints, A-Z i Contents Title Page 1 INTRODUCTION 2 LIFE AND DOCTRINE OF SAINT CATHERINE OF GENOA 7 CHAPTER I 8 CHAPTER II 10 CHAPTER III 13 CHAPTER IV 15 CHAPTER V 16 CHAPTER VI 18 CHAPTER VII 19 CHAPTER VIII 21 CHAPTER IX 22 CHAPTER X 24 CHAPTER XI 25 CHAPTER XII 27 CHAPTER XIII 29 CHAPTER XIV 31 CHAPTER XV 35 CHAPTER XVI 37 CHAPTER XVII 40 CHAPTER XVIII 42 CHAPTER XIX 44 CHAPTER XX 46 CHAPTER XXI 49 CHAPTER XXII 50 CHAPTER XXIII 52 ii CHAPTER XXIV 55 CHAPTER XXV 57 CHAPTER XXVI 58 CHAPTER XXVII 59 CHAPTER XXVIII 61 CHAPTER XXIX 62 CHAPTER XXX 63 CHAPTER XXXI 64 CHAPTER XXXII 66 CHAPTER XXXIII 68 CHAPTER XXXV 71 CHAPTER XXXVI 73 CHAPTER XXXVII 75 CHAPTER XXXVIII 77 CHAPTER XXXIX 79 CHAPTER XL 82 CHAPTER XLL 85 CHAPTER XLII 87 SPIRITUAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE SOUL, THE BODY, SELF-LOVE, THE 88 SPIRIT, HUMANITY, AND THE LORD GOD FIRST PART 89 CHAPTER I 90 CHAPTER II 92 CHAPTER III 94 CHAPTER IV 96 CHAPTER V 98 CHAPTER VI 100 CHAPTER VII 102 CHAPTER VIII 103 CHAPTER IX 106 CHAPTER X 108 CHAPTER XI 109 iii CHAPTER XII 111 CHAPTER XIII 113 CHAPTER XIV 114 CHAPTER XV 115 CHAPTER XVI 117 CHAPTER XVII 119 CHAPTER XVIII 120 CHAPTER XIX 122 CHAPTER XX 123 CHAPTER XXI 124 SPIRITUAL DIALOGUES PART SECOND 125 CHAPTER I 126 CHAPTER II 128 CHAPTER III 130 CHAPTER IV 132 CHAPTER V 133 CHAPTER VI 135 CHAPTER VII 137 CHAPTER VIII 138 CHAPTER IX 139 CHAPTER X 141 CHAPTER XI 143 SPIRITUAL DIALOGUES PART THIRD 145 CHAPTER I 146 CHAPTER II 149 CHAPTER III 150 CHAPTER IV 152 CHAPTER V 154 CHAPTER VI 156 CHAPTER VII 157 CHAPTER VIII 159 CHAPTER IX 161 iv CHAPTER X 163 CHAPTER XI 165 CHAPTER XII 167 CHAPTER XIII 169 TREATISE ON PURGATORY 171 CHAPTER I 172 CHAPTER II 173 CHAPTER III 174 CHAPTER IV 175 CHAPTER V 176 CHAPTER VI 177 CHAPTER VII 178 CHAPTER VIII 179 CHAPTER IX 180 CHAPTER X 181 CHAPTER XI 182 CHAPTER XII 183 CHAPTER XIII 184 CHAPTER XIV 185 CHAPTER XV 186 CHAPTER XVI 187 CHAPTER XVII 188 v This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, Kindle, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/catherine_g/life.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/2809. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. vi Title Page Title Page LIFE AND DOCTRINE OF SAINT CATHERINE OF GENOA TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN NEW YORK CHRISTIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION PUBLISHING CO. 1907 1 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The publication of the Life of St Catherine of Genoa at this moment is, for several reasons, opportune. The reading of it will correct the misconceptions of many who honestly fancy that the Catholic Church encourages a mechanical piety, fixes the attention of the soul almost, if not altogether, on outward observances, and inculcates nothing beyond a complete submission to her authority and discipline. The life of our Saint is an example of the reverse of that picture. It makes clear the truth that the immediate guide of the Christian soul is the Holy Spirit, and that her uncommon fidelity to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, made this holy woman worthy of being numbered by the Church among that class of her most cherished children, who have attained the highest degree of Divine love which it is possible for human beings to reach upon earth. The mistake of the persons above spoken of arises from their failing to see that the in- dwelling Holy Spirit is the divine life of the Church, and that her sacraments have for their end to convey the Holy Spirit to the soul. It arises also from their not sufficiently appreciating the necessity of the authority and discipline of the Church, as safeguards to the soul from being led astray from the paths of the Holy Spirit. Without doubt God could have, if He had so pleased, saved and sanctified the souls of men in spite of their ignorance, perversity, and weakness, by the immediate communication and action of the Holy Spirit in their souls, independently of an external organization like the Church. But such was not His pleasure, or His plan. For His own wise reasons, He chose to establish a Church which He authorized to teach the world whatsoever He had com- manded, which He promised to be with unto the end of all time, whose ministry, sacraments, and government should serve Him, as His body had, to continue and complete, by a visible means, the work of man’s redemption. Hence it is an entirely false view of the nature and design of the Church to suppose that it was intended to be, or is in its action, or ever was, or ever can be, a substitute for the au- thority of Christ, or the immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Christian soul. The authority of the Church is no other that the authority of Christ, as He Himself has declared, “He that heareth you, heareth Me.”1 The sacraments are nothing else than the channels, or visible means, of communicating the Holy Spirit to the soul. It is the divine action in the Church which gives to its external organization the principal reason for its existence. And it is equally false, and at the same time absurd, to suppose for a moment that the Holy Spirit indwelling in the Church and embodied in her visible authority, and the same 1 S. Luke x, 16 2 INTRODUCTION Holy Spirit dwelling in and inspiring the Christian souls, should ever contradict each other, or come into collision. Whenever, by supposition, this takes place, be assured it is not the work of the Holy Spirit, but the consequence of ignorance, error, or perversity on the part of the individual; for it must not be forgotten, or ever be lost sight of, that it pleased Christ our Lord to promise to His Church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against her,”2 and not to teach individual Christians. The test, therefore, of the sincerity of the Christian soul in following the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, will be shown, in case of uncertainty, by its prompt obedience to the voice of the Holy Church. It is only when the soul goes astray from the paths of the Holy Spirit, it finds trammels to its feet, otherwise it is conscious of perfect liberty in the Church of God. From the foregoing truths, the following practical rule of safe-conduct can be drawn. The immediate guide of the soul to salvation and sanctification is the Holy Spirit, and the criterion or test that the soul is guided by the Holy Spirit, is its ready obedience to the au- thority of the Church. With this rule there can be no danger of going astray, and the soul can walk in absolute security, in the ways of sanctity. This is the way in which all the saints have trod to arrive at Christian perfection, but no life illustrates this truth more plainly, so far as we are aware, than the life of our saint. There are others who think that the Church fosters a sanctity which is not concerned with this present life, rendering one useless to society, and indifferent to the great needs of humanity. The love of God and the love of one’s neighbor as taught by Christ and His Apostles, are essentially one. If the saints of the Church were distinguished for their great love for God, they ought therefore to be equally distinguished for their great love for mankind.
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