Embracing Disgrace, Scorn and Insult, Hunger, Thirst, Cold and Heat

By Catherine of Sienna

“I long to see your heart and affection stripped of the world and of yourself. There is no other way we can be clothed in Christ crucified, since the world has nothing in common with God. The world's disordered affection loves pride, and God loves humility. The world looks for honor, status and greatness and God spurned these things, embracing disgrace, scorn and insult, hunger, thirst, cold and heat, even to a shameful death on the cross. By this death of his gave honor to the Father, and we were restored to grace. The world looks to please creatures, unconcerned about displeasing the Creator.

“Christ never looked to anything but to fulfill his eternal Father's command for the sake of our salvation. He embraced voluntary poverty and clothed himself in it, while the world seeks great wealth. They are really different from one another. So, if our heart is clothed in the world it is necessarily stripped of God, and if it is stripped of the world, it is necessarily filled with God. This is what our Savior said: "No one can serve two masters. If you serve one, you hold the other in contempt." We must, then, very conscientiously free our heart and affection from this tyrant, the world, and set it on God, completely free and sincere, letting nothing come between ourselves and him. We must not be two-faced or love falsely, since he is our dear God, and he keeps his eyes on us, seeing our hidden and inmost heart.”

St. Catherine of Sienna died in 1380. She is a Doctor of the Church, was a Dominican, a stigmatist and papal counselor.

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