7 Inspiring ideas from the great St. Catherine of Siena

The feast of St. Catherine of Siena is coming up on April 29. It’s a great time to recall this extraordinary saint and all she has to teach us. 

St. Catherine was renowned for her holiness even during her lifetime. A lay member of the Dominican Order, she practiced a supernatural generosity, prayer, and sacrifice. She’s also known for her role in persuading Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon.

Thanks to her profound spiritual writings, St. Catherine was one of the first women saints to be named a Doctor of the Church. Perhaps her most famous quotation is “If you are what you should be, you will set Italy ablaze,” which is frequently repeated as “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” 

But this is only one of her many keen insights into human nature and the spiritual life. These 7 ideas from her writings are deceptively simple: Each one leaves us with much to ponder and take to heart.

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Read more:Catherine of Siena: The Divine Physician is more ready to cure than we are to sin

Read more:Where to begin in the spiritual life, according to St. Catherine of Siena