Episode Details

It's the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Christian Suffering", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV and Madame Mullaly", a preview of the Sermon: "Be Subject to Every Human Creature for God's Sake", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Please consider helping to produce the Abp. Lefebvre Audiobook: https://sspx.gifts/audiobook

Sources Used Today:

• "Christian Suffering" — Eastertide Day by Day
  • https://angeluspress.org/products/eastertide-day-by-day
  
  
• "Leo XIV and Madame Mullaly" (FSSPX.news)
  • https://fsspx.news/en/news/leo-xiv-and-madame-mullaly-58806
  
  
• "Be Subject to Every Human Creature for God's Sake" (SSPX Sermons)
  • SSPX YouTube: Sermons Playlist
  • Listen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast
  
  
• The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
  • https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop
  
  

Saint Catherine of Siena was a woman of extraordinary holiness whose life united deep contemplation with bold action in the life of the Church. She was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy, one of many children in a large family. From an early age, she showed a strong desire to belong entirely to God. As a young girl, she consecrated her virginity to Christ and later joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic, choosing to live a life of prayer and penance within her own home.

Catherine’s early years were marked by intense prayer and solitude. She withdrew from the world to grow in her relationship with God, embracing fasting, sacrifice, and constant recollection. Yet this hidden life did not remain hidden. Gradually, people began to seek her out for guidance, drawn by her wisdom and her evident union with God.

What makes Catherine remarkable is how she moved from solitude into the heart of the Church’s struggles. The fourteenth century was a time of crisis, marked by division, corruption, and the absence of the pope from Rome. Catherine, though uneducated in the formal sense, wrote letters to princes, leaders, and even to Pope Gregory XI, urging him to return to Rome and to fulfill his role as shepherd of the Church. Her words were direct and fearless, yet filled with charity and a deep love for the Church.

Catherine also devoted herself to caring for the sick and the poor, especially during times of plague. She served with compassion, seeing Christ in those who suffered. Her life was marked by mystical experiences, including a profound union with Christ, often described as a spiritual marriage.

The Church honors Saint Catherine as a Doctor of the Church, recognizing her wisdom and her role in guiding souls toward God. She is also named a patron of Europe, reflecting her influence beyond her own time and place.

Devotion to Saint Catherine