Novena to St Catherine - Day 7

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Novena to St Catherine - Day 7

Dominican Nuns Ireland
Published by Dominican Nuns Ireland in Reflections (Dominican) · 26 April 2024
Tags: stcatherineofsienanovenatostcatherinefeastdaypatron
Novena to St Catherine - Day Seven


Novena Prayer
The holy virgin, Saint Catherine, never ceased praying to God
to let peace return to His holy Church, alleluia.

V/: Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us.
R/: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Almighty God, you made St Catherine of Siena a contemplative lover of the Lord’s sufferings
and an ardent servant of your
Church.
Grant, through her prayer that your people may be united
to Christ in His mystery,
and rejoice forever in the revelation of
His glory.

We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Reflection
St Catherine & the Miracle of the Host
26th of April

St. Catherine's life is replete with extraordinary circumstances, and Our Lord's particular love for her was manifested in countless ways.

In the following extract, Bl. Raymond of Capua shares a most unusual example in his Life of St Catherine:

"After our return from Avignon to Sienna, we visited, in the environs of the city, some servants of God, In order to console ourselves together in the Lord. We came back on the festival of St. John the Evangelist, and when we arrived at Catharine's, the hour of Tierce had already passed. She turned towards me and said : "O father, did you but know how hungry my poor soul is." I understood her meaning, and rejoined : the hour of saying Mass is nearly elapsed, and I am so fatigued that it is very difficult for me to prepare myself for it. She remained silent a moment, but soon, unable to restrain the expression of her desire she said to me again: "I am famished."

I then consented to yield to her request, and repaired to the chapel in her house, which had been permitted her by the Holy Father. I confessed her; I clothed myself in my sa- cerdotal vestments, and celebrated the Mass of the day. I consecrated one small Host for her, and when I had communicated, I turned to give her the ordinary absolution. Her countenance was angelic and beaming with light; so charged was she, that I hesitated in recognising her, and I said interiorly: "Is the Lord truly thy faithful and beloved Spouse?" and 0n turning again to the altar, I added mentally: "come, Lord, to thy Spouse."

At the same instant the sacred Host, before I touched it, moved', and came at more than three fingers' distance to the paten, which I was holding in my hand. I was so much occupied with the light that I had seen beaming from Catherine's countenance, and of the motion of the consecrated Host, which I distinctly saw, that I do not perfectly remember whether it placed itself alone on the paten, or whether I laid it there ; I dare not affirm it, but I think it deposited itself thereon."

(Artwork: St. Catherine of Siena by Fr. Henry Flanagan, O.P., Monastery of St Catherine of Siena, Drogheda)



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