Catherine of Siena 		April 29
Teacher of the Faith
The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Europe witnessed a rich development of the mystical tradition in spirituality, especially amongst lay people. There were a number of women among these mystics, and Catherine of Siena is one of the most important.
Catherine was born in Siena in 1347 (though there is some contrary evidence that she may have been born in 1333), the youngest daughter of the very large family of a local dyer. Despite considerable opposition from her parents, who wished her to marry, she joined the Dominican Third Order at the age of 16. The development of third orders of the religious orders (which grew enormously from the later thirteenth century) offered committed lay people a way of associating closely with an order and living by a rule, but without becoming a fully-professed member of the order.
Having devoted herself to prayer and fasting from an early age, Catherine at length began to undertake a more active ministry. She began nursing the sick, especially lepers and people with cancer, and then gathered around her groups of people who found her personal holiness immensely attractive and her spiritual writings and reflections helpful. She had numerous intense spiritual visions and gave herself courageously to tending the sick during an outbreak of plague. Although she herself could not write, she dictated numerous letters and a Dialogue, a work of mystical spirituality.
During the last five years of her life, she became embroiled in the political strife going on in Europe over the papacy. She boldly intervened in the altercations between the papacy and the Florentines, and urged Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from his “captivity” in Avignon, where the French exerted considerable influence on papal policy. Then, when Europe became divided in its allegiance to the rival popes, Catherine gave unstinting support to Urban VI in Rome, though at the same time castigating him for his harshness to his opponents.
Catherine wore herself out in her efforts and died after a stroke in 1380 at the age of 33. Her political significance should not be over-emphasised, though a measure of her popularity even in her own day is the fact that the return of the papacy to Rome from Avignon was attributed to her. The transparent sanctity of her life and her spiritual writings made her an influential figure.
For Liturgical Use
Catherine was one of a number of people who made important contributions to the mystical tradition in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. She was born in 1347 in Siena, and as a Dominican tertiary became remarkable for her holiness of life and commitment to the care of the sick. Towards the end of her short life she played a part in the attempts to return the papacy to Rome from Avignon, and was forthright in her challenges to the church leaders of her day. She died in 1380.
Sentence
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. 	Revelation 22:17
Collects
Everloving God,
you set the heart of Catherine of Siena on fire
with love for you and for those in need;
move us by your Holy Spirit 
till we see your Son in our neighbour,
and help us to serve you without limit;
for the sake of him who meets all our needs,
Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Jesus,
you cared nothing for the high priest’s rank
nor for his questions.
We acclaim your devoted servant Catherine,
mystic, peacemaker, prophet,
who cared for no man,
whose passionate energy tamed the hardest sinner.
Grant that we may share 
the encouragement she gave her generation.
Psalms	40:5-14	147:1-12
Readings
Ecclesiasticus 7:29-36	Holy living
3 John 1-8		Cause for joy
Luke 10:25-28		To gain eternal life
Post Communion Sentence
If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.	1 John 1:7 (adapted)