An excerpt my roommate’s friend shared with her that she subsequently shared with me. It’s from a writing called “Truth” from St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380):
Your chief desire ought to be to slay your selfish will so that it neither seeks nor wants anything but to follow my gentle Truth, Christ crucified, by seeking then honor and glory of my name and the salvation of souls.
Those who live in this gentle light do just this. Therefore they are always peaceful and calm, and nothing can scandalize them because they have done away with what causes them to take scandal, their self-will. They trample under food all the persecutions the world and the devil can hound them with. They can stand in the water of great trouble and temptations, but it cannot hurt them because they are anchored to the vine of burning desire.
They find joy in everything. They do not sit in judgment on my servants or anyone else, but rejoice in every situation and every way of living they see, saying, “Thanks to you, eternal Father, that in your house there are so many dwelling places!” And they are happier to see many different ways than if they were to see everyone walking the same way, because this way they see the greatness of [God’s] goodness more fully revealed. In everything they find the joy and fragrance of the rose.
O dearest daughter, let the love of this sweet and marvelous state take hold of you. Look at those who run along in this glorious light and their own magnificence. Their spirits are holy and they feast at the table of holy desire. By this light they have come to find their nourishment in the food of souls for the honor of me the eternal Father. They are clothed in the lovely garment, the teaching, of the Lamb, my only-begotten Son, with flaming charity.
They do not waste their time passing false judgment, either against my servants or the world’s servants. They are not scandalized by any grumbling on anyone’s part: if it is against themselves they are happy to suffer for my name, and when it is against someone else they bear it with compassion for their neighbor, grumbling neither against the grumbler nor the victim, because their love for me and for their neighbor is well ordered. And because their love is well ordered, dearest daughter, they are never scandalized in those they love, nor in any person, because in this regard they are blind, and therefore they assume no right to be concerned with the intentions of other people but only with discerning my merciful will.
