One of my favorite saints is St. Catherine of Siena. She was a no-nonsense, “tell it like it is” woman. If she believed you were doing something wrong, she badgered you till you got it right. The year 1309 was a dark period in the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Clement V decided to abandon Rome and move the Catholic Church Headquarters to Avignon, France. Clement aligned the church politically with the wealthy French King Phillip IV. Partisan politics will always destroy the spiritual mission of the church. The church leaders acted like little kings instead of humble servants for Jesus. They spent fortunes on expensive wardrobes. Silver and gold plates were used at lavish banquets. Food replaced Faith. St. Catherine was appalled. Her love of Jesus fueled her zeal to reform the Church. She knew the Pope had to leave the decadence of Avignon and get back to its spiritual roots, Rome. Through face-to-face meetings with the Popes and a barrage of letters, Catherine’s perseverance paid off. Just two years before her death in 1378, Pope Gregory XI brought the church home to Rome where the bones of St. Peter lay. St. Catherine’s power came directly from her spiritual union with Jesus. She had a mystical vision in which she saw Jesus seated on a throne in Heaven. Jesus called her to give her whole life to Him, and she did. Catherine was only seven years old. Catherine revealed a mystical conversation she had with Jesus that, at first, seems disturbing until you understand what Jesus is saying. Jesus asked Catherine, “Do you know who you are and who I am?” Then Jesus answered His own question saying, “You are she who is not. I am He who is.” This is a difficult thing to hear because, at first, it seems to imply you are nothing. But that’s not what Jesus meant. He meant, I am nothing before God because He created me, but then God gave me everything. In God’s eyes I am everything because “He is”. Catherine believed God is crazy and madly in love with you. This is the core of her teaching which made her a Doctor of the Church.

Jesus tells you today who you are. “You are my friends”. (John 15:14) Then Jesus says what you must do to be His friend. “Do what I command you…love one another as I love you.” (John 15:12) This is the core of His teaching which made Him Savior of the World. Jesus defines the greatest love of all, “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

There is a true story about an orphanage bombed in a rural village during the Vietnam War. An eight-year-old girl sustained many injuries. She was bleeding profusely. An orphanage boy ran to the nearby town seeking a doctor and a nurse who followed him back to the village. The girl needed an immediate blood transfusion. Without it, she would die. An American nurse not knowing Vietnamese asked the children in broken French if anyone would be willing to give blood. A small hand went up very slowly. A boy named Heng offered to donate his blood. The nurse quickly put him on a pallet, injecting a needle into his vein. Heng became very distressed. Using his other had he covered his face and began to cry. The nurse asked him if he was in pain. He said, “No.” Yet he continued to cry, even putting his hand into his mouth to stifle his crying. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see the blood flow out of his arm. Another nurse who spoke fluent Vietnamese arrived on the scene. She asked Heng what was wrong. She listened, then reassured him. He opened his eyes. His face became peaceful. The Vietnamese nurse told the American medical team, “Heng thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you asked him to give all his blood to save the little girl.” The American nurse asked, “Why would he do that?” Heng replied to the Vietnamese nurse, “Because she is my friend.” Like Heng, Jesus was willing to give all His Blood for you. Unlike Heng, He gave it all. Why? Because you are God’s friend. Jesus is our blood transfusion for eternal life. (Story from Carol Myers)

My seminary professor always said, “God’s Love is free but it isn’t cheap.” God chooses to shower His crazy love on you. The price you pay is to give it away. Blessings…Fr. Mike