Catherine of Genoa: He Requires Nothing of Us but that We Should Love Him with that Same Love with which He Has Loved Us Sunday, Apr 3 2011

When God wills to purify a soul from self-love, he first sends her his divine light, that by it she may discern a spark of that pure love wherewith he loves her, and how much he has done and still does by means of this love.

[…] He also reveals to her that our sins can never excite his anger so far that he ceases to do us good while we are in this world.

Rather does it seem that the more our sins remove us from him, so much the more does he seek to draw us toward himself by many incentives and inspirations, in order that his continued love and his benefits may keep us still in his love.

The better to effect this, he uses countless ways and means, so that every soul, beholding what he has done for her, may exclaim, full of admiration:

“What am I that God seems truly to have no care for anyone but me?”

And, among other things, he reveals to her that pure love with which he created us;

and how he requires nothing of us but that we should love him with that same love wherewith he has loved us;

and that we should remain ever with him, expecting no return except that he may unite himself to us.

[…] God, moreover, made known to this soul that he had created man for the highest good, namely, that with soul and body he might enter into his heavenly home.

He also showed her how great an evil is sin, into which she had herself fallen, and for which there was no remedy but another manifestation of his love….

And he further instructed her in that ardent love for us of which our Lord Jesus Christ gave such proof on the earth.

[…] He allowed her to see the great patience with which he had waited for her, and borne with so many of her sins, in which, if she had died, she would have been lost forever.

[…] He also reminded her of the many inspirations he had given her to save her from sin.

Although she had not only disregarded, but even gone contrary to his will, yet in his goodness, he did not cease to send them, now in one way, now in another.

He allured her free-will in such a way that he had, as it were, forced her to do that which in his goodness he required.

And this, too, he did so gently and patiently, that no example of human love was ever known on earth, which could compare with it.

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510): Spiritual Dialogues 1,8.

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Catherine of Genoa: He Drives Forth Our Enemies One after Another, and Restores to the Soul its Baptismal Robe of Innocence Friday, Jan 21 2011

God in his goodness had left the Soul to wander for awhile among the things of this world until she became disgusted.

(For she soon found by experience that such things could never satisfy her; but that, on the contrary, they became daily more distasteful.)

Then this merciful God sent a light which penetrated her intellect, and showed her all the errors and dangers into which she had fallen, and from which God alone could deliver her.

She saw just where she was, and what path she was pursuing, and that the death of the body was on one side, and the death of the soul on the other.

She found herself in the midst of so many enemies whom she allowed to lead her like a beast to the shambles, and even seemed to go joyfully on her way.

Then terror seized upon her and with a deep and piteous sigh she turned to God, and cried to him as best she could.

Her soul spoke thus: “O wretched creature that I am! Who will deliver me from all this misery? God alone is able: Domine, fac ut videam lumen – Lord, grant that I may see light, that I may escape these snares”.

No sooner had she directed her thoughts to God, and implored his help, without which she saw she had no power to move, but could only go from bad to worse, than suddenly her confidence in him became firm.

She left him to do his own will in what manner, and so far as it pleased him, and she added:

Her soul said: “From henceforth all that befalls me I will receive as from the benign hand of God, excepting my sins, for they are all my own.

“Committing them is always contrary to the divine will, and therefore they are our own property; nothing is ours but voluntary sin.”

This firm resolution, made by the Soul before God, was secret and in her own spirit alone, without any outward demonstration.

Now, when God sees that man distrusts himself, and places his whole confidence in Providence, he immediately stretches forth his holy hand to help him.

He stands ever at our side, he knocks, and, if we open to him, he enters; he drives forth our enemies one after another, and restores to the Soul its baptismal robe of innocence.

And all this God does in different modes and ways, operating according to the state in which he finds his creature.

For the present we will speak of his dealings with Self-Love, and how he purifies the soul from it.

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510): Spiritual Dialogues 1,7.

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