Catherine of Siena on Love

Many years ago I had the opportunity to travel to Siena, Italy.  It was just for a day, on an excursion from Florence.  I was on a whirlwind trip to Europe with my friend Diane--two weeks, four countries, in true American fashion. Most of my time on that trip was spent either taking photographs (with an old fashioned film camera so alas, no digital photos to share) and visiting churches.  In retrospect it's interesting to me that I spent so much time sitting in churches since at the time I was still considering myself an ex-Catholic and wouldn't return to the church until about six months later.  I wonder if a seed wasn't germinating even then.

Given my official agnostic status at the time, I didn't quite realize how cool it was that we were able to visit Siena.  It was a beautiful city.  The black and white marble Cathedral was incredible.  You could taste the history.  What was lost on me was that this was the home of Catherine of Siena, mystic, peacemaker, and Doctor of the Church. Today of course is her Feast Day, and so I thought I would share some of her thoughts on love.

 "In your nature, eternal Godhead, I shall come to know my nature. And what is my nature, boundless Love? It is fire, because you are nothing but a fire of love. And you have given humankind a share in this nature for by the fire of love you created us."

"O God eternal, Oh boundless Love! Your creatures have been wholly kneaded into you and you into us--through creation, through the will's strength, through the fire with which you created us, and through the natural life you gave us."

"The soul cannot live without love. She always wants to love something because love is the stuff she is made of, and through love I created her."

"You are rewarded not according to your work or your time but according to the measure of your love." 

"Love transforms one into what one loves."

Happy Feast Day of St. Catherine!

(quotations from http://www.drawnbylove.com/Quotes.htm)