Monday, May 27 : Saint Catherine of Siena

O very dear Father, what heart is hard enough, stubborn enough not to be moved if it looks at the love that divine Goodness has for it? Love, love, think that you have been loved before being loved. For God, looking within himself, was passionate about the beauty of his creature, and he made it, driven by the ardor of his ineffable charity, solely so that it might have eternal life and enjoy the infinite happiness that He enjoyed in Himself. O ineffable love! how well you have proven this love! Humanity, in losing grace through mortal sin, through disobedience committed against you, Lord, was not deprived of it. Consider, Father, by what means the clemency of the Holy Spirit has restored grace in man; see how the supreme greatness of God has clothed the slavery of our humanity with such abasement, with such profound humility, that all our pride must be confounded. Let the foolish sons of Adam blush to see God humbled down to man, as if man were master of God, and not God master of man; for man is nothing in himself; everything he has, God gave him by grace and not by obligation. (…) Yes, my Father, for the love of God, increase the fire of your desire by wanting to give your life for Jesus crucified, your blood for the sake of his blood. Oh ! how happy would your soul be, and mine too, who loves your salvation so much, if I saw you give your life for the name of the sweet and good Jesus. I pray to the sovereign and eternal Goodness to make us worthy of the happiness of sacrificing our lives to Him. So run generously to accomplish great things for God. (…) Respond to the voice and clemency of the Holy Spirit, who calls you so gently.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team