Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
It strikes me that the first community of Christians were of “one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32) and shared their possessions in common and goods were distributed depending on the needs of the person. It is the opposite message of our consumeristic society in which our value is defined by our possessions. Our culture forms us to attach ourselves to things and to throw those things away when they no longer contribute to our self worth. The first reading teaches us that detachment from material possessions can allow us to see the needs of our brothers and sisters who lack basic necessities. In addition, detachment can help us see how our current ways of consumption can harm the environment by polluting land, air, and water. We can pray with how consumerism has impacted our lives.
This passage from the Acts of the Apostles is one of the theological/biblical sources for the vow of poverty that I and other religious Sisters, Brothers, and Priests take. We are inspired by this early Christian community to be like them in sharing our possessions with each other in our community, being in solidarity with the poor, and testifying with our lives that our true wealth comes from God. It is not easy. After all, society has also formed us to be over-consumers. Therefore, for me, this reading is a good reminder of the significance of this vow. You might not be called to a vow of poverty, but you can pray with how a simpler lifestyle can help you center your life on God and be attentive to the needs of others.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to Nicodemus: “You must be born from above. The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:7-8). Jesus reminds me of St. Catherine of Siena whose feast day is today. She exemplified someone who was “born of the Spirit.” She was a household servant who became a Dominican tertiary. Later, she experienced a mystical marriage to Christ, which led her to serving the poor and sick. Eventually, St. Catherine was called to help heal the Church and the world. She counseled popes, kings, and other powerful men to make peace and restore unity to the Church. She even went to Avignon to convince the pope to return to Rome. She was bold and courageous in going where the Spirit let her.
Through the first community of Christians and St. Catherine of Siena, we see what it means to live the Gospel. May we learn and be inspired by them so that we may be the disciples Jesus calls us to be.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI