Sermon in a Sentence
A Treasury of Quotations on the Spiritual Life
Volume 3 – St. Catherine of Siena
Excerpt from page 22
In the year 1347 Catherine was born in Siena, Italy, on the
feast of the Annunciation. She and her twin sister, who
died not long after birth, were the youngest children of Lapa
and Jacomo Benincasa, a prosperous wool dyer, whose
bustling household included married couples and
grandchildren as well as his own large family. From an
early age some saints evidence special graces from God,
and Catherine was certainly one of these. There are many
pious childhood legends of Catherine, who at a young age
was receiving the visions and mystical experiences that
would mark her entire life. Notable among these was her
vision of our Lord over the Dominican church in Siena, a
vision that may well have indicated her later vocation.
Catherine saw Jesus sitting on a throne and dressed in
papal garments, surrounded by Ss. Peter, Paul, and John
the Evangelist. The Lord smiled at Catherine and blessed
her with the sign of the cross. Six years old at the time of
this vision, Catherine developed a love for prayer and
solitude, advanced in virtue, and displayed spiritual wisdom
well beyond her years. She exhibited to her family and
neighbors a pleasant, vibrant, and outgoing personality.
The Benincasa family’s pet name for the merry girl was
“Euphrosyne” which is Greek for “Joy” and is also the name
of an early Christian saint.