Thankful To All Who Inspire

Today is the Feast of St. Catherine Siena. I have a little cross that my husband bought for two dollars at a sale in a local Convent when the building was being closed and shuttered, when he got home he noticed that there was a tiny screw on the top of the cross, and when he took the screw out the cross opened to reveal a relic of St. Catherine Siena.
This is such a pretty little mosaic cross with lots of intricate detail. We were fortunate to have it find it’s way into our home.

The pictures don’t really do it justice at all but I will post them anyway.






Sister Sara Fairbanks wrote of St. Catherine:

The source of St. Catherine's extraordinary apostolic life was her relationship with God, a relationship with God that she described as, "a fire that takes away the chill in my heart."

Catherine teaches us that there is no greater gift than God's Self-Gift to us in Jesus Christ. In prayer she exclaims to God,

And what more could You have given us than to give us Your very Self? You can truly ask us, "What should I, or could I have done for you that I have not already done?”

Catherine recounts Christ's words of His promise to us:

“If you choose Me as your Companion you will not be alone; My Love will always be with you…
Trust in My love and set aside every fear…
Confront the princes and tyrants of this world with My Strength.
Take from Me the fire of My Spirit and share with all My Mercy and My Burning Love.
You are not alone. You have Me.”

Catherine calls us to contemplation:

*Do we recognize the Gift of God in our life?

*Do we take time everyday to be aware of God's Presence, to savor Him, to trust Him?

*Is God "a fire that takes away the chill in our hearts" and moves us out in service of
one another?


I love when I find people that inspire me to find a deeper relationship with God. I loved reading that the core of Saint Catherine's life was her relationship with God and how much she valued that relationship. Saint Catherine's story is just one of many that inspire me. There are the stories of many Saints that do that for me, but also there are so many people in my life today who inspire me and bring me closer to God. There are so many family members and friends (all too numerous to mention by name), and even strangers whose stories I may come across by accident who have helped me forge a greater bond with God.
I am thankful for all of you wonderful people who inspire.