Essay Sample on St. Catherine of Siena: A Welcoming & Empowering Community

Introduction

St. Catherine of Siena community can be defined as one that is welcoming and empowering. The community is built on faith and aligned with the celebration of the Eucharist, hearing and reacting to the voices that surround it. It also focuses on the provision for all material and spiritual needs not only to its members but to the general society as well. Named after St. Catherine of Siena, the community dedicates it's time to prayers, seclusion, and austerity. Just like its founder, the community enjoys strong public influence mainly because of the evident holiness, and the deep connection it has with the society and the church leadership. Although Catherine of Siena led her life in a spirituality and faith experience far different from what the current community experiences, she stands out as a companion with the community through their Christian journey. More so, Catherine lived in an era that did not understand the rapid change of the 21st century. For this reason, the value of her life for the community relies on her appreciation for holiness as a goal that needs to be explored throughout a lifetime. This paper will critically discuss the St. Catherine of Siena community to derive their beliefs are a way of life as a Christian community.

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Another key pillar for the Catherine of Siena community is its devotion to teamwork. Presently, there is increased regard and focus on teamwork and how healthy teams can be developed for mission and ministry. Thus, it is encouraging to see that Catherine effectively applied these principles in the 14th century. Although Catherine was uniquely gifted and called in her own right, she surrounded herself with a team of talented members who believed in her and supported the mission therein. Accordingly, through teamwork, the community has been able to enhance the effectiveness of a mission (Villegas, 2013). Further, through teamwork, the mission becomes more sustainable and enjoyable, especially when it is shared with talented people with like-mind.

However, unlike their leader, the community has moved away from the theology that believes one as a "sin-bearer" or in the belief that they can atone for the sins of others through self-immolation. More so, although they are true and devoted believers, they have moved away from the belief in extreme austerities as a means of pleasing God (Villegas, 2013). Thus, they no longer injure their health or intentionally inflict pain on themselves. Nevertheless, the community strongly believes that the path for Christians involves a transformational journey through God's image. The transformation entails a growth in the capability for charity and truth where charity involves becoming progressively capable to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Also, regarding truth and love the community believes that they are central traits for the human journey since people are in God's image- Truth and love. Thus, the community believes that God is truth and the pathway to truth; he is also charity and the pathway to charity (Villegas, 2013).

Further, for this community, they believe that the knowledge of God, as well as the knowledge of self, are the foundation pillars for the transformation journey that leads away from being self-centered and towards the ability to care for the welfare of others. The knowledge of self, according to this community, defines the understanding that people are created in the image of God, and they are therefore made for love. It is the acceptance that the process involves the acquisition of a intensely internalized persuasion that one will be greatly satisfied and be themselves when they actualize their true nature as being with the ability to make sacrifices in some parts of their journey of acquiring self-knowledge (Villegas, 2013). On the other hand, it involves the experience of the infinite mercy of God and the recognition of the fact that without the mercy of God, one will remain ensnared in their self-centeredness. Further, knowing about the mercy of God entails the procedure of coming to depend on and trust in the grace and forgiveness of God so that one can confront their sinfulness and they can surrender to God (Catherine of Siena, 1980). Through this approach, the community believes that they are allowing God to change their inclination to be self-centeredness in their actions and perceptions. Accordingly, the transformation of their self-centeredness helps them to love what God loves and to despise what he does love.

In this community, there is a strong belief that people move from loving themselves because they are sensitive and carnal to nothing but themselves-first degree- to loving God for their own sake rather than for the sake of God since they consider that they cannot survive on their own-second degree (Villegas, 2013). More so, since human beings are bodily creatures, the first thing they comprehend and love is themselves. However, they can abandon this practice, especially when they understand that their insufficiency (Catherine of Siena, 1980). Thus, the shift from the second degree is inevitable since humans always sense their inadequacy and begin to search for outside love as a way of reaping the benefits associated with loving God.

This dramatic transformation between the second and third degrees or when a person stops loving God for their self-benefit, but they now love God for who he is. Thus, in this community, people are taught to love God out of pure love rather than for their self-gratification. Finally, the community advocates for the fourth degree of love which involves the desire of a person to become superseded by God's love and loves God because that is the will of God (Villegas, 2013). The community advocates that the will of God and that of humans should be one. Further, the community seeks to help people to turn back to the world through God, just like a pilgrim must return to their point of origin. This is to mean that people should altogether forego their will and entirely adhere to God.

Conclusion

In summary, followers, and adherents of St. Catherine of Siena has a secure connection with God. They seek to serve by loving God because it is his will rather than to satisfy their needs. More so, they believe that the knowledge of God, as well as the understanding of self, are the pillars of the transformation journey that leads away from self-centeredness and towards the ability to care others. Accordingly, the transformation entails growth in capacity for charity and truth where charity involves becoming progressively sacrifice for the benefit of others. Another key pillar for the Catherine of Siena community is its devotion to teamwork. Through teamwork, the community has been able to enhance the effectiveness of a mission. From teamwork, the mission becomes more sustainable and enjoyable, especially when it is shared with talented people with like-mind. However, unlike their leader, the community has moved away from the theology that believes one as a "sin-bearer" or in the belief that they can atone for the sins of others through self-immolation. Although they are true and devoted believers, they have moved away from the belief in extreme austerities as a means of pleasing God. Thus, they no longer injure their health or intentionally inflict pain on themselves.

References

Catherine of Siena . (1980). The Dialogue . New York: Paulist .

Villegas, D. (2013). Catherine of Siena's Wisdom on Discernment and Her Reception of Scripture. Acta Theologica Supplementum, 17, 209-227. doi:10.4314/actat.v32i2S.12