It's the Feast of
St. Catherine of Siena,
3rd Class, with the color of
White. In this episode: the meditation: "Christian Suffering", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV and Madame Mullaly", a preview of the Sermon: "Be Subject to Every Human Creature for God's Sake", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Please consider helping to produce the Abp. Lefebvre Audiobook: https://sspx.gifts/audiobook
Sources Used Today:
- "Christian Suffering" — Eastertide Day by Day
- "Leo XIV and Madame Mullaly" (FSSPX.news)
- "Be Subject to Every Human Creature for God's Sake" (SSPX Sermons)
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Saint Catherine of Siena was a woman of extraordinary holiness whose life united deep contemplation with bold action in the life of the Church. She was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy, one of many children in a large family. From an early age, she showed a strong desire to belong entirely to God. As a young girl, she consecrated her virginity to Christ and later joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic, choosing to live a life of prayer and penance within her own home.
Catherine’s early years were marked by intense prayer and solitude. She withdrew from the world to grow in her relationship with God, embracing fasting, sacrifice, and constant recollection. Yet this hidden life did not remain hidden. Gradually, people began to seek her out for guidance, drawn by her wisdom and her evident union with God.
What makes Catherine remarkable is how she moved from solitude into the heart of the Church’s struggles. The fourteenth century was a time of crisis, marked by division, corruption, and the absence of the pope from Rome. Catherine, though uneducated in the formal sense, wrote letters to princes, leaders, and even to Pope Gregory XI, urging him to return to Rome and to fulfill his role as shepherd of the Church. Her words were direct and fearless, yet filled with charity and a deep love for the Church.
Catherine also devoted herself to caring for the sick and the poor, especially during times of plague. She served with compassion, seeing Christ in those who suffered. Her life was marked by mystical experiences, including a profound union with Christ, often described as a spiritual marriage.
The Church honors Saint Catherine as a Doctor of the Church, recognizing her wisdom and her role in guiding souls toward God. She is also named a patron of Europe, reflecting her influence beyond her own time and place.
Devotion to Saint Catherine of Siena remains strong, especially among those who seek to unite prayer with action. Her feast day on April 30 is marked with special prayers for the Church, for leaders, and for those called to serve.
In many places, she is invoked as a model of courage and fidelity, reminding the faithful that even the simplest soul can become an instrument of God’s work.
Saint Catherine of Siena, faithful servant of Christ and lover of His Church, pray for us.
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
Explore more:
What is the SSPX Podcast?
The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.
What is the SSPX?
The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.
https://sspx.org
