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.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?”Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
REFLECTION
“‘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.”
Catherine of Siena was born on March 25, 1347 ( Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord). This is the first evidence that Catherine was chosen by the Lord. She was small and not well educated, but God's Will for her was beyond what the social, political, and Catholic Church expected during those times.
The Church was being invaded by worldly views. Spurred on by her love of Jesus and His Catholic Church, she could not keep silent. She petitioned the clergy to "Be holy men!" Catherine intended to speak the truth as a "sister" to them. She was always humble in addressing her concerns and it proved to be a powerful means of persuasion, even for the Pope.
Catherine's strength depended on the Sacraments. The grace she received fed her soul and spirit. She was comfortable with following Christ even if it was seemingly beyond her status in life.
A well-educated cleric, Fra. Lazzarinodo Pisa, a Franciscan priest and theologian wanted to debate Catherine hoping to humiliate her. Catherine agreed to meet with him and she requested that he share his "wisdom" with her. After he spoke his piece, she simply knelt before him and asked for his blessing." Fra Lazzarinodo was stunned. Months later he appeared at Catherine's door and knelt before Catherine asking for her forgiveness and her blessing.
St.Catherine of Siena was "born of the spirit" and everything she did was in God's Will and for the love of the Lord and His Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.
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