Reflection by: Jerel
Chronicles of a pilgrim – Day 10 – La Verna
As we prepared to leave for Siena on the foggy morning of La Verna, I could not help but notice birds chirping as my footsteps echoed down the long hallways of the monastery. There was an inexplicable serenity, and an appreciation for the beautiful silence of the monastery rose within me. A far cry from the constant noise of Singapore, where vehicles zipped by and endless crowds filled the streets, there were truly few places in the world that exhibited the same level of peacefulness as the monastery and its surrounding nature.
Today, we had the privilege of visiting San Domenico, where two relics of St. Catherine of Siena – her finger and her head – are housed. Entering the simple yet spacious church, I was surprised to learn that there were fewer pews than other churches. This was intentional to accommodate pilgrims, who had permission to spend the night there.
The youngest of 24 children, St. Catherine of Siena was a mystic and the founder of the feminine Dominican order. At the age of 6, she experienced a vision of Jesus dressed in pontifical vestments with Peter, Paul, and John by his side. She had various mystical experiences, such as receiving a ring from Jesus in a “mystical marriage to Christ.” Moreover, she received the stigmata but asked for her wounds to be invisible. Miraculously, these wounds only appeared at Christmas and Easter. While it may be tempting to doubt the veracity of such extraordinary events, I learned that in ancient times, people could already easily distinguish between someone who was regarded as “insane” and someone who was not. Despite St. Catherine’s known asceticism and penchant for extreme actions, she was also intelligent, full of love, and capable of forming strong friendships. Thus, people did not perceive her as someone who was insane. In fact, she was declared a Doctor of the Church due to her writings!
After learning about St. Catherine of Siena, we proceeded to take a walk to Siena’s Cathedral, which dazzled me with its gold and shimmering mosaic art on the front. Nearby, there was an incomplete baptistry (used for baptizing babies) because the Siennese wanted to invest in the Cathedral in order to make it the biggest in the world. Unfortunately, the Black Plague wiped out 8% of the population and the Cathedral was left incomplete. However, it still stands magnificently, an invitation to explore the truth, beauty and goodness of Catholicism.
After lunch and a bit of exploration in Siena, we went for mass in a chapel just behind the relic head of St. Catherine. After Holy Communion, a painting of Jesus feeding the 5,000 caught my eye. The painting depicted many people with outstretched hands, as though yearning for the bread that Jesus was giving out. How much more then, should we yearn for the Bread of Life? In Holy Communion, we find the grace to grow in virtue and love Jesus more. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: it signifies love, it produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.” In each and every Holy Communion, we should piously strive to give our will, hearts and minds fully to Him. I love you, Jesus. Help me to love you more!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, St. Francis, St. Clare and all the Saints in heaven, continue to pray for us!
John 6:53: “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”.