Episode 3048: What Would St. Catherine of Siena Do Today? by Sharon

What Would St. Catherine of Siena Do Today? A Saint’s Blueprint for Purifying the Church
Sharon:
Introductory Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O Eternal Father, through the intercession of St. Catherine of Siena,
who loved Thy Bride, the Holy Church, with fiery and undivided love,
we beg Thee to stir within us the same spirit of holy zeal,
of bold truth, and uncompromising charity.
Give us courage to speak as she spoke,
to fast and pray as she did, and to offer our lives for the cleansing of Thy Church and the salvation of souls.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Setting the Scene: A Church in Crisis
Sharon:
Welcome to Catholic Reboot. Today we reflect on the life and mission of one of the most courageous voices in the Church’s history: St. Catherine of Siena, a Dominican tertiary, mystic, stigmatist, and Doctor of the Church.
St. Catherine lived in the 1300s an age marked by war, pestilence, moral decay, and spiritual cowardice. The Pope had fled Rome and lived in Avignon under French control. The clergy were entangled in luxury and political intrigue. Sound familiar?
Today, we face doctrinal confusion, lukewarm bishops, scandalized laity, and the abandonment of Tradition. But rather than become discouraged, let us look at how St. Catherine responded and what she would say to us now.
Boldness in the Face of Apostasy
Sharon:
St. Catherine had no authority, no title, no theological degree and yet, she became the voice of Christ in her time. She received direct revelations from Our Lord, who instructed her:
“I have placed you in the midst of the world so that you may be a mirror of virtue, a light in darkness, a voice against silence.”
When priests abandoned their sacred mission or taught error, she didn’t whisper. She didn’t complain privately. She confronted them. One letter to a corrupt priest reads:
“You are a minister of the Blood! You should be an angel on earth but instead you are a demon. Repent before the flames of divine justice find you unprepared.”
If St. Catherine were here today, she would name the errors boldly:
• Liturgical abuse,
• Moral relativism,
• Doctrinal ambiguity,
• and the betrayal of Christ through silence.
She would not ask permission to speak. She would not wait for a platform. She would cry out.
“Be silent no more! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues!” she wrote, “I see that the world is rotten because of silence.”
Confronting Cardinals and Calling for Reform
Sharon:
During the Great Western Schism, when there were multiple claimants to the papacy, Catherine wrote fierce letters to cardinals, calling them out for pride, cowardice, and politics.

To one cardinal, she said:
“You are flowers in the garden of the Church but you’ve turned to weeds that choke rather than give life.”
And yet she always called them to conversion, not destruction. She didn’t tear down the Church she fought to restore it.
In our own day, many cardinals seem indifferent to the loss of souls or the weakening of doctrine. St. Catherine would demand they remember their calling: to suffer for truth, not to succeed in politics.
Facing a Modern Pope with Truth and Love
Sharon:
Perhaps the most astonishing part of St. Catherine’s life was her relationship with the Pope. She called him “the sweet Christ on earth” a title of deep reverence.
But when he failed in his duty, she rebuked him without hesitation.
To Pope Gregory XI, she wrote:
“Most Holy Father, act like a man! Do not be a boy. The Church is corrupted because of your silence.”
She told him that cowardice in the face of error was a betrayal of Christ Himself. And by God's grace, her firmness and love moved him to leave Avignon and return to Rome.
If she were alive today, she would not flatter the Pope. She would fall on her knees in prayer — and then write him a letter full of fire and love, calling him back to his mission: “To restore all things in Christ.” (Eph 1:10, motto of Pope St. Pius X)
Her Command to the Laity: Get Involved!
Sharon:
St. Catherine didn’t speak only to clergy she spoke even more to the laity. She told ordinary Catholics: "You are not excused. Your silence is your sin."
She would urge us today:
• Do not sit back.
• Do not say ‘it’s not my job.’
• Do not fear men more than God.
In her Dialogue, she shares the Lord’s words:
“The soul that remains silent when it should speak is like a worm hidden in the earth blind, useless, and forgotten.”
She would ask every Catholic to:
• Speak truth to fellow parishioners,
• Organize rosary rallies,
• Start fasting groups,
• Encourage reverent liturgies,
• Support courageous priests.
Her Tools: Prayer, Penance, and Total Surrender
Sharon:
St. Catherine’s power didn’t come from activism or cleverness. It came from union with Christ Crucified. She barely slept, fasted constantly, lived on the Eucharist, and wore a hairshirt. She gave her whole body and soul to Christ and His Church.
Her letters reveal a soul totally consumed:
“Let us make ourselves a cell within our own soul, where we keep watch and pray.”
Her private suffering bore fruit in public conversions. The spiritual warfare she waged in secret saved visible souls.
She would remind us that if we want the Church to change, we must first allow ourselves to be purified.
Our Marching Orders: A Saint’s Blueprint
Sharon:
Let me summarize what St. Catherine would ask us to do today:
1. Pray and fast: for priests, bishops, and especially the Pope.
2. Speak boldly: error must be corrected with charity, yes, but also with clarity.
3. Live a penitential life: offer your sufferings for the Church.
4. Educate yourself in true doctrine: especially from the great saints and councils.
5. Support holy priests: and charitably confront those who are erring.
6. Be rooted in the Eucharist and Our Lady: Catherine’s power came from the Blessed Sacrament and her love of the Virgin.
And always remember her words:
“We are not called to be successful we are called to be faithful.”

Closing Quote
Sharon:
Let’s end with a few words from her Dialogue that still ring with truth today:
“The Church is not held together by the power of men, but by the Blood of Christ… Be faithful. Be faithful, even unto death.”
Closing Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O holy and courageous St. Catherine of Siena, you who spoke to Popes and humbled kings, you who fasted, prayed, and wore the crown of thorns for love of the Church intercede for us today.
Help us to imitate your fiery zeal, your love of truth,
and your unwavering fidelity to Christ and His Bride.
We pray especially for our Holy Father, that he may be faithful to the Deposit of Faith. We pray for our bishops and priests, that they may be holy shepherds. And we pray for ourselves that we may never grow lukewarm or silent in the face of error, scandal, or indifference.
St. Catherine, teach us to speak with love and to suffer with joy.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Sharon:
Thank you for joining us today. If this episode has stirred something in your heart act on it. Speak. Pray. Fast. Fight for the Church. As St. Catherine did and as all true saints have always done.
Until next time: Hold fast to Tradition. Live for Christ. And cry out with a hundred thousand tongues.
Viva Cristo Rey!