‘I will trust, and not be afraid’

Tuesday (today, as I write) is the feast day of St. Catherine de’ Ricci, a Dominican saint, who had an intimate, mystical gift of prayerful love — and knowledge — of Christ.

Her body shared in the wounds of Christ and her heart knew his Passion.

In her Canticle of the Passion, we walk the journey she did with Christ. And we pray with her:

Behold, God is my Savior
I will trust, and not be afraid We ask you, come to help your servants
whom you have redeemed by your perilous blood.

We cannot afford to ever forget: Whatever it is that is burdening our souls just now, Christ knows. We need not fear the worst. Victory has been won.

Will we trust and live in His love?

How do we live in His love? We surrender to the Cross and die to this world.

Easier said than done, I know.

But as we read in St. Catherine’s canticle of the Passion:

They gave me poison to eat
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink
All they that see me laugh me to scorn

There is no evil that can be done to us that He does not know. Humiliation and injustice He submitted himself to for love of us. If that can keep those who must stand witness with their lives for love of God — Christians persecuted, throughout the world — living examined lives of faith, constantly challenged by the Gospel, is really the least we can do.

Into your hands, I commend my spirit.

Can we pray it with all our hearts?

St. Catherine de’ Ricci pray for us. That we may trust and be not afraid. That we may know Christ as you did.

Irish Dominicans chant the canticle here:

Some links on St. Catherine here and here and here.