Of the parents and ancestors of the blessed Catherine, and how at eight years of age she began to do penance; her gift of prayer, and of her desire to enter into religion, and her marriage against her will. Catherine was born at Genoa in the year 1447. Her parents, Giacopo Fieschi and Francesca di [...]

CHAPTER I Of a new love which God poured into her heart, by which he drew her Spirit to himself.—The Soul follows it, so that her powers are absorbed and lost in this love, and the Body, being subject to the Soul, becomes bewildered and changed from its natural condition. After this creature had been [...]

This desire was great and continuous, but grew much more, when the First Truth showed her the neediness of the world, and in what a tempest of offense against God it lay. And she had understood this the better from a letter, which she had received from the spiritual Father of her soul, in which [...]

Prayer is the deliberate and persevering action of the soul. It is true and enduring, and full of grace. Prayer fastens the soul to God and makes it one with his will, through the deep inward working of the Holy Spirit. I am the ground of your praying. First, it is my will that you [...]

Chapter 38 Treats of the great need which we have to beseech the Eternal Father to grant us what we ask in these words: “Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo.”132132“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Explains certain temptations. This chapter is noteworthy. There are great [...]

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOME WOMEN IN MINISTRY – During the first century, many women were active in Christian ministry. Acts 21:9 mentions the four virgin daughters of Philip the evangelist as prophetesses who lived in his home at Caesarea, where Paul and his associates visited during his third missionary journey. Priscilla, or Prisca, and [...]