The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-12-16


born; when and where did she die;
what kind of a life did she live?
There have been very many saints
of this same name, st. Catherine, dis
tinguished from one another by their
birthplace, or family name; st. Cathe-
rine of Alexandria; Saint Catherine
de Ricci; st. Catherine of Bologna;
Saint Catherine of Siena, and many
others.
The one better known than the
others because of the public character
of her good works is st. Catherine of
Siena who was born at Siena, Italy,
March 2, 1347, and died at Rome,
April 80, 1880. Her festival is cele-
brated in the liturgy of the Church
on April so. From her very early
childhood she lived very spiritual
life, making the room in her home a
convent cell. Later she entered the
cloister of religious order; but by
divine command, she devoted her life
to the most important affairs of
church and state. All classes sought
her advice; princes and kings; bish-
ops and popes. 1t was through her
influence, almost exclusively, and
against most weighty opposition that
Gregory XI was prevailed upon to
leave Avignon and return to Rome.
The peace and happiness of her death
were increased by knowing that at
last reconciliation had been establish
ed between Pope Urban VI and the
Papal Republic.
A very attractive quality in the life
of st. Catherine was her cheerful and
happy disposition. She had personal
charm that drew others to her and
kept them attached to her at the cost
of great sacrifice. Her surroundings
were not always peaceful; indeed,
from her early years, she was perse-
cuted by many, even by those closest
and dearest to her, and she was sub
ject for many years to great physical
suffering. But i'll the midst of afflic-
tions within and without, her manner
was always bright and pleasant, and
she finally won to her lasting affection
those who formerly had been her enc
mics.
Her many letters are rich source
of historical information, and a VERT.
able mine of spiritual treasure. Her
counsels are as applicable today as
for those to whom they were directly
written. The general tenor of her
80 Of
virtue of humility, beautifully ex
pressed, by bidding both those in the
world and those in the cloister, ever
TO remain in the cell of self-knOwl
edge, which is the stable in which
the traveller from this world to eter
nifty must be born again.
Did the Blessed Virgin have any
brothers or sisters; or, was she the
only child of st. Ann?
In spite of the deep interest that
scholars have taken to search out al
the facts in connection with Our Lore
and bis blessed Mother thus far they
have not been able to satisfy will
definite information our well-foundeC
desire for certainty about such ques
tions as the one given above. The
Gospel speaks to us of "the brethren
of the Lord" luke VIII, 1920. |
refers to him as the brother of Jane!
and Joseph and Simon and jude" 1
says, ARE not his sisters here will
u.s.. Mark vi, 81 These and othe
parts of the Gospels tell us of Gu
Lords relatives, and call them as WI
see, his brothers" his sisters hi
brethren" 1t is very clear, however
both from these same references ant
from many others of holy scripture
both of the Old and the New Tesla
ment that the term brother sis
ter" had not among the Jews tn
same restricted meaning that it ha
among us. 1t is generally acceptet
that the word includes in the sacret
scriptures much more distant rela
tives.
Those explicitly mentioned in tn
New Testament as relatives of Chris
are acknowledged generally to be no
more closely related to him thai
cousins; and probably cousins only b.
marriage; that is, children of
brother, or uncle or cousin of ST
Joseph. Some have supposed them t
have been children of a sister of tn
Blessed Virgin whose name also wa
Mary and who was the wife of Cleo
phas. One of the four mentioned b.
name, James, is spoken of as the sol
of Alpheus. Were Alpheus and Cleo
phas the same individual? Author
differ. st. Jerome and many other
claim them to be the same, the dill
ference in the names arising from
different Interpretation of the on
name in Aramaic. Hegesippus i
authority for the statement tina
Cleophas was brother of st. JOSEPH
If he and >Alpheus are the. same, eth
brothers" of Christ would have n
blood relationship TO our Lore
Others argue that Cleophas an
Alpheus were different persons, be
cause st. Luke uses the two name
and he was too much of scholar t
use words so loosely. Was Mary
the wife of Alpheus, also the siste
of the Blessed Virgin? 1t is nc
clear. Probabilities would seem to
against this conclusion. Traditio
tells us that it was in their advance
age and after long prayers that
child was given to Joachim and Ann;
This would imply, at least on in
probability. that other children wer