Reviews (2)

love from the LORD
St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) has a special importance for me because it is her after whom I was named. :DOn 13 January 1463, at the age of sixteen, Catherine was married to Guiliano Adorni.He is described as a man of "strange and recalcitrant nature" who wasted his substance on disorderly living. Having little in common with her husband, theirmarriage had many difficult years. As did Jeanne Guyon, Catherine maintained a strong spiritual relationship despiteopposition in her marriage. Guiliano became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, and both he and Catherine workedamong the poor and the sick. In 1497, shenursed her husband through his lastillness. In his will he extolled her virtues and left her all his possessions.Instead of becoming bitter for her experience, Catherine brought joy and peace to the sick and lame as rector of the hospital of St. Lazarus in Genoa.Although Catherine was no scholar, she was, at the same time, inspired, vehement and warm-hearted. Her work reads as though she poured out what she had to say on paper, not staying to choose words, not revising or hardly revising. If she is sometimes careless of exactitude, shecompensates for it by spontaneity. In her simple honest expression, Catherine isable to address the complex issue, for example, of what is the cause of the LORD our GOD's great love for us who are so set against her, and what are we that GODwould be mindful of us."Know first that I am GOD who changenot, and that I loved man before I created him, with an infinite, pure, simple andclear love for which there was no cause, save that I cannot but love what I have created and ordained to minister, in itsdegree, to my glory. And I have providedman richly with all fit means to reach hisend, with natural gifts and supernaturalgraces which he will never lack in so faras they depend on me; nay more, with my infinite love which by divers ways andmeans surrounds him so that he may be subject to my care."If you are interested in the faith expression of a woman of grace and courage, this book will be interesting to you.

The brief Purgation and Purgatory took my breath away.
I have not read any Christian mystic who more brillantly captured the excitement of the concept of God's infinite love.Where Luther or Augustine wrote volumes to give voice to the experience of unmerited grace,Catherine of Genoa does full justice to the topic in a few lines. Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Christianity - General    3. Christianity - Theology - Eschatology    4. Early works to 1800    5. General    6. History    7. Middle Ages, 600-1500    8. Mysticism    9. Purgatory    10. Religion    11. Biography: general    12. Christianity   

Reviews (1)

Nothing but the very basics
Fire of Love is a reprint and translation of St. Catherine's 15th century treatise On Purgation and Purgatory.The book does not offer much.In 17 very brief chapters, St. Catherine repeats just one idea - the souls inpurgatory are rightly there, and although they suffer greatly, they arevery happy because (i) they have received grace, and (ii) they desirenothing more than to be cleansed in the fires of purgatory before meetingGod face to face.This book is the story of what St. Catherine learned ofpurgatory through the visions God blessed her with.If you're looking foran explanation of doctrine on purgatory, try the Catechism instead(1030-1032).If you're looking for inspiration, try Maria Simma, whosevisions of souls suffering in purgatory has inspired her to join hersufferings with theirs in atonement for their sins. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General    2. Christianity - Theology - Catholic    3. Christianity - Theology - Soteriology    4. Early works to 1800    5. Eschatology    6. Purgatory    7. Religion    8. Religion - Classic Works    9. Roman Catholic Doctrinal Theology (General)   

Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Catholic authors    3. Purgatory   

Subjects:  1. Purgatory