Have you ever been terrified of taking the next step? You know that your next choice will change your life forever, but you are nervous about making it official? Sometimes the path God leads us down seems insane, impractical, or simply impossible. Yet these are the times when we are called to follow Him even more closely.
Today, we celebrate the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, who was asked more than once to follow the Lord down a path that seemed foolish. Yet she knew that being who God made her to be meant following the lamb.
Follow the Lamb
The phrase: “follow the Lamb” comes from chapter fourteen of the book of Revelation: “It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4).
The virgins follow the Lamb, and the metaphor is particularly apt, for lambs do not walk in straightforward, smooth lines. Instead, lambs will frolic, wander, sniff a flower, then take a small nap. Sometimes, they even turn around and go back the way they came. Following the Lamb of God is no different, but Saint Catherine of Siena, a wise virgin, shows us how to do so with grace, poise, and no small amount of moxie.
Catherine’s Path
Catherine was the twenty-third child (and you thought your family was big!) of a prosperous couple in Siena, Italy. She was very beautiful, and like many young beautiful women, her parents and relatives strongly encouraged her to find a spouse. In fact, when her sister passed away, they wanted Catherine to marry her sister’s former husband! In response, Catherine cut her hair short to discourage suitors. She remained devoted to her spiritual calling—following the Lamb—and He had a different plan in mind.
As a young woman, she entered the Third Order of Saint Dominic, devoting her time to prayer, meditation, and caring for her family home. While she cherished the solitude and rest of her own personal cell, at age twenty-one, the Lamb called her even further—into a mystical marriage with Him. Catherine received visions, ecstasies, and encouragement from the Lord to interact more and more with the world, helping the poor and tending the sick, especially those who were most unkind or unwanted.
A Life in Politics?
One would think that a religious working for the poor and sick would be enough, but the Lord knew Catherine had gifts of passion and persuasion. And since the Lamb does not walk in straight lines, He called her to become more involved in public affairs. She was instrumental in keeping several local city-states aligned with the pope. Saint Catherine even raised money for the crusades!
The pope himself had been living in Avignon, France, instead of in Rome for some time. Catherine, still young and relatively uneducated, traveled to France to convince the Holy Father to return to the Eternal City. At one point, she wrote to the pope, saying: “I beg of you, on behalf of Christ crucified, that you be not a timorous child but manly. Open your mouth and swallow down the bitter for the sweet.” She also wrote, “Up, father, like a man! For I tell you that you have no need to fear.” Her boldness eventually won out, and Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome.
In all of these travels and wanderings for the Lamb, Saint Catherine did not respond meekly or hesitantly. She was all in, and unafraid to speak and act courageously.
Set the World Ablaze
Saint Catherine followed the Lamb throughout her entire life. And while the Scripture passage speaks particularly to virgins, as you know dear reader, the call to holiness is universal. We are all called to follow the Lamb.
In a letter to Stefano Maconi, a Carthusian monk and companion of Catherine’s, she wrote the oft-misquoted line: “If you are what you ought to be, you will set fire to all Italy, and not only yonder.” However, the common misquotation—“Be who you were made to be, and you will set the world on fire”—retains the truth of the original quote. Following the Lamb diligently, passionately, and boldly will set the fire to the earth that the Lord came to bring (see Luke 12:49). If we follow the Lamb unreservedly, the Church and the world will be transformed.
Stepping out into the unknown can be terrifying. Saint Catherine of Siena knew this better than anyone. Yet perhaps for us, dear sisters in Christ, it is easiest to think of our paths not as a great destiny looming before us, but as simply following the Lamb . . . wherever He may go.
Rosie Hall is a freelance writer and lover of well-steeped tea. She spent three years after high school discerning a vocation. Since leaving, she has tried a bit of everything: attending Ave Maria University, traveling, bartending, journalism, producing podcasts, knitting; always seeking to follow the Lamb wherever He goes! Rosie's next adventure takes her across the pond to study literature at Oxford University.
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