“I preferred [wisdom] to sceptres and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her. I loved her more than health and beauty” (Wis 7:8-10).
Many women are characterized by a tendancy towards vanity, superficiality, greed, and a desire for influence. Not so many seek to excel through knowledge, through the penetration of mysteries, through the acquisition of outstanding sagacity…
I know the story of one, privileged by unparalleled beauty and possessing great influence thanks to her noble origins and the riches she possessed. She, however, paid no attention to this; her true desire lay in understanding the sciences. And it was easy for her to acquire what she desired: besides being gifted with a rare intellectual capacity, she was born and lived in a city illustrious for its culture, home to immortal philosophers.
The King of kings marries a princess in Egypt
Instructed since childhood in the sciences of her time, she discerned their emptiness, and the lack of a “cornerstone” that would give them meaning
A native of Alexandria, in Egypt, Catherine was the daughter of a pagan king, Costus of Cyprus.1 Her beauty, majestic bearing, and erudition made her known to all. From childhood, she devoted herself diligently to her studies and was “well instructed in the art of rhetoric, philosophy, geometry, and other sciences.”2 But none of this satisfied her. Her penetrating spirit discerned the emptiness of this knowledge and perceived the lack of a “cornerstone” that would give it all meaning.
One day, she had a vision: a Lady carrying a beautiful Child in her arms begged Him to accept Catherine among His servants. The Infant, however, refused. Despite the strong impression it made on her, Catherine was unable to grasp the deeper meaning of the scene.
She continued her studies and later encountered the doctrine of the disciples of Jesus Christ, which completely captivated her heart. Everything enchanted her, and with each new discovery, her thirst for learning grew, always accompanied by celestial satisfaction. “Catherine is a Christian at heart, even before receiving baptism.”3
The vision she had seen then gained meaning, and she understood that all the wealth and knowledge in the world are worthless if one does not enjoy the Divine Child’s favour. After some time, the apparition repeats itself; this time, however, the Infant Jesus is holding a wedding ring and, with great affection, espouses the maiden in the presence of the celestial court.
A great polemicist and invincible lady
At the beginning of the fourth century, after the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, Maximinus Daia, originally from Dacia, became governor of Syria and Egypt as Cæsar. His cruelty was no less than that of his predecessors: to spill blood and defile maidens was his motto.4
Upon assuming power, he issued a decree ordering all inhabitants of Alexandria to offer sacrifices to the gods, under penalty of severe and inexorable punishment. Obsessed with the idea of watching his subjects worship idols and all virgins and noble matrons surrender to his vile intentions, Maximinus resorted to the cruellest torments: some were cast into furnaces, others thrown to wild beasts or drowned in the sea, many were condemned to the dungeon after being violently mutilated with sophisticated instruments of torture.5
The atmosphere in the capital was darkened with the smoke of such holocausts, and no one dared to restrain the tyrant’s bestial desires. No one, except Catherine.
Driven by the fire of her love, she assisted, encouraged, and strengthened her fellow believers. Deeming such works still insufficient, she soon presented herself at the governor’s palace to defend the vilified Religion.
Upon being informed that an aristocratic virgin wished to speak to him, Maximinus assumed she was yet another maiden who would fall prey to him. Upon seeing her, fascinated by her beauty and nobility, he asked her:
“Who are you?”
“My origins are well known in Alexandria. My name is Catherine, and my parents are descendants of the most illustrious lineage. I dedicate all my time to learning the truth, and the more I study, the more I am convinced of the impotence of the idols you worship. I am a Christian, and I do everything to be the spouse of Jesus Christ. My only desire is that you, and the entire empire with you, come to know Him. What you profess is nothing more than superstition.”
His pride deeply wounded, and unable to devise a rejoinder, the governor ordered that fifty renowned philosophers be convoked to contend with her.
We can well imagine this being a moment when human weakness made itself felt… But it was also the momentous occasion when the warrior raised a confident plea to the One for whom she combatted.
It is said that an Angel then appeared to her, saying: “Fear not. You will persuade the fifty philosophers and a large number of those who will attend the debate. You will lead them to the knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ and you will win the palm of martyrdom.”6
Much more than on her own erudition, she relied rather on the Saviour’s promise: “what you are to say will be given to you in that hour”
Strengthened by the heavenly messenger, Catherine presented herself before the renowned scholars and the governor, who was there, aroused by curiosity. Seated among them, she refuted all of their subtle and fallacious arguments, one by one.
More than on her own erudition, she relied on the Saviour’s promise: “you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10:18-20).
Maximinus was, at first, paralyzed with astonishment. Then he ordered the wise men to present more compelling arguments, but they were overcome by Catherine and finally came to recognize the existence of the one true God, saying: “We will sign this truth with our blood, if necessary.”7 So they themselves ultimately met their end by being cast into the fire, thus conquering, through martyrdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Weakness meets confidence
But the princess’ epic was not ended. The Acts of the Martyrs record that she was then cast into a dungeon.8
Her resistance, serenity, and ardour were more eloquent than any words spoken by her lips. In this final period of her life, she converted many people to the Church, among them the empress herself, and the leader of a legion with two hundred soldiers, named Porphyry.
Enraged at his failure to persuade the noblewoman to deny her belief in the true God, Maximinus found himself defeated once again by a miracle
Enraged after trying every means to persuade this noblewoman to apostatize from her belief in the true God, and to test her unyielding conviction, Maximinus condemned her to torture on an apparatus consisting of four wheels with iron teeth, designed to tear the victim to pieces.
We can conjecture that the Lord once again allowed His servant to fear, upon hearing the sentence. It is plausible to imagine Catherine on her knees, begging for strength in that situation. Undoubtedly, her greatest fear was that, witnessing this torture, many Christians would become terrified and waver.
The moment has arrived. Tied to the cruel instrument, her gaze probably fixed on Heaven, the executioner approaches her to begin the execution. But then – oh, miracle! – an Angel appears and demolishes the machine, the shattering fragments mortally wounding the executioners themselves.
Maximinus’ bestial instinct can no longer tolerate the existence of the virgin who had so humiliated him. In a fit of rage and fury, he orders for her to be beheaded without delay.
The heroine walks serenely to the place indicated for her death. Moments later, she was executed, and her soul flew to meet her Spouse, who awaited her with open arms.
A chaste body protected by Angels
The chronicles relate that instead of blood, milk flowed forth from her severed neck, which many interpret as a sign of her fertile virginity, that is, the spiritual motherhood that St. Catherine carries out in relation to a great number of souls.
The Angels came to carry her body away, and buried it at Mount Sinai. In this manner, that chaste body was not to be touched by hands stained by sin
Tradition narrates to this day that it was the Angels who came and carried her body away, transporting it to Mount Sinai, and burying it there. Indeed, that chaste body was not to be touched by hands stained by sin. Only the heavenly spirits, with whom St. Catherine was in complete harmony by virtue of her purity, would bear it.
Although these two episodes are not historically proven facts, our devotion can accept them wholeheartedly. It is certain that, if God did not perform these particular wonders to authenticate the fidelity of His servant, He must have performed greater ones, since He always surpasses all human imagination.
In the 11th century, her remains were transferred to Rouen, France, and to this day, her relics exude a sweet fragrance.
Why would the Princess of Alexandria have “gone” to that nation, the first-born daughter of the Church? Perhaps because, upon arriving in eternity, her mission had only just begun…
St. Catherine’s heavenly mission
Renouncing temporal titles in favour of those eternal, St. Catherine confronted the enemies of the Faith, resisted in disputes, suffered imprisonment, preserved her virginity, and remained steadfast in her convictions. Our Lord wished to grant her rewards for the victory she won, and one of them was to appoint her as the helper of virginal and heroic souls who would have to face similar situations.
It is worth recalling, at least in passing, the role she played in the life of St. Joan of Arc. Accompanying St. Michael the Archangel and St. Margaret, the martyr of Alexandria appeared and instructed the Maid of Domrémy regarding the fulfilment of her lofty mission to save France. It was St. Catherine who showed the French heroine the hidden sword she was to use in battle. It was also she who revealed to her how she would be wounded and would be captured by the English; and on several occasions, St. Catherine encouraged her in her tribulations, especially in the episode when Joan threw herself from the tower where she was imprisoned.
St. Joan of Arc kept a ring as a memento of her father. Her glorious protector kissed it, and from then on, the Pucelle preserved it as a precious relic. This same ring is venerated in France to this day.
What has she yet to do?
Eternity, as the word indicates, is eternal: Thus, although St. Catherine of Alexandria has been in Heaven for centuries, her story and mission have only just begun…
If the deeds she has already accomplished on behalf of her devotees and the great liberator of France are so extraordinary, what does God still have in store for her from now on?
Her graces have not run dry; her power of intercession has not waned! Let us not hesitate to invoke her in times of difficulty, especially if we are defending goodness and truth, virtue and the name of God and His Church. There is no doubt that St. Catherine of Alexandria will come to our aid with the brilliance and power that have always characterized her. ◊
Notes
1 Cf. PEREIRA, Ney Brasil. Santa Catarina de Alexandria. 2.ed. Florianópolis: [s.n.], 2015, p.20.
2 SYMEON METAPHRASTES. Martyrium Sanctæ Catharinæ, n.5: PG 116, 279-282.
3 GONZÁLEZ VILLANUEVA, Joaquín. Santa Catalina de Alejandría. In: ECHEVERRÍA, Lamberto de; LLORCA, SJ, Bernardino; REPETTO BETES, José Luis (Org.). Año Cristiano. Madrid: BAC, 2006, v.XI, p.606.
4 Cf. Idem, p.608.
5 Cf. Idem, p.608-609.
6 ROHRBACHER. Vida dos Santos. São Paulo: Américas, 1961, v.XX, p.241.
7 Idem, p.242.
8 Cf. GONZÁLEZ VILLANUEVA, op. cit., p.610.
