SCRIPTURA

Mystics

The Dialogue

Catherine of Siena

Translated by Algar Thorold

A soul in conversation with God.

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Contents · 18

  1. 1The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena
  2. 2INTRODUCTION
  3. 3How a soul, elevated by desire of the honor of God, and of the salvation of her neighbors, exercising herself in humble prayer, after she had seen the union of the soul, through love, with God, asked of God four requests.
  4. 4How virtues are accomplished by means of our neighbor, and how it is that virtues differ to such an extent in creatures.
  5. 5How this soul grew by means of the divine response, and how her sorrows grew less, and how she prayed to God for the Holy Church, and for her own people.
  6. 6How this soul prays God to show her those who cross by the aforesaid Bridge, and those who do not.
  7. 7How the fruits of this tree are as diverse as are the sins; and first, of the sin of sensuality.
  8. 8Of the glory of the Blessed.
  9. 9An exposition on Christ's words: “Whosoever thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
  10. 10How an imperfect lover of GOD loves his neighbor also imperfectly, and of the signs of this imperfect love.
  11. 11How the soul who finds herself in the unitive state desires infinitely to have the barren earthly state and unite herself to GOD.
  12. 12Of the fruit of worldly men's tears.
  13. 13Of the third and most perfect state, and of reason, and of the works done by the soul who has arrived at this light. And of a beautiful vision which this devout soul once received, in which the method of arriving at perfect purity is fully treated, and the means to avoid judging our neighbor is spoken of.
  14. 14How the bodily sentiments are all deceived in the aforesaid Sacrament, but not those of the soul; therefore it is, with the latter, that one must see, taste, and touch It; and of a beautiful vision this soul had upon this subject.
  15. 15Of the difference between the death of a just man and that of a sinner, and first of the death of the just man.
  16. 16Of the death of sinners, and of their pains in the hour of death.
  17. 17Here both the misery of the disobedient and the excellence of the obedient are spoken of.
  18. 18How God does not reward merit according to the labor of the obedient, nor according to the length of time which it takes, but according to the love and promptitude of the truly obedient; and of the miracles which God has performed by means of this virtue; and of discretion in obedience, and of the works and reward of the truly obedient man.