Feast of St. Catherine of Siena

God blesses the Catholic Church with a large number of saints. While some of them attained sainthood through martyrdom, like Stephen we have been reading for the last few days, there have been mystics who attained sainthood through leading a secluded prayerful life. Saul began his sainthood journey as a fervent youth, devoting his life to ridding heretics from within Judaism. His was a dramatic and dynamic life spent in the service of God. Such is the diversity of saintly life. God loves diversity.
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). At the tender age of six, she began to have visions. She was a mystic crowned with the stigmata of Christ. Though uneducated, she was one of the greatest theologians of that particular generation. At that time, the Catholic Church suffered from the Great Schism. There were currently three popes claiming the chair of Peter. The Catholic Church was badly in need of healing. St. Catherine contributed her effort in the resolution of the Schism. Though we may not be as blessed as St. Catherine, we should learn from her prayerful life. She did not refrain from getting involved in political turmoil of her time. In fact, nobody can. Therefore, the manners in which one gets involved is very critical. Our prayers, our communications with God do not simply help us weather through political difficulties. Perhaps God would work through us to bring about a better and a fairer world to live in.
Saul fervently persecuted the Church in Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Stephen.
And Saul was consenting to his death.
And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (Acts 8:1).
A merciful, almighty God always poses a dilemma for Christians. Why does He allow evils to befall good people? This question is easier to answer. God gives good people a chance to prove their worth. Then why does God not save them and allow them to die? From what we read today, this question is not as hard as it seems. On the basis of bad things, God makes good things happen.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his apostles to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Unknown to himself, Saul's persecution was instrumental to the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. Indeed, it has since become the modus operandi of Christians. Whenever and wherever there is persecution, they flee and carry with them the gospel of salvation to the end of the earth.
The success of spreading the gospel to Samaria, the traditional enemy of the Jews, led to greater hostility of the Jews against the Christians.
禍，福之所倚；福，禍之所伏。熟知其极？【道德經‧五十八章】

My Lord, Praise and Glory be Yours forever. Your wisdom is unfathomable. Amen.