Tradition has it that Catherine of Alexandria was a girl of a noble family who, because of her Christian faith, refused marriage with the emperor as she was already a 'bride of Christ'. She is said to have disputed with fifty philosophers whose job it was to convince her of her error, and she proved superior in argument to them all. She was then tortured by being splayed on a wheel and finally beheaded. The firework known as the Catherine Wheel took its name from her wheel of martyrdom. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a very special group of saints known for their very powerful intercession.
Adam of St. Victor wrote a magnificent poem - Vox Sonora nostri chori – in her honour. The poem also tells her story:
Let the voices of our choir resound in praise of our Creator, who disposes all things; by whom they fight who are unskilled in war, by whose power maidens triumph over men.
Through him, the people of Alexandria stand amazed to see in blessed Catharine qualities that seem above her sex, when she vanquishes learned men by her science and the sword by her courage.
To the glory of her race she adds the precious ornaments of incomparable virtue; and noble by birth, she becomes more noble still by grace and holy living.
Tender is the flower of her beauty, yet she spares it neither labour nor study; and in early youth she masters earthly science and that which is of God.
A chosen vessel full of virtue, she considers transitory goods as mire, contemning her father’s wealth and her ample patrimony.
Filling her vessel with oil, as a wise and prudent virgin, she goes to meet the Spouse; that, ready at the hour of his coming, she may enter without delay to the feast.
Longing to die for Christ, she is led before the emperor; and in his presence, by her eloquence, puts fifty philosophers to silence.
For love of God she endures the horrors of the prison, the cruel wheel, hunger and want, and all her other sufferings; she remains unchanged through all.
The tortured overcomes her torturer, a woman’s constancy triumphs over the emperor; yea, the emperor himself is tormented, seeing both executioner and torments unavailing.
At length she is beheaded, and by death ending death, enters into the joys of life, while Angels with all care bury her body in a far-off land.
An oil flowing from her body, by a visible grace heals the sick; good indeed is the unction she gives us, if she heals our vices by her prayers.
May she rejoice to see the joy she causes us; may she who gives us present joys give likewise those to come; and may she now rejoice with us, and we with her in glory. Amen.
Dr Eliana Corbari notes that “objects reflect the stories of her life: the crown shows her noble lineage, the wheel is an instrument of her torture, the book signifies her learning, and the sword is the instrument of her martyrdom. The crown, the book, the sword and, above all, the wheel are the attributes by which she would have been easily recognizable by medieval people, who had heard and read the stories of her life.”
Like them, let us all imitate St. Catherine, who with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, took the time and care to learn the Holy Scriptures and the truth of our faith, taking them to her heart. In doing so, she declared this truth openly and publicly, defending them in the face of horrible torture and martyrdom.
When she was a young woman, her father approached her about marriage. Her reply to him was simple, “Sure, I will get married—when you find a man who is smarter, more beautiful, and more virtuous than I am.” What appears at first to be arrogance ends up being something more profound when we realize that is precisely what she did—she found Christ.
From the Medieval period onwards, she is depicted as going through a mystical marriage wedding ceremony with Christ, in the presence of the Virgin Mary, consecrating herself and her virginity to him. Essentially, this is a reminder to us of our ultimate destination; that of being united with Christ. The saints are not there to emphasise their difference from us but for us to see our similarity with them and be inspired to become more Christ-like in our living as a result. May Saint Catherine inspire us in this way as we give thanks for her life and witness today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.jpg)
