Catherine of Alexandria: Liberated by Christ, Liberated for Christ

Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, by Giuseppe Ribera, 1648. Catherine is kissing the infant Jesus as He sits on the lap of His mother Mary. Saints Joseph and Anne are in the background.

Catherine was the most fair and most wise of all the maidens of Alexandria. She had her choice of any man that she wanted, and decided that she would take only a man that surpassed her in beauty and wisdom. But even the son of the emperor matched these standards, so she remained unmarried. She was a Christian, and she choose virginity for life. What did this mean for a woman of the Roman-Egypt? It meant liberation, since at that time women were dominated by their fathers and then by their husbands. The women that were called to virginity were liberated from this domination, and became "lights on a hill" announcing to the world the words of Saint Paul, "There is no more Jew or Greek, slave or free, man or woman, but all are one in Christ," the radical teaching Christ that all people are created with dignity.

The ancient world could not tolerate this liberation, and attempted to subject the fair maiden and wise philosopheress to their own worldly wisdom, but she refuted them all. For this she was tortured and beheaded. Her last words were, "I am a bride of Christ."

While she died many years ago, the wisdom of Catherine still holds lessons for our world. The most important is the fundamental teaching of Christian morals that all innocent human life is sacred. This has been constant, but we stand in need of remembering it. The second is a better understanding of freedom. Catherine was freed by the love of Christ for her, and her love for Him. All Christians, and all men of good will are called to this freedom. Catherine in her life also shows that real freedom though does not consist of a radical self-willing, it is not a philosophy of "I do what I want to do, when I want to do," but rather a radical freedom for Christ. Freedom is the ability to live as Christ has called us to live.

Saint Catherine...

...Pray for Us