Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue (Classics of Western Spirituality) [Paperback]

Catherine of Genoa (Author), Serge Hughes (Translator), Benedict J. Groeschel (Introduction), Catherine de Hueck Doherty (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Readings in Moral Theology | Publication Date: January 1979

Catherine, who lived for 60 years and died early in the 16th century, leads the modern reader directly to the more significant issues of the day. In her life she reconciled aspects of spirituality often seen to be either mutually exclusive or in conflict. This married lay woman was both a mystic and a humanitarian, a constant contemplative, yet daily immersed in the physical care of the sick and the destitute.

For the last five centuries she has been the inspiration of such spiritual greats as Francis de Sales, Robert Bellarmine, Fenelon, Newman and Hecker. Friedrich von Hügel's famous Mystical Element of Religion was a study of the spirituality of Catherine.

Purgation and Purgatory is a collection of sayings on spiritual purification in this life and the next. The Spiritual Dialogue gives us a readable and coherent inner history of Catherine.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Italian (translation)

About the Author

The translation and notes for the volume are by Serge Hughes, Professor of Italian at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Dr. Hughes is best known for his The Fall and Rise of Modern Italy and The Little Flowers of St. Francis.

Dr. Benedict J. Groeschel, who authored the Introduction, is Director of the Office for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He teaches pastoral psychology and ascetical-mystical theology at Iona and Fordham, and at St. Joseph's, Immaculate Conception and Maryknoll Seminaries.

The Preface has been written by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, the founder and Director General of Madonna House. She is author of such well known books as Poustinia and The Gospel Without Compromise.

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (January 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809122073
• ISBN-13: 978-0809122073
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars love from the LORD, November 15, 2000

By 

catherine guelph "catrina_g" (milano, italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue (Classics of Western Spirituality) (Paperback)

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) has a special importance for me because it is her after whom I was named. :D On 13 January 1463, at the age of sixteen, Catherine was married to Guiliano Adorni. He is described as a man of "strange and recalcitrant nature" who wasted his substance on disorderly living. Having little in common with her husband, their marriage had many difficult years. As did Jeanne Guyon, Catherine maintained a strong spiritual relationship despite opposition in her marriage. Guiliano became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, and both he and Catherine worked among the poor and the sick. In 1497, she nursed her husband through his last illness. In his will he extolled her virtues and left her all his possessions. Instead of becoming bitter for her experience, Catherine brought joy and peace to the sick and lame as rector of the hospital of St. Lazarus in Genoa. Although Catherine was no scholar, she was, at the same time, inspired, vehement and warm-hearted. Her work reads as though she poured out what she had to say on paper, not staying to choose words, not revising or hardly revising. If she is sometimes careless of exactitude, she compensates for it by spontaneity. In her simple honest expression, Catherine is able to address the complex issue, for example, of what is the cause of the LORD our GOD's great love for us who are so set against her, and what are we that GOD would be mindful of us. "Know first that I am GOD who change not, and that I loved man before I created him, with an infinite, pure, simple and clear love for which there was no cause, save that I cannot but love what I have created and ordained to minister, in its degree, to my glory. And I have provided man richly with all fit means to reach his end, with natural gifts and supernatural graces which he will never lack in so far as they depend on me; nay more, with my infinite love which by divers ways and means surrounds him so that he may be subject to my care." If you are interested in the faith expression of a woman of grace and courage, this book will be interesting to you.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The brief Purgation and Purgatory took my breath away., January 1, 1999

By 

marcus (indianapolis, indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue (Classics of Western Spirituality) (Paperback)

I have not read any Christian mystic who more brillantly captured the excitement of the concept of God's infinite love. Where Luther or Augustine wrote volumes to give voice to the experience of unmerited grace, Catherine of Genoa does full justice to the topic in a few lines.

By contrast, the Spiritual Dialogue rings a little hallow after the thunder clap of Catherine's Purgation and Purgatory. The shadow-boxing between Body, Soul, Spirit and Self Love offers little fresh insight and no drama.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great view of the soul in relation to God, May 15, 2009

By 

John L. Davis (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue (Classics of Western Spirituality) (Paperback)

The value of Catherine of Genoa's words today is in their call to conversion. Not just to reconciliation and the momentary remittance and absolution from our sin - but radical conversion - metanoia - a turning away from sin.

Unlike the "fire and brimstone" image of Hell that we developed as children, the image of Hell that is described by Catherine of Genoa is one of mercy where God's infinite and perfect love transcends the sins of man which spring from his own will (self-will) in conflict with God's will.

Catherine's image of purgatory is at the same time eloquent and mysterious. She teaches on the suffering of purgatory, "The souls cannot find the pain to be in pain since they are at peace in God's will, and yet the opposition remaining in the soul to God's will is the occasion of terrible pain." The soul, once purified, comes to rest in God. She says, "Its being is God."

Catherine's mystical understanding of the mercy and love of God - of God as love - provide a point from which to contemplate and perhaps grasp the great loss which we experience through our sin. Her words provide an insight into eschatology, hell, and purgatory.

Centuries after her own earthly life ended, she provides valuable teaching on the relationship that her soul, and our soul has with its Creator.

I recommend this very interesting book to anyone interested in their relationship with God.