Deception Pass Bridge, Washington USA
Many Christians have described the cross as a bridge between heaven and earth but few realize this metaphor was first employed by a young, uneducated woman in the 14th century, Catherine of Siena.
Catherine describes in her literary masterpiece, The Dialogue, how we are to walk across the bridge of the cross to Heaven. Catherine insists that the central focus throughout our walk is Jesus and, in particular, the love of Jesus as displayed in his selfless giving of himself on the cross.
Catherine’s first step across the bridge is one of humility, as the soul looks down on the cross and sees the nails in the feet of the crucified Jesus. It is here that the soul realizes her brokenness and her need for the Savior’s healing touch and the soul begins “to strip herself of vice”.
The second step or stage for Catherine begins as the soul walks on the bridge to the side of Jesus. Here, at his pierced side, the soul sees, feels and understands the heart of Jesus. The soul is immersed in Christ’s love which transforms the soul, enabling the soul to grow in “virtue and love”.
The last stage or step on the bridge for Catherine is the soul seeing the face of Jesus on the cross. It is here that Jesus gives her his embrace and the soul “tastes peace”. What is this peace? It is the peace that only Christ can give. It is a freedom from worry, a freedom from ego, a freedom from addiction, a freedom even from the fear of death.
Catherine of Siena was an enigma in her day and remains an enigma to many today. She spent most of her adult life caring for the poor. She had no formal education, yet she became a prolific writer. She was a woman living in what we now call the medieval age, yet she was a counselor of the learned and nobles. She was a church reformer, brokered peace between Italian city states and was instrumental in convincing Pope Gregory XI to move the papacy from Avignon, France back to Rome.
How did Catherine, an uneducated woman in medieval times, receive such admiration and respect? Perhaps it was because Catherine crossed the bridge and became the person Christ wanted her to be.
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” St. Catherine of Siena
St.Catherine of Siena died at the age of 33 in the year 1380. She is a Saint and also doctor of the Catholic Church for her contribution to our understanding of our Lord.