March 22: Saint Catherine of Sweden

Vide Domine afflictionem meam, quoniam erectus est inimicus. Lament. jer. I.
Lord, look upon my affliction, because my enemy has risen up against me proportionally to how I have risen up against You in disobeying your orders.
Attende diligenter, quam similis sis de vel quam dissimilis, quam prope vel quam longe, non locorum intervallis, sed morum affectibus. S. Bern. l. med. c. 5.
Consider attentively to what degree you arelike or unlike God; how close or distant you are, not in terms of distance between places, but of the soul's inclination. This should be done when you are not subjected to that which defiles your soul.

Example: Lover of God, you are your own worst enemy. You are most guilty when you do not conform to the Will of God, but instead repulse yourself from it by your malice. You deprive yourself of advantages that you would otherwise have were you unified with God. You are a rebel against His orders, and your lot will be nothing but anxiety and worry. You would be confounded by Saint Catherine of Sweden if you were to reflect on her life. Even from her earliest days, she knew how to discern the Will of God in Its highest perfection! As a baby, she abhored any loose women who were charged to be her nurse, and she would push them away with her little hands. Little Catherine was quite agreeable to chaste women. In marriage, she maintained her virginity. Her humility and modesty were extraordinary. The Sacred Virgin revealed her satisfaction to Catherine through a private apparition where she honored her. This strengthened Catherine's resolve to never begin any undertaking without first lauding the Virgin with the words of the Archangel Gabriel. Her husband carried her casket on shoulders. A new star appeared in the sky to accompany him in this conjuncture.

Practice: Would you feel inclined to board a servant who beat you and flagrantly offended you at any opportunity? Lover of God, you do the same thing to God when you foster your passions contrary to His work. Are you not ashamed of you rebellion? You make yourself suffer instead of just glorifying God as you should. So, don't complain about your injustices because you are the one that causes them. Submit yourself to God and you will be at ease. You will have nothing but moments of joy.