Catherine was a noble maiden of Alexandria, who from her earliest years joined the study of the liberal arts with fervent faith, and in a short while came to such an height of holiness and learning that when she was 18 years of age she prevailed over the chiefest wits. When she saw many diversely tormented and haled to death by command of Maximin because they professed the Christian religion, she went boldly to him and rebuked him for his savage cruelty, bringing forward likewise most sage reasons why the faith of Christ should be needful for salvation. Maximim marvelled at her wisdom and bade keep her while he gathered together the most learned men from all quarters and offered them great rewards if they would confute Catherine and bring her from believing in Christ to worship idols. But the event fell contrariwise, for many of the philosophers who had come to dispute with her were overcome by the force and skill of her reasoning, so that the love of Christ Jesus was kindled in them and they were content even to die for His sake.
Then Maximin strove to beguile Catherine with fair words and promises, and when he found it was lost pains, he caused her to be hided and bruised with lead-laden whips and so cast into prison, and neither meat nor drink given to her for 11 days. At that time Maximin’s wife and Porphyry, the Captain of his host, went to the prison to see the damsel, and at her preaching believed in Jesus Christ and were afterwards crowned with martyrdom. Then was Catherine brought out of ward and a wheel was set, wherein were fastened many and sharp blades, so that her virgin body might thereby be most direfully cut and torn in pieces, but in a little while, as Catherine prayed, this machine was broken in pieces, at the which marvel many believed in Christ. But Maximin was hardened in his godlessness and cruelty, and commanded to behead Catherine. She bravely offered her neck to the stroke and passed away hence to receive the twain crowns of maidenhood and martyrdom, on the 25th day of November. Her body was marvellously laid by Angels upon Mount Sinai in Arabia.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
O blessed Catherine, accept us as your disciples. In thy person, philosophy, true to its beautiful name, leads us to Eternal Wisdom, truth leads to goodness and science to Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. “O curious inquirers, who delight in idle, fruitless speculation,” exclaims the most eloquent of your panegyrists, “know that the brilliant light of science which enchants you, is not intended merely to please your eyes, but to guide your steps and rule your conduct. Vain minds, that make such pompous display of your learning in order to win men’s praise, learn that this glorious talent has not been entrusted to you for your self-advancement, but for the triumph of the truth. And you, cowardly, sordid souls, who use science as a means of gaining earthly goods, consider seriously that so divine a treasure is not meant to be traded with in so unworthy a manner, and that the only commerce it is concerned with, is of a higher and sublimer kind: the redemption of souls.”
Thus, O Catherine, you employed your science solely for the truth. You made “the majesty of Jesus Christ so visible, that His presence dissipated all the errors of philosophy, and the truths it had usurped acknowledged Him for their Master, or rather were gathered up in Him as in their centre. Let us learn from this holy example to bear witness to the truth and to make it triumph over the world, employing all our light of knowledge in the fulfilment of this duty. O holy truth, I owe you the testimony of my words, of my life, of my blood: for the truth is God Himself.”
This, O magnanimous virgin, is the thought of holy Church when she thus formulates her prayer for today: O God, who gave the law to Moses on the summit of Mount Sinai and wonderfully deposited in the same place the body of the blessed Virgin and Martyr Catherine by means of your holy Angels; grant, we beseech you, that by her merits and intercession, we may be enabled to arrive at the mountain, which is Christ, who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever.”Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Rome, St. Moses, priest and martyr, who, with others detained in prison, was often consoled by the letters of St. Cyprian. After he had withstood with unbending courage not only the Gentiles, but also the Novatian schismatics and heretics, he was finally, in the persecution of Decius, crowned with a martyrdom which fills the mind with admiration, according to the words of Pope St. Cornelius.
At Antioch, St. Erasmus, martyr.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Mercury, soldier, who vanquished the barbarians and triumphed over the cruelty of Decius through the protection of his guardian angel. Finally, having acquired great glory from his sufferings, he was crowned with martyrdom and went to reign forever in heaven.
In Emilia in Italy, St. Jucunda, virgin.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
