Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom (Second Edition)

Product Description
This profound book by the Irish Dominican poet and writer Fr. Paul Murray draws us into the fire of the great Saint Catherine of Siena and explores the mystic's love for God and humanity. Catherine of Siena is one of the most enigmatic and intriguing saints in the Church's history—As a young laywoman with no education, she became renowned for her intense mystical experiences, inspired preaching, and preached her scathing criticism of the corruption among the Church and political authorities.
She is recognized today as a Doctor of the Church and enjoys this status as the only layperson ever to receive the title. Despite all this, the most distinguishing feature of Catherine's life and the least talked about is her preoccupation with freedom. She had a keen sense of the "unspeakably crazy" love of God and the liberating power of His mercy. However, she understood the terrible consequences of the bondage of sin. She believed in the necessity of facing our inner demons and led those enslaved by their darkness, fear, or oppression to self-knowledge in God as a path to absolute freedom.
Fr. Paul Murray explores the "fire" that inflames almost every page she writes. Examined in the light of Dominican spirituality, the writings of Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, and the modern psychologist Carl Jung , he concludes that Catherine of Siena was foremost a preacher of freedom who speaks to us throughout time with compelling authority.

Comprehensive Christian Books: Fr. Paul Murray has written an account on Catherine of Siena, one of the most intriguing and enigmatic saints in the Church's history: her life, background, and her tireless efforts to bring people into the light of God.
Catherine of Siena: Many inspirational books have described the lives of saints; Catherine takes the mantle as the only laywoman who is recognized today as a Doctor of the Church.
Catherine's Mission: Many Catholic books have preached the path to God, but Catherine believed that self-knowledge about one's own darkness and fear is the only way we can achieve self-awareness about God, leading us to a path to absolute freedom.
Proclaiming Christ: Word on Fire Catholic Ministries supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron, which aims to highlight Roman Catholic history, spread the message of Jesus Christ, and to manifest the spirit of Christ to the masses.
From the Back Cover
St. Catherine of Siena is well-known for her mysticism, preaching, and piercing intellect"€"she's the only layperson to ever be named a Doctor of the Church"€"but her work is written with a fiery passion that is not common to theological works.
But for all the attention to St. Catherine, surprisingly little has been said about her understanding of freedom. While she knew well the "unspeakably crazy" love of God, she also recognized the slavery of sin and the necessity of facing our own inner darkness. Her passion, the passion that inflamed almost all of her works, was to lead those enslaved by sin to freedom and self-knowledge in God.
In this profound new book from the Word on Fire Institute, the Irish Dominican poet and writer Fr. Paul Murray, OP, draws us into the fire of St. Catherine's love for God and humanity. This unique book looks at her life through not only the lens of Dominican spirituality but also the work of Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and the modern psychologist Carl Jung. Murray ultimately draws a compelling portrait of a saint and thinker whose writing still speaks to us forcefully.
About the Author
PAUL MURRAY, OP, an Irish Dominican friar, lives in Rome where he teaches courses at the Angelicum University on the literature of the Western mystical tradition. He is a Fellow of the Word on Fire Institute and has published many books, including Scars: Essays, Poems, and Meditations on Affliction; Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism, and Poetry;