The Life of Saint Catherine de' Ricci

Summary

The Life o fSaint Catherine de Ricci - Mystical Marriage - Stigmatist - Visionary

Five years later, on Easter Sunday, she prayed to the Lord to give her a new heart, because she said "With this weak heart of mine, I cannot love you properly." Then, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, she went into ecstasy, and Our Lord appeared to Catherine and gave her a new heart, made of flesh. She said that her heart felt as if it was on fire. She had asked to love Him with a heart that could love Him as He deserved. Whose heart could better love Him than that of Mother Mary! Who knew how to truly love her Son, if not His Mother? Our Lord, when she asked for a new heart that could properly love Him, gave her the heart of His Mother Mary. From that time on, she said her heart was no longer hers, but that of Jesus, Mother. 

     The following year, the 15th of April, 1542, she was mystically married to Jesus. [Now, many Saints we have written about have been given that special blessing by the Lord: Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Gemma Galgani, Saint Veronica Giuliani to mention just a few. But the outward sign of Saint Catherine de' Ricci's marriage was the most unusual we have ever heard.] Our Lord appeared to the young girl in a brilliance, reminiscent of the Transfiguration. He took her hand in His and kissed it; then He took a gleaming ring off His own finger and placed it on the ring finger on her left hand, saying,

     "My daughter, receive this ring as pledge and proof that thou dost now, and ever shalt, belong to Me."