St Catherine of Siena

The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena was dictated to her secretaries by the Saint in ecstasy.

The format are questions asked, by St Catherine, with the response being God's answer to St Catherine.

V. A Treatise of Obedience

1.     Here begins the treatise of obedience, and first of where obedience may be found, and what it is that destroys it, and what is the sign of a man's possessing it, and what accompanies and nourishes obedience more.....

2.     How obedience is the key with which Heaven is opened, and how the soul should fasten it by means of a cord to her girdle, and of the excellences of obedience more.....

3.     Here both the misery of the disobedient and the excellence of the obedient are spoken of  more.....

4.     Of those who have such love for obedience that they do not remain content with the general obedience of precepts, but take on themselves a particular obedience more.....

5.     How a soul advances from general to particular obedience; and of the excellence of the religious orders  more.....

6.     Of the excellence of the obedient, and of the misery of the disobedient members of the religious orders  more.....

7.     How the truly obedient receive a hundredfold for one, and also eternal lift; and what is meant by this one, and this hundredfold  more.....

8.     Of the perversities, miseries, and labors of the disobedient man; and of the miserable fruits which proceed from disobedience more.....

9.     How God does not reward merit according to the labor of the obedient, nor according to the length of time which it takes, but according to the love and promptitude of the truly obedient; and of the miracles which God has performed by means of this virtue; and of discretion in obedience, and of the works and reward of the truly obedient man more.....