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.

IV. A Treatise of Prayer

1.   Of the means which the soul takes to arrive at pure and generous love; and here begins the Treatise of Prayer more....

2.   Here, touching something concerning the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, the complete doctrine is given; and how the soul proceeds from vocal to mental prayer, and a vision is related which this devout soul once received more....

3.     Of the method by which the soul separates herself from imperfect love, and attains to perfect love, friendly and filial  more....

4.     Of the signs by which the soul knows she has arrived at perfect love more....

5.     How they who are imperfect desire to follow the Father alone, but they who are perfect desire to follow the Son. And of a vision, which this holy soul had, concerning diverse baptisms, and of many other beautiful and useful things more....

6.     How worldly people render glory and praise to GOD, whether they will or no  more....

7.     How even the devils render glory and praise to GOD more....

8.     How the soul, after she has passed through this life, sees fully the praise and glory of My Name in everything, and, though, in her the pain of desire is ended, the desire is not  more....

9.     How after Saint Paul was drawn to the glory of the blessed, he desired to be loosened from the body, as they do, who have reached the aforesaid third and fourth states more....

10.   How the soul who finds herself in the unitive state desires infinitely to have the barren earthly state and unite herself to GOD  more....

11. How they, who are arrived at the aforesaid unitive state, have the eye of their intellect illuminated by supernatural light infused by grace. And how it is better to go for counsel for the salvation of the soul, to a humble and holy conscience than to a proud lettered man more...

12.   How this devout soul seeks knowledge from God concerning the state and fruit of tears more....

13.   How there are five kinds of tears more....

14.   Of the difference of these tears, arising from the explanation of the aforesaid state of the soul  more....

15.   How the four stages of the soul, to which belong the five aforesaid states of tears, produce tears of infinite value: and how God wishes to be served as the Infinite, and not as anything finite  more....

16.   Of the fruit of worldly men's tears more....

17.   How this devout soul, thanking God for His explanation of the above-mentioned states of tears, makes three petitions  more....

18.   How the light of reason is necessary to every soul that wishes to serve God in truth; and first of the light of reason in general more....

19.   Of those who have placed their desire rather in the mortification of the body than in the destruction of their own will; and of the second light, more perfect than the former general one more....

20.   Of the third and most perfect state, and of reason, and of the works done by the soul who has arrived at this light. And of a beautiful vision which this devout soul once received, in which the method of arriving at perfect purity is fully treated, and the means to avoid judging our neighbor is spoken of more....

21.   In what way they, who stand in the above-mentioned third most perfect light, receive the earnest of eternal lift in this life  more....

22.   How this soul, rendering thanks to God, humiliates herself; then she prays for the whole world and particularly for the mystical body of the holy Church, and for her spiritual children, and for the two fathers of her soul; and, after these things, she asks to hear something about the defects of the ministers of the holy Church  more....

23.   How God renders this soul attentive to prayer, replying to one of the above-mentioned petitions  more....

24.   Of the dignity of the priest; and of the Sacrament of the Body of Christ; and of worthy and unworthy communicants  more....

25.   How the bodily sentiments are all deceived in the aforesaid Sacrament, but not those of the soul; therefore it is, with the latter, that one must see, taste, and touch It; and of a beautiful vision this soul had upon this subject  more....

26.   Of the excellent state of the soul who receives the sacrament in grace  more....

27.   How the things which have been said about the excellence of this Sacrament, have been said that we might know better the dignity of priests; and how God demands in them greater purity than in other creatures  more....

28.   Of the excellence, virtues, and holy works of virtuous and holy ministers; and how such are like the sun  more....

29.   A brief repetition of the preceding chapter; and of the reverence which should be paid to priests, whether they are good or bad  more....

30.   Of the difference between the death of a just man and that of a sinner, and first of the death of the just man  more....

31.   Of the death of sinners, and of their pains in the hour of death  more....

32.   How this devout soul, praising and thanking GOD, made a prayer for the Holy Church more....