Catherine of Genoa: Walking A Different Path

In early May of this year, things were going along pretty well. I was about to start a new job adventure, the school year was wrapping up, my kids and spouse were relatively happy and healthy. Then my daughter stumbled, literally. She was walking in the backyard, then when taking a normal step, she dislocated her knee. In the process, she also broke a bone and tore a ligament. The last four months have included surgery, lots of physical therapy, and more nursing than I planned for this summer. 

Parenting teenagers is already a hard road. The pull for independence followed closely by needing parents is its own form of whiplash. Which parent will my increasingly taller human need each day, hour, or really minute? In this instance, my daughter needed me more than she was comfortable with. She’s thirteen and full of feelings. There is so much change happening in our house. This summer, we learned a new rhythm, a new balance of how we worked together. I learned how to put a lot aside so her needs could come first. 

Today we celebrate the feast of Catherine of Genoa, whom I connected closely with while learning about her life. Catherine became a nurse relatively late in life for the 15th century. As a child, she longed to be a nun. However, after applying to the convent at age 13, she was denied on account of her young age. Catherine continued praying and seeking direction. Her father died the following year and her older brother felt it was best for her to marry. While her new husband was an aristocrat who offered political and financial benefits to Catherine’s family, he was also a cruel man. Catherine isolated herself and rarely wanted to leave the house. 

In 1473, ten years into this unhappy marriage, Catherine had a mystical experience during confession widely described as an overwhelming sense of God’s love for her. Soon after, she became a nurse in Genoa, walking through its streets tending the sick. Her husband had his own religious experience and joined Catherine in her nursing ministry; they even moved into the hospital she founded.

As David Henson said in Lent Madness, “Catherine reminds us that the greatest work is not always the work of youth. That the physical, emotional, and spiritual wisdom of age can bring with it an opportunity to make a lasting difference in our communities and the world.”

Like Catherine, I thought I had a plan for our summer: swimming, vacation, reading, and lots of time outside. But this path was not meant to be. We found other things to fill our time, including watching a lot of 80s and 90s movies. While it was definitely not something we wished for or would want to do again, we shared more time together than expected. I got to see how my children are growing and changing, and discovered again how much I really like them as people. Just as the footwashing on Maundy Thursday always feels humbling and holy, I felt closer to God as I cared for my daughter. The ministry of nursing is holy work. I pray for all those in that vocation and those who care for others on a regular basis.

I hope you will ponder with me. When has your life taken different paths that you had not planned that brought you closer to God? 

Pray with me today the Collect for September 15

Gracious God, reveal to your church the depths of your love; that, like your servant Catherine of Genoa, we might give ourselves in loving service, knowing that we have been perfectly loved by you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons; Collect for Catherine of Genoa shared with permission by Church Publishing]