“The Gentle Mirror of God”  A Teaching of St. Catherine:


“As the soul comes to know herself she also knows God better, for she sees how good he has been to her. In the gentle mirror of God she sees her own dignity: that through no merit of hers but by his creation she is the image of God.”

  • St. Catherine of Siena from The Dialogue

Catherine of Siena believed in the irrevocable goodness of every person, she taught that Knowledge of self is intimately related to knowledge of God. 

Today we can often be many things to many people. Our core identity can feel dependent on situations, people and places.

This practice is intended to help you view yourself through God’s eyes. And can be a practice that can help you better accept yourself authentically, the way that God accepts you, just as you are.

Instructions:

Part 1:

  1. Take a piece of paper and a pen. Write down what titles, words, or adjectives best identify you.

  2. How many words did you write down? Do you think they accurately represent the fullness of who you are?

  3. What parts of you were left off the list or description?

  4. Catherine believed that the more we know ourselves, the more we find God. What does this idea make you feel?


Part 2:

  1. Now that you’ve spent some time defining yourself, how might you change how you define yourself if you were looking into the ‘gentle mirror of God,''?

  2. Say a silent prayer, asking God to add words to your list that he wants to add.

  3. If you can, write down what you think you heard.

  4. One of Catherine's most famous quotes is: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Do you know who God meant for you to be? What would have to change or what support would you need to live in this way?

  5. How can you get to know yourself better? Life has changed rapidly for all of us these past couple years.

  6. Set aside 20 minutes this week (and every week if you can), to take time to view yourself through the gentle mirror of God.

    Getting to know yourself better will bring you into a deeper understanding of who God is in you. And how you were lovingly and uniquely created to do things that God created you to do, that also fulfill your heart’s desire.