Fire of Truth

Commissioned by Fr. Stephen Joseph Bruzzese

Oil on Canvas

© 2022 Adelaine Nohara.

St. Catherine of Alexandria was a young princess of Alexandria, Egypt, who lived at the turn of the fourth century. On account of her rank, she received the privilege of a liberal education. Catherine so valued the pursuit of wisdom that she made herself an avid scholar – a rare accomplishment for a woman of that time. Her high ideals made her disdain every suitor who sought her hand in marriage. In Catherine’s eyes, the young noblemen of Alexandria could not exceed her beauty, wealth, or intelligence: why should she be persuaded to accept the hand of one who is less than her equal? She thus refused her parents’ wish for her to marry, unless they could find a man with greater attributes than her own.

Catherine’s mother was a secret Christian. She decided to bring Catherine to her spiritual guide – a holy monk – for advice. He spoke to Catherine of a man whose countenance was radiant as the sun; whose wealth encompassed all that is; whose knowledge and understanding was without parallel. Upon hearing this description of the Divine Bridegroom, Catherine’s young heart was gripped with desire to behold Him. Catherine remained under the tutelage of this holy monk for some time, wherein she came to the knowledge of Christ. She obeyed the monk’s directions to pray and fast in vigil, and was graced with a vision of Jesus and His Immaculate Mother. Jesus, however, would not look at Catherine – she was repulsive in His eyes. Through this vision, Jesus revealed to Catherine the truth of her own inner poverty and ugliness apart from baptism and the riches of His grace. This fire of divine truth led her to be baptized and purify her soul until she gleamed with the radiance of Heaven’s gems: the white-robed virgins of the Eternal Bridegroom, who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Following this process of interior conversion, Jesus and Our Lady again appeared to Catherine, but this time, Jesus beheld her tenderly, with great love. As a sign of His love, He placed a golden ring on her finger – a ring that remained after the vision had passed.

Her own heart now enkindled with the truth of the Gospel, Catherine was unable to remain indifferent to the plight of her Christian brethren. The Emperor Maxentius had summoned the people to Alexandria to partake in the festivities of pagan sacrifice and idol worship. When Christians refused to sacrifice to idols, they were rewarded with a violent martyrdom. When eighteen-year-old Catherine witnessed a number of Christians on the verge of renouncing their Faith in the face of such cruelty, she was deeply grieved. Catherine took it upon herself to confront the Emperor, beseeching him to stop the persecution. She argued in his presence at length using syllogistic reasoning, as well as allegory and metaphor. Her incredible beauty combined with her youth and eloquence amused the Emperor more than it angered him, so he arranged to win her over by challenging her to debate fifty of Alexandria’s wisest men and philosophers. After hearing the gracious words of the maiden’s golden-tongued testimony, all fifty of these men were converted to Christianity. Outraged, Maxentius ordered them to be burned alive in Catherine’s presence.

The Emperor, now furious, had Catherine imprisoned and scourged while he had to leave the palace and attend to royal business. During his time away, Catherine was visited by the Empress and many others, who were so amazed at her spirit and the fire of truth that burned within her, that the same fire took hold within their hearts as well. Upon his return, the indignant Maxentius saw that these converts – including his wife – were fed to the flames in death. In final desperation, he tried to make Catherine renounce Jesus by flaunting his treasures and proposing to her. The brave Catherine, however, refused his advances, insisting that her Husband was the King of Heaven. She was thus condemned to be tortured to death upon a breaking wheel. When presented before the wheel, Catherine touched it, and the wheel miraculously shattered. In response, Maxentius took up the sword himself and wielded it to sever the virgin’s head from her body, freeing her spirit to ascend into the arms of her Beloved Jesus.

May we learn from Catherine the vanity of earthy treasures and wisdom, the radiance of purity, the value of sacred study in announcing the Gospel, and power of the Holy Spirit in clinging to the Truth in the face of trial and injustice. St. Catherine of Alexandria, valiant bride of Christ, pray for us!