![\"St](\"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/St%20Catherine%20of%20Alexandria2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls, who, when he had found one of great price, gave all that he had and bought it.<\/p>\n
With the Church we pray,<\/p>\n
O God, Who did give the law to Moses from the top of Mount Sinai and did\u00a0\u00a0miraculously convey there by Thy holy Angles the body of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin and Martyr; we beseech Thee, grant\u00a0\u00a0that by virtue\u00a0\u00a0of her merits and intercession, we may attain to that mount which is Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Poetry can be a great way of understanding life. Here is a poem by Saint Ephrem,<\/p>\n \n \u00a0In Praise of Virginity<\/p>\n Blessed are you, virgin, with whom Blessed are you, heavenly sparrow Blessed are your wings that were able to fly. Blessed are you, O shoot that Truth cultivated; Blessed are you, O bride, espoused to the Living One, Blessed is your heart, captivated by love Blessed are you, free woman, who sold yourself Born of a noble family, Catherine was committed to her faith in Christ and made the claim she was his bride; she therefore refused the marriage proposal of the emperor. Defending her decision before 50 philosophers by making a superior argument, she was tortured by being splayed on a wheel and then beheaded. The kingdom … Continue reading Saint Catherine of Alexandria<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1710,1816,2448],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24129"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24129"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29453,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24129\/revisions\/29453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nthe comely name of virginity grows old.
\nIn your branches chastity built a nest;
\nmay your womb be a nest for her dwelling place.
\nMay the power of mercy preserve your temple.<\/p>\n
\nwhose nest was on the cross of light.
\nYou did not want to build a nest on earth
\nlest the serpent enter and destroy your offspring.<\/p>\n
\nMay you come with the holy eagles
\nthat took flight and soared from the earth below
\nto the bridal couch of delights.<\/p>\n
\nHe engrafted your medicine into the Tree of Life.
\nYour fruit exults and rejoices at all times
\nto drink the drink of the Book of Life.
\nBlessed are your branches.<\/p>\n
\nyou who do not long for a mortal man.
\nFoolish is the bride who is proud
\nof the ephemeral crown that will be gone tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\nof a beauty portrayed in your mind.
\nYou have exchanged the transitory bridal couch
\nfor the bridal couch whose blessings are unceasing.<\/p>\n
\nto the Lord who became a servant for your sake!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"