1 “Cell” (cella) connotes a monastic cell. Catherine also uses a variety of other words to describe self‐knowledge: e.g., a house, tomb, valley, stable, night, moonlight, grace, abyss, tug, wood, enclosed garden, dew, fire, light, vessel, cave, well. An excellent biography of Catherine of Siena is Levasti's, Arrigo My Servant, Catherine (London: Blackfriars, 1954)Google Scholar.

2 Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue, trans. and intro. Suzanne Noffke, O.P. The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York and Mahweh: Paulist Press, 1980), 1, p. 15Google Scholar. Henceforth abbreviated as D followed by chapter and page number. In the Augustinian triad of memory, understanding, and will, “the soul's three powers” or faculties, Catherine found a useful image to reflect the soul's creation in the image and likeness of the three divine Persons of the Trinity. The convergent progression (“gathering together”) of the soul's three powers gradually leads to union with God. See D 13, p. 49. “Love follows knowledge” (al cognoscimento seguita l'amore) is a recurring theme in Catherine's spiritual thought, e.g. see D 1, p. 25.

3 “And find your pleasure in prayer, where you will come to a better knowledge of both yourself and God.” Letter T264 in The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans., intro. and notes Suzanne Noffke, O.P. 2. vols. to date. (Tempe, Arizona: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2000‐2001), Vol. II: p. 483Google Scholar. Henceforth all citations to Catherine's letters will be indicated by L followed by the number of the letter according to the numbering system of N. Tommasèo (T).

4 See Pourrat, P., Christian Spirituality in the Middle Ages, trans. Jacques, S.P. (New York: Kenedy, 1924), Vol. 2, p. 291Google Scholar; Bazelaire, Louis de, “Connaissance de soi,” Dictionnaire de spiritualité (Paris: Beauchesne, 1953), Vol. II, cols. 1511‐1543Google Scholar.

5 Michael B[enedict] Hackett, O.S.A. “The Augustinian Tradition in the Mysticism of St. Catherine of Siena,” in Collectanea Augustiniana: Augustine, Mystic and Mystagogue, ed. Fleteren, Frederick Van, Schnaubelt, Joseph C. O.S.A., and Reino, Joseph (New York: Peter Lang, 1994), p. 494Google Scholar. “In books VIII‐X [of De Trinitate] Augustine seeks to discover the true nature of man: the first step in search of God is to seek to discover one's self. Without true self‐knowledge man has only a distorted idea of the image of God in himself, and so the way to God is flawed from the start.” Louth, Andrew, The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition from Plato to Denys (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), p. 148Google Scholar.

6 Pourrat, Christian Spirituality in the Middle Ages, Vol. 2, p. 291Google Scholar.

7 “The Greeks say: Know thyself that thou may'st know that thou are not a god, but only a mortal. The Christians say: Know thyself that thou may'st know thyself a mortal, but the image of God.” Gilson, Etienne, The Mystical Theology of St. Bernard, trans. Downes, A.H.C. (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1940) p. 232Google Scholar.

8 Abbrescia, Domenico O.P., “La conoscenza di sè,” in Lineamenti di spiritualità cateriniana (Roma: Coletti Editore, 1964), p. 8Google Scholar.

9 Raymond of Capua, The Life of Catherine of Siena, trans. and intro. Conleth Kearns, O.P. (Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, 1980), §92, p. 85Google Scholar. Italics mine. Henceforth abbreviated as Legenda major followed by chapter and page number. Bl. Raymond of Capua (c. 1330‐1399) was Master of the Order of Preachers from 1380‐1399.

10 Ibid., §96, p. 89.

11 Ex 3:13‐14. Scriptural quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version.

12 D'Urso, Giacinto O.P., “Santa Caterina da Siena,” Temi di predicazione XVI: 84 (1970), p. 29Google Scholar. The late Padre D'Urso's excellent 112‐page study represents his lifelong study of Catherine's life and teaching. See also Sr. Mary Jeremiah, O.P., “‘To Be or Not to Be:’ Catherine of Siena on Sin and Salvation,” The Canadian Catholic Review, September 1990: p. 298.

13 Paci, Ignazio O.P., “Intelletto, memoria, e voluntà,” in L'anima dominicana di S. Caterina da Siena. Quaderni Caterinati 39 (Siena: Associazione Ecumenica Caterinati, 1985), p. 17Google Scholar.

14 D 18, p. 56. “I am who I am” (Io sono colui che so') can also be rendered as “I am He (or the One) who is.” See Mary John Ronayne, O.P., review of The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, translated by Noffke, Suzanne O.P., in New Blackfriars 62:730 (April 1981): p. 197Google Scholar.

15 D 134, p. 273. “But these presumptuous wretches do not reflect that I am who I am and they are the ones who are not.” D 119, p. 226.

16 D 144, p. 301.

17 Sr. Dominic [Ann Walsh, O.P.], “St. Catherine of Siena: Doctor of the Church,” Supplement to Doctrine and Life 8 (1970), p. 138Google Scholar.

18 Siena, Caterina da, Il dialogo della divina provvidenza, ed. Cavallini, Giuliana. 2nd ed. (Siena: Cantagalli, 1995), LXXXVI, p. 226Google Scholar. Italics mine. Unless otherwise indicated, all translations are my own.

19 L T49, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Piero Misciatelli con note di Niccolò Tommaseo>. 6 vols. (Firenze: Marzocco, 1939), Vol. I: p. 191.+6+vols.+(Firenze:+Marzocco,+1939),+Vol.+I:+p.+191>Google Scholar. As Walsh says, knowledge of God for Catherine was “seen in terms of the biblical meaning of the word knowledge. This is essentially the knowledge one person has of another.” Sr. Dominic [Walsh], “St. Catherine of Siena: Doctor of the Church,” p. 136.

20 L T41, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. I: pp. 7–8. Noffke dates the letter to “possibly 1368, but certainly before May 1374.” Dupré Theseider dates it to “before May 1374.” Siena, Caterina da, Epistolario di Santa Caterina da Siena, trans. Theseider, Eugenio Dupré (Roma: Istituto Storico Italiano, 1940), p. 18Google Scholar. In some of Catherine's prayers and mystical experiences she describes Christ as a youth (fanciullo or giovane), e.g. see Legenda major, §206, p. 196. The risen Christ was held to be a young man. See Summa Theologiae, Suppl., 81.

21 L T94, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli, Vol. II: p. 96.

22 L T49, ibid., Vol. I: p. 191.

23 L T49, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: pp. 601–602Google Scholar. Noffke dates the letter to “late October or November 1377.” See also L T94, ibid., p. 672, which Noffke dates to “November or December 1377” and L T104, ibid., p. 652, which she also dates to the same period.

24 When Catherine speaks of truth she is often referring to what she calls “the truth of God the Father”: that God created us in his own image and likeness out of love so that he could be in a personal, loving relationship with us in which he would share his life and joy. See D 21, p. 58 and also Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli: L T195, Vol. III: p. 158; L T227, Vol. III: p. 302; L T317, Vol. V: p. 42; L T259, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 610.

25 L T41, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. I: p. 8.

26 “Through that way we come to virtue, that is through knowledge of the goodness of God, and through the light of which we see his humility and charity. In him we will acquire them, looking for them inside our soul; elsewhere, in no other way, will we ever find them.” L T345, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli, Vol. V: p. 160. Catherine emphasizes that the virtues must be enacted in our relationships with our neighbors if they are said to exist at all. See D 11, p. 45.

27 Patience, for Catherine, is the litmus test of whether or not one is really humble and loves God. See D 95, p. 178.

28 D 112, p. 211.

29 L T49, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 602Google Scholar. “The soul cannot have two foundations; either one or the other will be thrown to the ground.” L T213, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli, Vol. III: p. 233Google Scholar.

30 D 10, p. 141.

31 D I, p. 1. (Cavallini edition)

32 D 66, p. 124.

33 L T226, I, Catherine, ed. and trans. Foster, Kenelm O.P., and Ronayne, Mary John O.P., (London: Collins, 1980), pp. 171–172Google Scholar. Noffke, however, dates the letter to “about 17 February 1376.” The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 2Google Scholar.

34 See D 45, p. 92.

35 D 126, p. 246.

36 D 98, p. 184. See D 100, p. 187; D 111, p. 209; L T184, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 310Google Scholar.

37 “Oh God eternal! Oh God eternal! You tell me to gaze into you.” Prayer 12 in Catherine of Siena, The Prayers of Catherine of Siena, ed., trans., notes Noffke, Suzanne O.P., 2^nd ed. (San Jose: Authors Choice Press, 2001), p. 111Google Scholar.

38 See L T146, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. I: p. 96Google Scholar.

39 D 167, pp. 365–366.

40 D 13, p. 48.

41 “[L]ove transforms one into what one loves.” D 60, pp. 115–116.

42 D 1, p. 25.

43 D 21, p. 18.

44 L T226, I, Catherine, trans. Foster and Ronayne, p. 171.

45 D 13, p. 48.

46 Hackett suggests that Catherine's teaching on self‐knowledge is virtually the same as found in Augustine's True Religion, Expositions of the Psalms, and Confessions. He summarizes the process as (1) the creature knows its own nothingness, (2) then it begins to sense at its deepest point an overwhelming goodness, and (3) it craves union with God. But this misrepresents Catherine's teaching on self‐knowledge in its final form. Catherine first stresses our realization of God's beauty and his beauty in us and then moves on to the human person's nothingness and sinfulness. Her anthropology, therefore, starts on a positive note. See Benedict Hackett, O.S.A., William Flete, O.S.A., and Catherine of Siena, ed. Rotelle, John E. O.S.A.. The Augustinian Series, Vol. 15. (Villanova, Pennsylvania: Augustinian Press, 1992), pp. 110–111Google Scholar.

47 McCabe, Herbert O.P., God Matters. Contemporary Christian Insights series (London and New York: Mowbray, 1987), p. 20Google Scholar.

48 Sin prevents “the fulfillment of truth,” i.e. of God's plan for humanity (“the truth of God the Father”) being fulfilled, e.g. see L T272, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli, Vol. IV: p. 162Google Scholar. (See note 24 for “the truth of God the Father”).

49 L T362, I, Catherine, trans. Foster and Ronayne, p. 255.

50 Kenelm Foster, O.P., introduction to I, Catherine, p. 30. Foster's introduction to I, Catherine is a superb analysis of Catherine's spiritual thought which builds on his earlier “St. Catherine's Teaching on Christ,” Life of the Spirit 16 (1962), pp. 310–323Google Scholar.

51 L T101, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 71Google Scholar. This is an example of Catherine's positive anthropology: we do not hate ourselves as God's creatures per se but only as rebels.

52 D 73, p. 135.

53 L T30, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. I: p. 49Google Scholar. In D 10, Catherine describes a circle written on the ground with a tree in the center. The tree represents the soul and the circle represents knowledge of oneself and of God within oneself. The circle is broken when the two dimensions of self‐knowledge are separated; the circle expands, however, in proportion to the growth of self‐knowledge. Nurtured by self‐knowledge and the soil of humility, the tree “bears many‐fragranced blossoms of virtue” and its fruit is grace for oneself and blessing for one's neighbors. See D 10, pp. 41–42.

54 L T30, Le lettere di S. Caterina da Siena, ed. Misciatelli, Vol. I: p. 111Google Scholar.

55 Legenda major§49, p. 46. See also D'Urso, “Santa Caterina da Siena,” p. 40.

56 L T49, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, trans. Noffke, Vol. II: p. 601Google Scholar. God's self‐knowledge is the Word and his self‐love is the Spirit: “God exists as the known in the knower and the beloved in the lover.” Summa Theologiae, Ia, 43, 3.