TO BENINCASA HER BROTHER WHEN HE WAS IN FLORENCE
TO MONNA AGNESE WHO WAS THE WIFE OF MESSER ORSO MALAVOLTI
TO SISTER EUGENIA, HER NIECE AT THE CONVENT OF SAINT AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO
TO NANNA, DAUGHTER OF BENINCASA A LITTLE MAID, HER NIECE, IN FLORENCE
TO BROTHER WILLIAM OF ENGLAND OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE
TO DANIELLA OF ORVIETO CLOTHED WITH THE HABIT OF ST. DOMINIC
TO MONNA AGNESE WIFE OF FRANCESCO, A TAILOR OF FLORENCE
LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN CRITICISMS
TO A RELIGIOUS MAN IN FLORENCE WHO WAS SHOCKED AT HER ASCETIC PRACTICES
TO BROTHER BARTOLOMEO DOMINICI OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS WHEN HE WAS BIBLE READER AT FLORENCE
TO BROTHER MATTEO DI FRANCESCO TOLOMEI OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
TO A MANTELLATA OF SAINT DOMINIC CALLED CATARINA DI SCETTO
LETTERS TO NERI DI LANDOCCIO DEI PAGLIARESI
TO MONNA GIOVANNA AND HER OTHER DAUGHTERS IN SIENA
TO MESSER JOHN THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE AND HEAD OF THE COMPANY THAT CAME IN THE TIME OF FAMINE
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA AT AVIGNON
TO CATARINA OF THE HOSPITAL AND GIOVANNA DI CAPO
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
AND TO MASTER JOHN III. OF THE ORDER OF THE HERMIT BROTHERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE
AND TO ALL THEIR COMPANIONS WHEN THEY WERE AT AVIGNON
TO SISTER BARTOLOMEA DELLA SETA NUN IN THE CONVENT OF SANTO STEFANO AT PISA
TO BUONACCORSO DI LAPO IN FLORENCE WRITTEN WHEN THE SAINT WAS AT AVIGNON
TO MONNA LAPA HER MOTHER BEFORE SHE RETURNED FROM AVIGNON
TO MONNA GIOVANNA DI CORRADO MACONI
TO THE ANZIANI AND CONSULS AND GONFALONIERI OF BOLOGNA
TO MISSER LORENZO DEL PINO OF BOLOGNA, DOCTOR IN DECRETALS (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)
TO MONNA CATARINA OF THE HOSPITAL AND TO GIOVANNA DI CAPO IN SIENA
TO MONNA ALESSA CLOTHED WITH THE HABIT OF SAINT DOMINIC, WHEN SHE WAS AT ROCCA
TO RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
TO HER SPIRITUAL CHILDREN IN SIENA
TO BROTHER WILLIAM AND TO MESSER MATTEO OF THE MISERICORDIA
AND TO BROTHER SANTI AND TO HER OTHER SONS
TO SANO DI MACO AND ALL HER OTHER SONS IN SIENA
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF CAPUA OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS
TO DON GIOVANNI OF THE CELLS OF VALLOMBROSA
TO MONNA ALESSA WHEN THE SAINT WAS AT FLORENCE
TO SANO DI MACO AND TO THE OTHER SONS IN CHRIST WHILE SHE WAS IN FLORENCE
TO CERTAIN HOLY HERMITS WHO HAD BEEN INVITED TO ROME BY THE POPE
TO BROTHER WILLIAM OF ENGLAND AND BROTHER ANTONIO OF NIZZA AT LECCETO
TO QUEEN GIOVANNA OF NAPLES (WRITTEN IN TRANCE)
TO BROTHER RAIMONDO OF THE PREACHING ORDER WHEN HE WAS IN GENOA
In the Name of Jesus Christ crucified and of sweet Mary:
Dearest daughters in Christ sweet Jesus: I Catherine, servant and slave of the servants of Jesus Christ, write to you in His precious Blood: with desire to see you obedient daughters, united in true and perfect charity. This obedience and love will dissipate all your suffering and gloom; for obedience removes the thing which gives us suffering, that is our own perverse will, which is wholly destroyed in true holy obedience. Gloom is scattered and consumed by the impulse of charity and unity, for God is true charity and highest eternal light. He who has this true light for his guide, cannot miss the road. Therefore, dearest daughters, I want, since it is so necessary, that you should study to lose your own will and to gain this light.
This is the doctrine which I remember has always been given you, although you have learned little of it. That which is not done, I beg you to do, dearest daughters. If you did not, you would abide in continual sufferings, and would drag poor me, who deserve every suffering, into them too.
We must do for the honour of God as the holy apostles did. When they had received the Holy Spirit, they separated from one another, and from that sweet mother Mary. Although it was their greatest delight to stay together, yet they gave up their own delight, and sought the honour of God and the salvation of souls. And although Mary sends them away from her, they do not therefore hold that love is diminished, or that they are deprived of the affection of Mary. This is the rule that we must take to ourselves. I know that my presence is a great consolation to you. Nevertheless, as truly obedient, you should not seek your own consolation, for the honour of God and the salvation of souls: and do not give place to the devil, who makes it look to you as if you were deprived of the love and devotion which I bear to your souls and bodies. Were it otherwise, true love would not be built on you. I assure you that I do not love you otherwise than in God. Why do you fall into such unregulated suffering over things which must necessarily be so? Oh, what shall we do when it shall befit us to do great deeds if we fail so in the little ones? We shall have to be together or separated according as things shall befall. Just now our sweet Saviour wills and permits that we be separated for His honour.
You are in Siena, and Cecca and Grandma are in Montepulciano. Frate Bartolomeo and Frate Matteo will be there and have been there. Alessa and Monna Bruna are at Monte Giove, eighteen miles from Montepulciano; they are with the Countess and Monna Lisa. Frate Raimondo and Frate Tommaso and Monna Tomma and Lisa and I are at Rocca among the Free-lances. And so many incarnate demons are being eaten up that Frate Tommaso says that his stomach aches over it! With all this they cannot be satisfied, and they are hungry for more, and find work here at a good price. Pray the Divine Goodness to give them big, sweet and bitter mouthfuls! Think that the honour of God and the salvation of souls is being sweetly seen. You ought not to want or desire anything else. You could do nothing more pleasing to the highest eternal will of God, and to mine, than feeling thus. Up, my daughters, begin to sacrifice your own wills to God! Don't be ready always to stay nurselings--for you should get the teeth of your desire ready to bite hard and musty bread, if needs be.
I say no more. Bind you in the sweet bands of love, so you will show that you are daughters--not otherwise. Comfort you in Christ sweet Jesus, and comfort all the other daughters. We will come back as soon as we can, according as it shall please the Divine Goodness. Remain in the holy and sweet grace of God. Sweet Jesus, Jesus Love.