Page:Lifeofsaintcatha.djvu/224

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she gave us birth amid sighings and sorrow, until she had formed Christ within us, and daily distributed to us the wholesome bread of her excellent instructions.

Having spoken of this multiplication of bread we will continue the same subject, recalling what happened in the latter period of her life. My witnesses are, two Sisters of Penance of St. Dominic, who are still living and at present in Rome. The first is Lysa, whose name is familiar to the reader, the second is Jeanne de Capo who was also at Sienna. They accompanied Catherine when Urban VI. of happy memory, bade her come to the Eternal City. She lodged in the section of the column of Antonius, with a great number of her spiritual children. Her disciples had followed her, as it were, without her permission; some to visit the holy places, others to ask some favor from the Sovereign Pontiff, but all more particularly to enjoy the attractions of her conversations, which were so profitable to souls; and it must also be said that the Sovereign Pontiff caused several servants of God to go to Rome, in consequence of a request from Catherine, and she took pleasure ia showing them hospitality. She possessed naught in the wide world having " neither money nor purse," but begged for a support with her companions; yet she would have received a hundred persons as easily as one alone, so confiding was her heart in God; she knew that God's treasures were inexhaustible; hence, at that epoch she had at least twenty-four persons with her and the number was at intervals considerably increased. Catherine established an admirable system in the house; one of her associates was designated each week to provide for and survey the domestic arrangements, so that the others might be occupied with God and accomplish