“Be happy. Be content—always, everywhere, in all circumstances—because every circumstance is a gift of love for you from the Eternal Father. That’s why God wants us to rejoice in every one of our troubles, and to praise and give glory to His name—yes, in everything—because God loves you with a forever kind of love.

Buck up! Remember who loves you, and be encouraged today and every day in Christ, gentle Jesus.”

-- Catherine of Siena, Letters

“God loves you with a forever kind of love.” This is such good news. Catherine of Siena was a mystic and Christian laywoman who lived in 14th Century Italy. She offers us contemporary women of faith huge encouragement in this excerpt from one of her letters. She knew about “trouble”—she was the 24th of 25 children in her family; at age seventeen, she contracted smallpox and was permanently disfigured by the disease; she lived a life of chronic, physical pain.

However, in the midst of all of her challenging circumstances, God did not forget Catherine, and Catherine did not forget God. In fact, she had a spiritually powerful, intense relationship with Christ. This “mystical espousal” was so profound that it fully convinced her that loving God could only be embodied by loving and serving one’s neighbor.

Like a medieval Mother Teresa, St. Catherine of Siena gave her labor to caring for impoverished people and for very sick people. She died at the young age of 33, having given the greater part of he life to her relationship with Jesus Christ and continuing His work on earth—despite her own troubles.

Through it all, she came to know and proclaim the perfect continuity of our relationship with God: “God loves you with a forever kind of love.”