Saint Catherine of Siena, writing in the 13th century.
The above quote, attributed to Saint Catherine of Siena by Pope Saint John Paul II at World Youth Day 2000, is a paraphrase of Catherine’s words to Stefano Maconi, a young man who was considering entering a monastery.
Saint Catherine urged him to stop vacillating and “arise from the lukewarmness of thy heart, lest you be spewed from the mouth of God.” She goes on to tell him that the lukewarmness which we may read as indecisiveness comes from ingratitude because we do not recognize the many gifts Christ has won for us by His Passion. If we saw them, if we held in our minds all that Christ has obtained for us, then we would burn with love for Him. Aware of the briefness of our lives, we would feel the imperative to do all that we can with great zeal for the honor of God and the salvation of souls. To this zeal Catherine calls Stefano, closing with the words “If you will be what you ought to be, you will set all Italy aflame, not merely your own city.” (letter 368)
When we find our proper work, that which we were meant to do, that which we were meant to be, we must pursue it with our whole heart, mind and body. We must burn with a passion for the work and with that fire we will set all the world ablaze.