sienna

      Catherine of Siena tells us of five kinds of tears. The first four are apart of a
progression. The first are tears of sin. They come, "because these persons' heart is
corrupt.(p.166)" The second are tears of fear. They come from "those who weep for fear
because they have risen up from sin out of fear of punishment.(p.161)" In the the third
type of tears, a love of god is developing, "but because their love is imperfect, so is their
weeping.(p.161)" In the fourth type of tears people love their neighbors as themselves, and
god above all, in perfection. Because of this, "their weeping is perfect.(p.161)"
      Then there is the fifth sort of tears. These are tears, "of ultimate
perfection(p.167)." At this point the soul is one with Truth and "the flame of holy desire
burns more fiercely within her.(p.167)"

     Love of others is an offspring of the love of god. Because god loves all people so
much, and he loved Catherine even before she was created, she loves all people in
celebration of his name. She must do this without self interest, or hopes of repayment.
But, she does this "Because she sees that [god] love them even more than she does, she
also loves them unspeakably much.(p.165)"

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