# Prayer for an Obstinate Sinner
*2015-07-02*

> Bill Young shares a personal encounter that led him to pray St. Catherine of Siena’s short prayer for an obstinate sinner, reflecting on conversion and the example of St. Thomas.

## A Moment of Frustration

I was at a gas station, waiting in line behind a truck that had pulled over a bit. A smaller car behind me was trying to get by, and the driver grew impatient. She honked, I ignored it, and then got out of her car, accompanied by her husband and their dog. She approached my car, and I half‑jokingly said, “I guess you’re not a Christian,” just to see how she would react. She waved goodbye, and I wasn’t sure whether she was a Christian at all, but the encounter stuck with me.

## Why This Prayer Matters

Today is the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, often remembered for his doubt but also for his profound confession, “My Lord and my God,” after seeing Christ’s wounds. Like Thomas, we all have moments of stubbornness and need conversion. St. Catherine of Siena’s prayer for an obstinate sinner captures that desire for repentance and the hope that even the hardest hearts can turn to Christ.

## St. Catherine’s Prayer

My Lord, I know that if you look at our iniquities, there is no one who can escape eternal damnation. Yet you suffered the most cruel tortures, shed your most precious blood, and died with the single aim of forgiving us. I have no other consolation on earth save the sight of sinners returning to your feet. Grant me the conversion of this obstinate sinner; his or her soul is in your hands.

*Even in moments of irritation, we are called to pray for the conversion of those who seem most resistant.*