This Sunday, I want to launch a series of Sunday Specials about my favourite saints. Throughout the ages there has been thousands of holy men and women who carried the light of Christ to all people around them. I hope that one day, together with all of you, I shall join them in Heaven in an unceasing celebration of God's love. To get there, we have a score of saints to be our models and to guide us on the journey through their wisdom and example.
~~~
My first encounter with St Rita was about six or seven years ago. I've met up with a writer to talk about studying abroad and it turned out that she was an author of a book about the life of and devotion to St Rita. I instantly fell in love with this saint.
St Rita was born in 1367 and her story is absolutely incredible. She wanted to join a religious community, but her parents wished her to marry, so she humbly submitted to their wishes. The match with Ferdinand Mancini was not an easy one: her husband was said to be hotheaded. Initially Rita tried to confront this difficult temperament, but with time she simply resolved to pray fervently for a change in her husband. Rita gave birth to two sons who inherited their father's tendency to get into arguments. Ferdinand was murdered following one of many conflicts between the local political clans and his sons wanted revenge. Rita prayed that her boys might not become murderers. The story is that the boys died in a plague before they could carry out any of their murderous plans.
Rita found consolation in prayer and sought to enter an Augustinian convent in Cascia. However, time after time, her requests to join the community were rejected. Finally, after many attempts and after facilitating a reconciliation between her family and the family of Ferdinand's murders, she was allowed to start her religious life.
Her life in the convent was full of acts of penance. Rita spent days considering the Passion of Christ and said "Please let me suffer like you, Divine Saviour." She received stigmata as a response to her prayer: a wound appeared on her forehead, as if a thorn from Christ's crown has pierced her. The wound never healed and caused Rita severe pain that she bore with patience, always offering it up in prayer.
Miracles followed Rita's death immediately. Rita's body is still incorrupt today, it can be seen in a glass coffin in the basilica in Cascia. My dream is to make a pilgrimage to Italy and visit the basilica there. St Rita is is considered a patron of impossible causes and is often depicted with a rose. This is a reference to a story from her monastic times. One day in January, Rita asked another sister to go to the garden and bring her a rose. Surprisingly, and against all odds, the sister returned with a beautiful rose.
St Rita is remembered in the Church on May 22nd.
O God, Who in Thine infinite tenderness hast vouchsafed to regard the prayer of Thy servant, Blessed Rita, and dost grant to her supplication that which is impossible to human foresight, skill and efforts, in reward of her compassionate love and firm reliance on Thy promise, have pity on our adversity and succor us in our calamities, that the unbeliever may know Thou art the recompense of the humble, the defense of the helpless, and the strength of those who trust in Thee, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment