Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious (Optional Memorial) ~ 22 May

Saint Rita was born at Rocca Porrena, in the diocese of Spoleto near Cascia in Umbria, Italy, in 1381. She begged her parents to allow her to enter a convent as she had great desire was to become a nun but in obedience to her parents she agreed to be married at the age of twelve to Paolo Mancini, a minor official in the town. After eighteen years of married life and at her lost by death, her husband murdered and her twin sons died of natural causes. Saint Rita, 36 was called into the religious life where she professed the Rule of St. Augustine at Cascia her native town, in central Italy. Saint Rita's hidden, simple life in religion was distinguished by obedience and charity; she performed many extreme penances. After hearing a sermon on the Passion of Christ she returned to her cell; kneeling before her crucifix, she implored: "Let me, my Jesus share in Thy suffering, at least of one of Thy thorns" and as she prayed before a Crucifix, a wound appeared on her forehead like that of a thorn piercing Christ’s forehead. For the next 15 years she was to bear the pain of that wound with great love and patience, never complaining even though the pain was intense. During the last four years of her life, after experiencing a vision of Our Lord and the indescribable joy of heaven, she was confined to bed and ate so little that she practically existed on the Eucharist alone.Saint Rita is often depicted holding roses, or roses and figs, and the interesting story behind it is that as Saint Rita was dying, she requested her fellow sister to bring her a rose from her old home at Rocca Porrena. Although it was not the season for roses, the sister went and found a rose in full bloom. It was as if God was rewarding Rita for all the thorns in her life with the miracle of the rose. For this reason roses are blessed in the Saint's honour.

Saint Rita's died on 22 May 1457, her face became beautifully radiant, while the odor from her wound was as fragrant as that of the roses she loved so much. Pope Leo XIII canonized Saint Rita on the Feast of the Ascension 24 May, 1900. Saint RITA is universally called the ‘Saint of the Impossible’, because her intercession has been found effectual with God in most desperate and hopeless cases and is often regarded, like Saint Jude. Saint Rita of Cascia is the patron saint for abuse victims, against loneliness, against sterility, bodily ills; desperate causes, difficult marriages, forgotten causes, impossible causes, infertility, lost causes, parenthood, sick people, victims of physical spouse abuse, and widows. Saint Rita’s example reminds us to put our faith in God, who raised his only Son, Jesus from the dead and promises us that we, too, will share everlasting life with him in heaven.

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Prayer to Saint Rita of Cascia 

Holy patroness of those in need, Saint Rita of Cascia, 

so humble, pure and patient, 

whose pleadings with thy divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for me from our Crucified Lord my request. 

(Mention it.) 

Be propitious towards me

for the greater glory of God, 

and I promise to honour thee 

and to sing thy praises forever. 

Amen. 

Saint Rita of Cascia, advocate of the impossible, 

pray for us. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father . . . (3x). 

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Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the wisdom and strength of the Cross, with which you were pleased to endow Saint Rita, so that, suffering in every tribulation with Christ, we may participate ever more deeply in his Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Thursday, 22 May, 2014
St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Optional Memorial)

Reading

Acts 15: 7 - 21
7	And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8	And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;
9	and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
10	Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11	But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
12	And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13	After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me.
14	Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15	And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
16	`After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,
17	that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
18	says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'
19	Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
20	but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
21	For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."

Psalm

Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 10
1	O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2	Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3	Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
10	Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yea, the world is established, it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."

Gospel

John 15: 9 - 11
9	As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
10	If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11	These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.