Praying for others:
Take Saint Rita as an example
The saints of the Church offer great examples of the constancy, perseverance,
faith, hope and passionate benevolence that are necessary ingredients
for powerful intercession. Take St. Rita for example.
As a young woman, Rita wanted to enter a convent and dedicate her life
to God and to intercessory prayer. Her mom and dad were against it.
They wanted her to get married. Rita was obedient to them. What a great
example of keeping the Fourth Commandment! Unfortunately for her, mom
and dad were no matchmakers. She obeyed them and married a man who was
an abusive drunk. With kindness and love, Rita continued to witness to
her husband the way of Christ. They were blessed with two boys, but they
grew up more like their dad than their mom. Rita never lost her faith,
and increased her prayers for her husband and her two sons. She asked
God to give them faith and convert their hearts so that they would live
at peace with God and others. After 18 years of marriage, and countless
prayers offered by Rita, her husband did convert!
Rita
was so happy, but before she could embark on a new life with her husband,
he was killed. Her two sons were bent on plans of revenge. Rita then
turned to God and prayed that God would keep them from sin, and if that
meant taking their lives, so be it. Well, both of them caught an illness
that eventually did take their lives. While they were sick, they both
repented of their desire for vengeance and reconciled with God. They died
very peacefully with their own mother taking care of them. Rita was eventually
led by God to join the convent and spend the rest of her life praying
for others and doing penance for her sins and the sins of humanity.
At the end of her life, she continued to pray for others, especially
for her husband and two sons who had died long before. She asked God
to bring them to heaven and even asked for a special favor – some
sign that would help her know they were with the Lord. In the middle of
winter, St. Rita knew God would give her a sign. She told one of her relatives
to go and see if a rose had bloomed. The sister thought she might be delirious,
but went and investigated. To her great surprise and joy discovered a
rose shooting up from the snow at Rita’s home. Rita smiled and then
asked her relative for two figs from the fig tree in her garden –
another impossible request that was granted. Rita died in peace, and many
miracles happened and continue to occur to this day through her intercession.
So now it is our turn! The Lord is counting on us to join Him and
countless saints in interceding for the salvation of all people. He wants
us to pour out our hearts in faith and in union with Him before God the
Father.
– Fr. Bill Ashbaugh is pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Howell.
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