St Rita of Cascia

               I have attended St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Alexandria Virginia many times.  It was where my nephew was Baptized and received First Communion. I witnessed the blessing of my sister’s marriage after she became Catholic.  And yet, I never really thought about St. Rita and why she was a saint.  That is not until my sister and her family went to Italy last year.

               My nephew has a devotion to St. Rita, whose feast day we celebrated on May 22nd.  Many years, in fact most years, her feast day falls during the Easter season and is not celebrated.  My sister and her family drove to Cascia to visit St. Rita.

               She is a saint who was married.  (I always find the lives of married saints interesting, since that is my vocation!) She was born in 1386.  Her desire was to become a nun, but her parents had her marry a man of “cruel and ill temper”.  She lived as a model wife for 18 years until her husband was murdered.  Her twin sons died before they took revenge on those who killed them.  She was initially refused admission to the Augustinian convent at Cascia, and with prayer eventually became part of the community.  She was known for her prayers.  After her death in 1456, many miracles were reported to have been wrought at her intercession. 

               She is often called the Saint of Impossible Causes!  Her body is uncorrupted and she was canonized a Saint in 1900. For me there are at least two lessons to be learned from St. Rita. 

               The first lesson is that marriage is for life, no matter what the circumstance.  In today’s time, we choose our spouse and even then there are challenges once we are married.  As a wife it is important for me to believe that God brought my husband into my life so that we can help each other to eternal life.  That means that sometimes we drive each other crazy and other times we enjoy marital bliss.  Where ever we are in that journey, we are there for each other.  Our union, blessed by God, is a sacrament, not a contract.  “In sickness and in health” really means in sickness and in health!

               The second lesson is that by radically loving God, by putting Him first, even the difficult marriage of St. Rita was possible.  Persistence and perseverance are essential to achieving God’s purpose for life on this earth.

               I thank St. Rita for the great example of being a woman who lived for Christ.  St. Rita, pray for us!