O HOLY PATRONESS of those in need, St. Rita, whose pleadings before thy Divine Lord are almost irresistible, who for thy lavishness in granting favors hast been called the Advocate of the Hopeless and even of the Impossible; St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so mortified, so patient and of such compassionate love for thy Crucified Jesus that thou couldst obtain from Him whatsoever thou askest, on account of which all confidently have recourse to thee, expecting, if not alwavs relief, at least comfort; be propitious to our petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy suppliant; be lavish to us, as thou hast been in so many wonderful cases, for the greater glory of God, for the spreading of thine own devotion, and for the consolation of those who trust in thee. We promise, if our petition is granted, to glorify, thee by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we pray: (here mention your request).Obtain for us our request Amen
Saint Rita of Cascia, has become my favorite saint. She has become the patron saint of our family. In 2004 my son had to have an operation on his chest. The doctors had to cut open his chest and shave away cartilage, and remove two ribs. Once that was done they had to put a metal bar in to correct his concaved chest, St. Rita became our friend in prayer. During the weeks we spent in Indianapolis at Riley Children’s hospital, St. Rita was my constant companion in prayer. With the love and support of our family, especially Rebecca and Joe for their support, they took care of our daughter and allowed us to share their home, Father Thom, our entire Parish family, and St. Rita, we made it through it. Today our son is fine. It's a little ironic that God introduced us to St. Rita, by having a "rib" taken out of Adam. God is good. So as a favor to St. Rita I am letting others know of her life. St. Rita of Cascia pray for us.
Born at Rocca Porena in the Diocese of Spoleto, 1386; died at the Augustinianconvent of Cascia, 1456. Feast, 22 May. Represented as holding roses, or roses and figs, and sometimes with a wound in her forehead, she is also seen holding a crucifix. According to the "Life" (Acta SS., May, V, 224) written at the time of her beatification by the Augustinian, Jacob Carelicci, from two older biographies, she was the daughter of parents advanced in years and distinguished for charity which merited them the surname of "Peacemakers of Jesus Christ". Rita's great desire was to become a nun, but, in obedience to the will of her parents, she, at the age of twelve, married a man extremely cruel and ill-tempered. For eighteen years she was a model wife and mother. When her husband was murdered she tried in vain to dissuade her twin sons from attempting to take revenge; she appealed to Heaven to prevent such a crime on their part, and they were taken away by death, reconciled to God. She applied for admission to the Augustinianconvent at Cascia, but, being a widow, was refused. By continued entreaties, and, as is related, by Divine intervention, she gained admission, received the habit of the order and in due time her profession. As a religious she was an example for all, excelled in mortifications, and was widely known for the efficacy of her prayers.
Urban VIII, in 1637, permitted her Mass and Office. On account of the many miracles reported to have been wrought at her intercession she received in Spain the title of La Santa de los impossibiles. She was solemnly canonized 24 May, 1900. www.newadvent.org
There is a verse in the Letter to the Hebrews that often causes
confusion. Referring to Christ the writer says “You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5; 6) Paul is referring to Psalm
110; 4. Who was Melchizedek and what does this mysterious figure have to do
with Christ. Melchizedek was two things he was the King of Salem, just as
Christ is the King of the Heavenly Jerusalem (The New Salem), and Melchizedek
was also a High Priest of the Most High God, just as Christ is The High Priest
of God, The King of Kings. We know that Priest offer Sacrifice so what did
Melchizedek offer? Genesis 14; 18 tells us that Melchizedek brought out bread
and wine for he was a priest of the most high God. So if Christ is of the order
of Melchizedek why doesn’t he offer bread and wine for a sacrifice? Matthew 26;
26-28 tell us Christ did just that. “On the night he was betrayed he took
bread said the blessing, handed it to his disciples and said take this all of
you and eat of it, this is my body which will be given up for you. After supper
he took the cup again he said the blessing and handing it to his disciples
said, take and drink from it all of you, this is the cup of my blood, the blood
of the new and every lasting covenant, it will be shed for you and for all so
that sins may be forgiven.” Why would Christ offer a sacrifice of bread and
wine? Because being God in the flesh Jesus knew that the temple was going to be
destroyed and the sin offerings would cease. Christ dying on the cross was the
great sacrifice, the once for all sacrifice, nothing would ever have to die
again for our sins. That is why he instituted the bread and wine offering, so
that his one time offering on the cross could be made present everywhere for
all time, just as the Old Testament predicted. Bread and wine is the clean
offering,the oblation that is offered everywhere. Malachi 1; 11 talks about the clean offering “For from the rising of the sun even to the going
down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is
sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation”
It is offered in every Catholic Church on
every continent of the world. We call this the Mass. After the last supper Christ
gives us a command “Do this in memory of me.” Do this! Christ didn’t say if you
can make it, try to be there, he said DO THIS. Not only at Easter, Christmas, or
Palm Sunday but do this every time you meet. How often was the breaking of the
bread celebrated in the early church? The breaking of the bread was
offered everyday. (Acts 1; 46). The Catholic Church offers this same offering, ever day
and has for the last 1,976 years. So the real question is why do we just go on
Sundays. I used to go to daily Mass, but I have allowed other things to take precedence
over the Mass.
Christ said "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last
day, for my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent
me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of
me. This is the bread which came down
from heaven…(John 6; 54-58.) If Christ was correct when he said this, and I
believe he was then why don’t we make time to go to Mass daily? I am as guilty
as the next person. I suppose it’s laziness in my situation. Sometimes I just
can’t seem to get enough sleep, no wonder there are so few saints. One of the
greatest things Pope John Paul II showed the world before he died was that an old
man in his 80s had the strength to kneel before his creator on a daily basis, sometimes for hours at a time. John
Paul II pray for those of us, who like myself lack the strength, to be a
faithful witness of the love that our Lord had for us as he hung on a cross dying for our sins.
This is my all time favorite verse in the Bible. These verses were inscribed by the Bishop on a scroll that I received when I entered the Church at the Easter Vigil 1996 .
ISAIAH 43; 1-4 But now thus says the Lord, who created you, and formed you, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you. For I AM the Lord your God; the Holy One of Israel . I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Saba in return for you; because you are precious in my eyes and glorious , and because I LOVE YOU.
" We believe that the word became flesh and that we receive His flesh in the Lords Supper. How then can we fail to believe that he really dwells within us? When He became man, He actually clothed himself in our flesh, uniting it to himself forever. In the Sacrament of His Body He actually gives us His own flesh, which He has united to His divinity. This is why we are all one. because the Father is in Christ and Christ is in us." Hilary of Pointers (315-368)
" To be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ"
