Channelling the Rita effect

Ever since P and I got back from France, I have been suffering from jet lag in the worst way. I am also in great physical discomfort due to tight muscles and I have not been able to sleep much in the night, resulting in me going about woolly-headed in the day, trying not to let nausea overcome me. Feeling lousy has affected me emotionally and I currently feel a little overwhelmed by life. So it was timely that May 22 was the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia.

Saint Rita is known as the Saint of the Impossible; she is Patroness of Impossible Causes. Reading about her life, I can see why. Married against her will at age 12 to a physically abusive philanderer of a husband (she wanted to enter the convent from a young age), she managed to convert him, after long years, only to lose him due to a vendetta where he was violently stabbed to death.

Then she lost her sons, and when she wished to enter a convent subsequently, she was rejected until she could  put an end to the longstanding vendetta between her husband's family and his murderer's family. Here she enlisted the help of her three patron saints in prayer, to great effect. She brought about peaceful reconciliation, and thus could finally fulfil her childhood desire by entering the monastery of Saint Magdalene at age 36.

Her early life seemed to careen from one disaster to the next. I am just amazed that she never lost hope, remained full of faith, never gave up, and turned around seemingly impossible situations through steadfast prayer, and an attractive disposition that brought many people to Christ. All this from the time she was a mere child!

Saint Rita is known for her partial stigmata which is a bleeding wound on her forehead that appeared when she in her 60s and meditating before the image of the crucified Christ. The wound, as if from a thorn from the crown of thorns on Christ's head, signified her deep union with Jesus.

I especially like this fact I picked up from Wikipedia:

On the 100th anniversary of her canonization in 2000, Pope John Paul II noted her remarkable qualities as a Christian woman: “Rita interpreted well the 'feminine genius' by living it intensely in both physical and spiritual motherhood.”

Here is a woman who did not let the strictures and disadvantages of her time stop her from becoming a woman true to her principles of being God-loving. Her rock solid faith life buoyed her and helped her bear much fruit spiritually, and in very concrete, miraculous even, ways. She was humble and obedient to the Gospel despite all her travails.

Just as she loved greatly, she was loved in return. Close to the end of her life, she received the gift of a beautiful rose that came from her family garden in winter - God had granted this impossible request she made of her cousin who had visited her and asked her what she wanted from her family home.

Today, this saint that was born in 1381 has helped me put a little perspective into my own life. Sure, there are facets of my life that are challenging. And yes, I fumble, and may not be very good at what I do. I may even feel defeated by small and inconsequential things, dispirited by my clumsy efforts at loving the people around me, but that's no excuse for pessimism and self-pity, especially since I have her good example of what one can accomplish if one sets one's mind to it.

I may be a weak woman, riddled with insecurities and fear, but I have God's Spirit, all powerful and ever-living inside of me, I have the wisdom and strength of Jesus and His mother, Mary, when I run to them. I also have inspiring saints like Saint Rita to emulate as well as to root for me. Nothing is impossible or so unbearable that I just give up and give in to despair.

Many things may be out of my control and I may not necessarily be happy about everything that happens in my life, but is that a bad thing? Shouldn't I have more faith and trust that all things will work out for the good of everyone including myself, especially in the long haul?

Like Saint Rita, I must remain fearless, persevering and loving no matter what life throws me, and be true to who I am and what I stand for. As Saint John Paul II encouraged:

In her example of total abandonment to God, in her transparent simplicity and in her unflinching fidelity to the Gospel, we too can find sound direction for being authentic Christian witnesses.

Saint Rita, help me to focus on God, and God alone, to be obedient, and steadfast. May I change my world as you did yours, bringing peace, joy and the goodness of God to all. May I wear my suffering as lightly as you wore yours, loving Christ as much as you did.

Rosary powerful

Praying the rosary in front of the beautiful mosaics depicting the different mysteries in the Basilica of the Rosary in Lourdes was an extraordinary experience that has cemented my love of the rosary. It was also special to pray the rosary in the various churches we visited in Paris and feel that both Mary and Jesus were travelling with us as we went from church to church.

As May is the month dedicated to Mary, both P and I have also been watching, for free, the excellent series put out by St Paul Center for Biblical Theology entitled The Bible and the Virgin Mary. Watching the talks have given me fresh insights into the dogmas on Mary and how the Catholic Church arrived at them.

Contrary to what non-Catholics think, dogmas have their roots in the Bible, especially Marian dogmas; Mary's Immaculate Conception, her role as Mother of God, her Perpetual Virginity, and Mary's Assumption into heaven. Do watch the talks if you seek a deeper understanding of why Mary is so loved and revered as our Mother.

Each talk is prefaced by a vignette on Marian apparitions that have occurred worldwide. Apart from Lourdes, Mary has appeared in Guadalupe, Banneux, Fatima and Knock, to name a few places, and her apparitions usually coincide with turbulent times in world history, or just before pivotal events or great changes happen. Mary, through her appearances, inspires us to deeper prayer and faith, to turn to Jesus, her Son, as Lord and Saviour, especially in times of trial.

Her gentle and quiet wisdom, coupled with her exemplary life, has helped many return to the faith, and even today, many flock to places like Lourdes, to seek healing and reconciliation with Jesus. Thousands of hearts have been converted, just by visiting these sacred sites where she has appeared.

Although I have always loved Mary, I have never prayed the rosary with any regularity. It is through P's great love for Mary that I have come to love and respect our Mother in new ways, and to pray the rosary daily. I can testify to how powerful the rosary has been, for my prayers, spoken and unspoken, have been answered in ways I never thought possible. My faith journey has been enriched immensely in these last seven months

Praying the rosary, coupled with fasting, is truly a powerful spiritual weapon that has helped avert wars and combat evil. Many saints both recommend and, through their lives, demonstrate the efficacy of the rosary. Saint John Paul II exhorted the faithful to pray the rosary not only for peace in the world, but as a defender of family life. If we want to effect change in the world, especially attacks on the family, our own families in particular, pray the rosary. It will change not just us as people, but the people around us.

In his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, paragraph 15, JPII talks about how the rosary leads us to closer relationship with Jesus, and thus to be more like Him:

In the spiritual journey of the Rosary, based on the constant contemplation – in Mary’s company – of the face of Christ, this demanding ideal of being conformed to him is pursued through an association which could be described in terms of friendship. We are thereby enabled to enter naturally into Christ’s life and as it were to share his deepest feelings. In this regard Blessed Bartolo Longo has written: “Just as two friends, frequently in each other’s company, tend to develop similar habits, so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection”

It is not easy to be committed to meditating on the five mysteries as one recites a decade of Hail Marys at a stretch during each mystery, but it has helped me learn perseverance and patience, besides giving me supernatural wisdom to aid my decisions these last months. Praying the rosary allows me to show my love and regard for both Jesus and Mary. Praying the rosary lets me live my faith out in a very real way. Give it a shot if you need quiet but potent oomph in your prayer life. Pray the rosary.

Lourdes and beyond

May 6:  P and I are in France. What began as a simple fulfilment of a wedding gift grew into something so much more, a pilgrimage. I am quite excited for it will be our first pilgrimage together. Finally, after all the fits and starts of last year, all the aborted plans, we are actually visiting not only a major Marian shrine (Lourdes is touted as the world's most visited Christian shrine), but also places that hold great meaning for us individually, and as a couple.

Our first stop is Lourdes. When we met couple P and H last week, P shared that Lourdes was like a spiritual Wonderland for both of them - every day, they were trying to decide what to do and where to visit. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!

Lourdes is where Mother Mary appeared to a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in 1858, in a series of 18 meetings (or apparitions), and where the now Saint Bernadette received instruction to dig in the mud from which the spring water flows to this very day. Pilgrims the world over come, en masse, to pray, drink and immerse themselves in these waters, and some experience great physical healing. Hence Lourdes is known to be a place of many miracles, and of healing.

May 9:  We have completed our sojourn in Lourdes and it has been a time of great blessing. We were first blessed with gorgeous, warm, sunny days despite all the warnings of cold and dreary weather.

We were also blessed to be here on the weekend when the Order of Malta congregate annually during the first week of May, May being the Marian month. The spirit of the hospitallers inspired me with their willingness to serve the sick. It was heartening to see this spirit of service inculcated in the young, as seen by the troops of children walking around the grounds in their red berets.

The International Mass, this Good Shepherd Sunday, in the underground Basilica of St Pius X was filled to its 25,000 capacity with pilgrims from the world over. I have not been in the same space as with so many priests, bishops, and even cardinals. It was an awesome and moving mass.

My best couple experience was to walk and meditate the Way of the Cross together twice. Many things spoke to me during both days when we did this prayer walk. God's creativity spoke to me in the beauty of the trees dressed in spring foliage and I gave thanks for the beautiful, serene surroundings of Lourdes. My sense of gratitude, and joy, was great during the walks. Who am I that Jesus should die for me? And yet, He did, and I was reminded to live life "to the full" for I have been given the gift of eternal life.

Another reminder is that life is a journey, and we are perpetually pilgrims, journeying with Jesus as our destination, as well as our Bread for the journey. Travel light and walk virtuously by partaking of the Bread every day. As I walked, and prayed, with P by my side, I luxuriated in the fact that I had found my mountain man in P, the one who will climb the mountain of the Lord with me, the one with clean hands, and pure heart. I am blessed beyond measure.

May 10:  P and I leave for Lisieux today after a very short stop in Chartres to visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres. We spent the afternoon in this immense and impossibly beautiful Cathedral giving thanks and praying. N and S had a little accident but are both fine, so much to be thankful for.

Although we couldn't walk the famed labyrinth on the church floor, we walked the two small labyrinths in the surrounding gardens. The thing that struck me about this Cathedral is how we took our bearings from it as this edifice dominated the landscape of the charming town of Chartres. Once I lost sight of the Cathedral I became disoriented. Likewise, in life, I need to keep my eyes on Jesus so as to know where I am going.

Onwards to Lisieux, to see the home of The Little Flower. 

Easter meaning

You delight me.
Every gossamer layer of my being.
Your goodness wraps seductive fingers
Round my soul, waking up my inner child,
Tickling, inspiring bubbly giggly joy.
Is it legal to feel this way?
So filled with intense happiness
High on how much you are like Him!
The honed muscles of your integrity
Sheathed in luminous lines of humility 
As I wend deeper within the sculptured spires 
Of who you are, I gaze with pleasure
On your battle-scarred heart 
Fashioned by faith and hard choices
You have become our Mother's son:
Many things bright and beautiful,
Sweetly wise and wonderful.
Spring flowers sing a melody true 
Of how, every day, Resurrection follows death.