Since few days I was
reading books on saints and I completed one
named The Story of Saint Rita of Cascia ,what
a beautiful lady she was,so much she has suffered ,I was so impressed by her
that I decided to make her as one of my patron saint. I would love to say her
story in short.
Antonio and Amata Lotti, natives of Roccaporena, a tiny
village in the Umbrian Hills of the republic of Cascia, were well-respected
peacemakers in their town who was pleading for a child, as since many years after
their plead they finally thought of giving up the plead for a child and that is
the time when God bless them with a baby girl name Margherita in 1381, as her
name meant “pearl” and she was known as Rita.
Next day after her baptism, her parents made her sleep in
cradle and went to few distance from which they could see her and started
working in field, one man nearby was hurt badly and his hands were bleeding because
of cut in his hands, he came running and saw bees going in and out of Rita’s
mouth and she was busy sleeping peacefully without being disturbed, he got busy
in waving those bees away and after sometime when all the bees went away when
he saw his hands which was waving bees was completely healed. No bleeding! No Cuts
was found! She was blessed since birth!
Baptized in the church of St. Augustine in Cascia, Rita
became familiar with the local Augustinian nuns of St. Mary Magdalene and was
attracted to their way of life.She said her desire to join them but her parents
had a different plan for her, they wanted her to get married and she knows that
her parents thinking of her security and protection, she said yes to them
thinking it the will of God keeping her desire of becoming nun aside.
So Rita obediently married Paolo Mancini with whom she had
two sons. At that time there was often open conflict between families, and her husband's family had conflict with other family and her
husband Paolo was murdered. She lost her husband at a very young age,yet
she forgives the murderer and tries to convince
her sons to forgive them but her sons was planning to take revenge for
their father’s murderer, so she prays to God very earnestly that he take control
so that her son may not lose innocence by doing any wrong act,and within an
year, both sons suffered to a deadly illness leaving Rita not only a
widow, but also childless. She never knew this way God will answer her!But
she never lost faith in Jesus!
After eighteen years of marriage, Rita felt been called by
God the second time to religious life in the Augustinian convent. But the sisters
were hesitant and refused her request; however, Rita was not discouraged,
convinced that she was called to their community. The sisters even more
firmly refused, citing that although Rita had forgiven her husband’s killers,
her family had not. There were members of the rival family in the
convent; her presence would be detrimental to community harmony.
And so, inspired by her three patron saints (Augustine,
Nicholas of Tolentino and John the Baptist), Rita set out to make peace between
the families. She went to her husband’s family and requested them to put
aside their enmity and stubbornness. They were convinced by her courage
and agreed. The rival family, astounded by this proposal of peace, also
agreed. The two families exchanged a peace embrace and signed a written
agreement, putting the quarrel to rest forever. A wall painting depicting
the scene of the peace embrace was placed on a wall of the Church of Saint
Francis in Cascia, an enduring reminder of the power of good over evil and a
testament to the widow whose forgiving spirit achieved the impossible.
At the age of 36, Rita finally was accepted into the
Augustinian convent. She lived a regular life of prayer, contemplation
and spiritual reading, according to the Rule of Saint Augustine. For
forty years she lived this routine lifestyle, until fifteen years before her
death, on Good Friday 1442, she had an extraordinary experience. Before an
image of Jesus that was very dear to her, she was moved by a deeper awareness
of the physical and spiritual burden of pain which Christ so freely and
willingly embraced for love of her and of all humanity, being moved by
Christ’s love she spoke her willingness to relieve Christ’s suffering by
sharing even the smallest part of his pain. Her offer was accepted, her
prayer was answered, and Rita was united with Jesus in a profound experience of
spiritual intimacy, a thorn from his crown penetrating her forehead. The
wound it caused remained open and visible until the day of her death.
Toward the end of her life, Rita progressively weakened
physically. Several months before her death, she was visited by a
relative from Roccaporena who asked if she could do something for her.
Rita at first declined, but seeing her sad face then made a simple request to
have a rose from the garden of her family home brought to her. However,
it was January, the dead of winter in the hills of Umbria. But upon her
return home, the relative passed Rita’s family garden and found to her
astonishment a single fresh rose in the snow-covered garden on an otherwise
barren bush. She immediately returned to the convent where she presented
it to Rita who accepted it with quiet and grateful assurance. For the
four decades she had spent in Casica’s convent, she had prayed especially for
her husband Paolo, who had died so violently, and for her two sons, who had
died so young. The dark, cold earth of Roccaporena, which held their
mortal remains, had now produced a beautiful sign of spring and beauty out of
season. So, Rita believed, that God had brought forth, through her
prayers, their eternal life despite tragedy and violence. She now knew
that she would soon be one with them again.
Rita died peacefully on May 22, 1457. An old and
revered tradition records that the bells of the convent immediately began to ringing
unaided by human hands, calling the people of Cascia to the doors of the
convent, and announcing the triumphant completion of a life faithfully
lived. The nuns prepared her for burial and placed her in a simple wooden
coffin. A carpenter who had been partially paralysed by a stroke was present there, he voiced
the sentiments of many others when he spoke of the beautiful life of this humble
nun in bringing lasting peace to the people of Cascia. “If only I were
well,” he said, “I would have prepared a place more worthy of you.” With
those words, Rita’s first miracle was performed, as he was healed. He
fashioned the elaborate and richly decorated coffin which would hold Rita’s
body for several centuries. She was never buried in it, however. So
many people came to look upon the gentle face of the “Peacemaker of Cascia” that
her burial had to be delayed!!!
It became clear that
something exceptional was occurring as her body seemed to be free from nature’s
usual course. It is still preserved today, now in a glass-enclosed
coffin, in the basilica of Cascia.
What an inspiring life she lived,so much she suffered and yet was faithful to God,i am so much inspired that decided to make her my patron Saint!So many other details are stored in book which i couldn't write and many miracles too!
I Suggest you all to read this book,if anybody wants to read feel free to take it from me.
She was indeed "THE PRECIOUS PEARL"
Have a lovely day Beautiful People................
