devotions to st. rita a compendium life of st. rita, devotional exercises, novena

8/3/2019 Devotions to St. Rita a Compendium Life of St. Rita, Devotional Exercises, Novena

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St. Rita


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A COMPENDIUM LIFE OF ST. RITADEVOTIONAL EXERCISESNOVENA AND TRIDUUM

INSTRUCTIONS ON NOVENAS ETC.

COMPILED BYAUGUSTINIAN FATHERS

(English, German, French, Italian and Polish Edition)

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PUBLISHED BYg>0tt0, Qlljtragn, 3I1L

IMPORTERS & PUBLISHERS


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PERMISSU SUPERIORUM:MARTIN J. GERAGHTY, D. D., 0. S. A.Provincialis Ordinis Sancti AugustiniNIHIL OBSTAT:

J. F. GREEN S. T. B., 0. S. A.Censor DeputatusIMPRIMATUR:

JACOBUS E. QUIGLEYArchiepiscopus Chicagiensis

COPYRIGHTED 1914 BY J. A. PERKINS


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DEVOTIONS IN HONOR OF ST. RITAOF CASCIA, O. S. A.BLESSED St. Rita, our patroness and

guide, we lay this chaplet at thy feet,a litany, as we do the thoughts, the labors, the sufferings of our lives, thatholding daily before our eyes the gentle purity, patience and sanctity of thyexample our lives may be lived in somepoor image of thine own, even unto lifeeverlasting.

LITANY OF ST. RITA OF CASCIALord, have mercy on us.Christ, have mercy on us.Lord, have mercy on us.Christ, hear us.Christ, graciously hear us.God, the Father Almighty, have mercyon us.God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,who hast said: "Ask, and you shall

receive; seek, and you shall find;knock, and it shall be opened untoyou/ have mercy etc.


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6 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAGod, the Holy Ghost, Spirit of Wisdom,Understanding, Counsel and Knowl

edge,Holy Trinity, one God, Power Infinite,Holy Mary, who hast never refusedthose who implored thee, Pray for us.Immaculate Mary, Queen of Heavenand Earth, Pray etc.Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,Holy Angels, spirits of humility,Holy Principalities, charged with thecare of religious communities,Holy Virtues, angels of energy,Holy Cherubim, angels of light,St. Rita, advocate of the impossible,St. Rita, enamored of humility,St. Rita, consecrated to God,St. Rita, lover of Jesus crucified,St. Rita, spouse of Jesus suffering,St. Rita, penetrated with compassionfor our Lord,St. Rita, crowned by an angel with thesacred crown of thorns,St. Rita, who didst bear the wound of

this supernatural coronation uponthy forehead,

St. Rita, trusting in the tender mercyof Jesus,


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITASt. Rita, importuning our dying Lord

with irresistible fervor,St. Rita, never doubting the answer toprayer,That we may renounce all self-love,Pray for us, St. Rita.That we may confide in the promisesof Christ, Pray for us, etc.That the enemies of our salvation maybe put to confusion,That we may accomplish most perfectly the holy will of God,

That the power of evil over us may bedestroyed,That faith may spread in all its purityover our land,That a holy zeal may take possessionof our hearts,That we may inspire all with whomwe associate with a love for holy pu

rity,That we may cultivate a delicate charity in all our actions,That we may be delivered from all avarice, vainglory, or rash judgment,That great saints may arise in our nation, to edify the people and enlighten the darkness of infidelity,


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAThat we may be delivered from all in

terior foes,Lamb of God, who takest away the sinsof the world, spare its, O Lord!Lamb of God, who takest away the sinsof the world, graciously hear us,Lord!Lamb of God, who takest away the sinsof the world, have mercy on us, OLord!T. Pray for us, St. Rita,I>. That we may be made worthy of

the promises of Christ.LET us PRAY

God, who in Thine infinite tenderness hast vouchsafed to regard theprayer of Thy servant, Blessed Rita,and dost grant to her supplication thatwhich is impossible to human foresight,skill and efforts, in reward of her compassionate love and firm reliance uponThy promises; have pity upon our adversity and succor us in our calamities,that the unbeliever may know Thou artthe recompense of the humble, the defense of the helpless, and the strengthof those who trust in Thee. ThroughJesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAPRAYER TO ST. RITA

holy protectress of those who arein utmost need, who shinest as a starof hope in the midst of darkness, glorious and blessed St. Rita, bright mirror of the Catholic Church, in patienceand fortitude as the patriarch Job,scourge of devils, health of the sick,deliverer of those in extreme need, admiration of Saints, and model of allstates; with my whole heart and soulprostrated before and fir.mly unitedto the adorable will of my God,through the merits of my only Lordand Saviour, Jesus Christ, and inparticular through the merits of Hispatient wearing of that torturing crownof thorns, which thou, with a tenderdevotion, didst daily contemplate;through the merits of the most sweetVirgin Mary and thine own excellentgraces and virtues, I implore thee toobtain my earnest petition providedit be for the greater glory of God andmy own sanctification (here mentionyour request), and herein do thou guideand purify my intention, holy protectress and most dear advocate, sothat I may obtain the pardon of all my


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10 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAsins and grace to persevere daily, asthou didst, in walking with courage andgenerosity and unwavering fidelitythrough the heavenward path in whichthe love of my sweet Lord desires tolead me. Amen.

INVOCATIONS TO ST. RITASt. Rita, Advocate of the Hopeless,pray for us.St. Rita, Advocate of the Impossible,pray for us.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glorybe to the Father, etc.Blessed be God, the Father of ourLord Jesus Christ, Father of Mercy andGod of all Consolation, who, throughthe intercession of St. Rita, comfortsus in all our tribulations. Amen.

(A decree, August u, 1906, grants an indulgenceof 300 days to all who once a day devoutly recite thefollowing prayer in honor of St. Rita of Cascia.)glorious St. Rita, who didst mi

raculously participate in the sorrowfulPassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer withresignation the troubles of this life, andprotect me in all my needs. Amen.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 11PRAYER

Holy Patroness of those in need, St.Rita, so humble, pure and patient,whose pleadings with your DivineSpouse are irresistible, obtain for usfrom your crucified Jesus our request.Be propitious toward us for the greaterglory of God and yourself, and wepromise to honor and sing your praisesever after. Amen.

PRAYER TO ST. RITAglorious St. Rita, perfect discipleof the meek and humble Nazarene, because of that most profound humilitywhich thou didst exercise amidst the

lowliest duties of the convent, afterbeing introduced by thy holy Protectorinto the sacred cloister of Casciathrough closed doors, where followingthe Rule of St. Augustine, thou didstlead a life hidden with Christ in God,we pray thee obtain for us from thatGod who resisteth the proud and im-parteth His gifts to the humble, thegrace to conquer the passion of pridewithin us, that noxious root of all ourwoes, so we may become worthy to beraised up to the eternal glory of Heaven


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12 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAin imitation of our Divine Redeemer,while we honor Him.Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.THE ADVOCATE: OF THE: HOPELESS

(St. Rita was canonized May 24, 1900. She is universally called "The Saint of Impossible Things," asher intercession has been found available in the mostdesperate cases.)

HYMN TO ST. RITA OF CASCIA*Chorus :

Come, virgins chaste, pure brides, drawnear :Let each exult and Heaven hearThe hymn which grateful accents raise,Our song of joy in Rita s praise.

By fast her sinless frame is weak;Her livid flesh the scourges streak.In pity for her Savior s woes,Her days and even nights are closed.The thorn-wound on her brow is shown,The crimson rose in winter blown,And full-ripe figs in frozen treeAt Rita s wish the wonders see.

*This hymn is the translation of the hymn of Ivauds,office of St. Rita, approved by Decret. S. R. C., Nov.24, 1900.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 13The widowed spouse and wedded wifeThe way to Heaven see in her life ;The way secure our Rita trod,In life s dim day, through pain to God.Praise to the Father and the Son,Praise to the Spirit, Three in One ;

grant us grace in Heaven to reignThrough Rita s prayer and lifelong pain.T. Thou hast signed Thy servantRitaI. With the signs of Thy Love andPassion. xLET us PRAY

God, who didst deign to confer onSt. Rita, for imitating Thee in love ofher enemies, the favor of bearing inher heart and brow the marks of ThyLove and Passion, grant, we beseechThee, that through her intercession andmerit, we may, pierced by the thornsof compunction, ever contemplate thesufferings of Thy Passion, who livethand reigneth forever and ever. Amen.

Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.


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14 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAOCCASIONAL PRAYERS IN HONOROF ST. RITAMEMORARE IN HONOR OF ST. RITARemember, holy protectress ofthose in extreme need, that no one everturned to thee in affliction, besoughtthy assistance, or implored thy intercession and was left unaided. With a

firm reliance upon thy favor at theThrone of Grace, I, a suppliant, cometo thee, Blessed Rita, bright Saint ofthe Impossible! Hearken thou to rnypetitions. Amen.PRAYER TO KNOW ONE S VOCATION

glorious St. Rita, to whose guidingcare I have committed myself, in thisthe most serious affair of my life ; cometo my assistance. Obtain for me, fromthe crucified Savior, the grace to walkonly in that way which He has decreedshall be the means to the end for whichI was created, the enjoyment of God inheaven. Amen.PRAYER TO BE SAID IN ANY NECESSITY

holy Rita, upon whom God did confer such singular favors during thy stay


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 15on this earth; pray for me and obtainthe grace, first to know and detest mysins, and to increase in virtue ; and particularly that I may be freed from mypresent affliction (here mention request), provided such liberation be notcontrary to the Divine Will nor detrimental to my salvation. In this desireand in all other things I commit andsubject myself to the Disposition andWill of the Most High God, and to thymaternal judgment, holy Rita. Amen.

TRIDUUM IN HONOR OF ST. RITA(For Private Devotion)

(The following prayers may be used as atriduum in honor of St. Rita, to be said either on three consecutive days or on threeconsecutive Thursdays. An omisison of oneday breaks the triduum.)

First DayROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGINPRAYER

DIRECT, we beseech Thee, Lord, allour actions by Thy holy inspirations,


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16 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAand carry them on by Thy graciousassistance, that every prayer and othergood work of ours may begin alwaysfrom Thee, and by Thee be happily ended: through Christ our Lord. Amen.O blessed Rita, I take thee this dayfor my special protectress and advocate with God. In all humility I re

joice with thee, because thou wast chosen of God for the special marks ofHis favors. Obtain for me, by thyprayers, a spirit of true courage in allthe trials of this life. Make it thyspecial care, blessed advocate, to obtain for me an efficacious love of God,a strong love, a pure love, enablingme to surmount all difficulties whichmight hinder my union with God inlife, so that I may become one with Himforever after death.

glorified Rita, look down upon mestill exiled and send me hope and consolation. Obtain for me the grace ofimitating thy virtues : and if it be God sHoly Will, I would beg of thee to addthy prayers to mine for the obtainingof this, my special request (mentionit).


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 17(A decree of August n, 1906, grants an indulgenceof 300 days to all who once a day devoutly recite the

following prayer in honor of St. Rita of Cascia.)glorious St. Rita, who didst mi

raculously participate in the sorrowfulPassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer withresignation the troubles of this life,and protect me in all my needs. Amen.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Second DayROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGINPRAYER

Direct, we beseech Thee, etc. (as onfirst day) .

glorious Rita, thou who, while onearth, wast a mirror of innocence anda model of penance; saintly heroine,specially chosen by God to wear on thyheart and brow the marks of His loveand Passion, look down from Heavengraciously upon my soul and hear myprayers. Obtain for me such a lovefor Jesus suffering, that ever meditating on His Passion I may make Hissuffering mine; that I may draw fromthe wounds of my Savior, as from so


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18 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA

many founts of salvation, the grace oflamenting my sins and a firm will toimitate thee in penance, if I have notfollowed thee in innocence.glorified Rita, look down upon me

still exiled and send me hope and consolation. Obtain for me the grace ofimitating thy virtues; and if it beGod s Holy Will, I would beg of theeto add thy prayers to mine for the obtain for me the grace to suffer with(mention it).

(A decree of August u, 1906, grants an indulgenceof 300 days to all who once a day devoutly recite thefollowing prayer in honor of St. Rita of Cascia.)

glorious St. Rita, who didst miraculously participate in the sorrowfulPassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtaining of this my special requestresignation the troubles of this life,and protect me in all my needs. Amen.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Third DayROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGINPRAYER

Direct, we beseech Thee, etc. (as onfirst day).


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 19happy Rita, who hast already

crossed over the sea of our mortality,be solicitous for me in my manifoldmisery. Reach forth thy hands to me,advocate of desperate cases, andguide my tottering footsteps, that gaining strength through thy aid I maywalk more confidently in the by-pathsof the Saviour. Obtain for me faith andperseverance, that I may serve God infear and so keep His Commandments.1 beseech thee, holy Rita, to send mefrom thy home in Heaven a few dropsof the wine of thy charity, for my soulis dry with the dryness of the worldand its pleasures. Come to me, a miserable sinner, and loose the bonds ofmy captivity. Take me apart from theworld-maddened crowds that I maysit with thee and God Almighty; thatI may hear the voice of my God breaking in silence to my aching heart.

glorified Rita, look down upon mestill exiled and send me hope and con-sclation. Obtain for me the grace ofimitating thy virtues and if it be God sHoly Will, I would beg of thee to addthy prayers to mine for the obtainingof this special request (mention it).


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20 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA(A decree of August 11, 1906, grants an indulgenceof 300 days to all who once a day devoutly recite the

following prayer in honor of St. Rita of Cascia.)glorious St. Rita, who didst mi

raculously participate in the sorrowfulPassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for rne the grace to suffer withresignation the troubles of this life,and protect me in all my needs! Amen.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST. RITA(For Private Devotion)

(The following prayers may be used as anovena in honor of Saint Rita to be saideither on nine consecutive days, or on nineconsecutive Thursdays. An omission of oneday breaks the novena.)

First DayFROM her childhood, St. Rita had received a wonderful gift of prayer. Thisgift she developed in a striking mannerduring the years of her early youth.Whoever wished to see her was certainof finding her either at home or in theparish church, which was her favoriteplace of prayer, where she spent entire


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. KITA 21hours in meditation and devotion to thegreat edification of all. This practiceshe continued during her whole life asa wife and mother, but especially afterher miraculous entrance into the religious state. As a nun her prayerswere offered in the darkness of thenight, in the early morning and throughout the day; in one word, prayer washer life, for not even for one momentcould she withdraw herself from thepresence of her Uncreated Love.Let prayer, then, be the subject ofyour thoughts on the first day of yournovena. Frequently recite some littleejaculation during the day and ask ourDivine Lord in union with the Apostlesto teach you how to pray and to fillyour heart with the spirit of prayer.

EXERCISESSay the Rosary of the Blessed Vir

gin, the Litany of St. Rita, page 5,and the following prayer:blessed Rita, wonderful model ofprayer for those in every state and condition of life, pray to your DivineSpouse, with whom your intercession isso powerful and your prayers so efli-


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22 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAcacious, that the spirit of prayer maydescend into my heart and ever remainthere. Obtain for me also, belovedpatron, that like you I may find mychief delight in having recourse to mydivine Master; that like you I may beworthy to be numbered amongst Hischosen disciples; that He may protectme during life from the enemies of mysoul s salvation and from every danger, and at the moment of my deathplace me among the heavenly multitude of the blessed. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress/ page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,

Glory be to the Father, etc.

Second DayThe foundation of every virtue ishumility. God resists the proud andgives His grace to the humble. Wherepride reigns there can be no virtue.That Rita is the great Saint she is today is due mainly to the fact of herhumility. She practised this virtue asa child when she never tried or wishedeven to prefer herself to anyone. As


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAthe wife of a cruel husband she maintained a profound humility. Her modelswere Christ Himself, who told His disciples and followers to learn to be meekand humble of heart, Mary the Motherof God, who notwithstanding that shealone of all the daughters of Eve wasselected to be the Mother of the God-Man, cried out: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord," and St. John theBaptist, of whom Christ gave the testimony that he was the greatest bornof woman, who declared himself to bebut the "voice of one crying in thewilderness." In the convent she practised this virtue to an heroic degree, always taking the lowest place, performing the most menial duties, and shunning any work that would in any waybring her into prominence.

In imitation of St. Rita, then, behumble, love to be despised, and do notrepine because the world does not treatyou as you think you deserve to betreated. Frequently today repeat theejaculation, "Jesus meek and humbleof heart, make my heart like untoThine."


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24 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAEXERCISES

Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, Litanyof St. Rita, page 5, and the following prayer:

glorious St. Rita, perfect discipleof the meek and humble Nazarene, because of that most profound humilitywhich thou didst exercise amidst thelowliest duties of the convent after being introduced by thy holy Protectorinto the sacred cloister of Casciathrough closed doors, where, followingthe rule of St. Augustine, thou didstlead a life hidden with Christ in God,we pray thee obtain for us from thatGod who resisteth the proud and im-parteth His gifts to the humble, thegrace to conquer the passion of pridewithin us, that noxious root of all ourwoes, so we may become worthy to beraised up to the eternal glory of heavenin imitation of our Divine Redeemer.Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,

Glory be to the Father, etc.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 25Third Day

The Saints were men and womenjust the same as those now living. Theyhad the same passions, the same temptations as we have. We have the samemeans and remedies to overcome thegreat enemies of our salvation, viz.,the world, the flesh and the devil, asthey had, and yet unfortunately it mustbe admitted that there is a great difference between the saints and us.The chief cause of this is that the saintsguided and directed their actions bythe spirit of faith. In everything thathappened to them they beheld the handof God and adored His Holy Will. St.Rita had an intense desire to consecrateher life to God in the religious state,but it was only after long years of patient waiting, years filled with sufferingand sorrow, that she was to enjoy thefulfillment of her cherished wish. Yetshe was ever cheerful, because she feltthat these sufferings were permitted bya loving God and that she could donothing more meritorious than to submit to His Holy Will.Let it be our practice during thisnovena and the remainder of our lives


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 27ous gift which the prince of the Apostles asked with such fervor: "Lord,increase our faith." May my life bein accordance with the teaching ofyour holy Gospel and may I be able tosay with my dying breath, "I have keptthe faith," and now am ready for myeternal reward. Amen.Then say the prayer, "O holy Protectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Fourth DayIf there was one virtue more thananother that distinguished itself in thelife of St. Rita, it was her obedience.As a child it was in the light of thisvirtue that she regulated all her actions. She regarded the slightest wishof her parents as a command of Godwhich she could not violate. It was inobedience to their wish that she forthe time gave up her ardent desire ofbecoming a nun and entered a marriageon which her heart was not set. Butno sooner did she become a wife thanshe immediately realized that her dutywas to regard her husband as a master


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28 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAto whom that obedience and reverentialfear are due which the Church owes toher head, Christ. Though her husbandwas by nature brutal, and frequentlyill-treated her, she obeyed his everywish. It was, however, as a nun thatshe practised this virtue in an heroicdegree. All her actions were so manyacts of obedience, or, rather her wholeconventual life was an uninterruptedact of the humblest, truest and readiestobedience.Learn from St. Rita to prize this holyvirtue; be faithful in your observanceof the laws of God and His holy Church.Look upon your superiors, whoeverthey may be, as God s representatives,and in doing their will, as long as itis not sinful, you may be sure you arepleasing God, who one day will reward you as He rewarded St. Rita.

EXERCISESRosary of the Blessed Virgin, Litanyof St. Rita, page 5, and the follow

ing prayer:glorious St. Rita, bright ornamentof the Augustinian Order ; model of obedience during your whole life; perfect


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 29disciple of Him who came on earth todo the will of His Heavenly Father,and who was obedient in all thingseven unto the death of the cross; obtain for me by your powerful intercession the grace to render myself perfectly obedient and submissive to allGod s designs in my regard. May Iobtain also the grace to behold God inthe person of my superiors, spiritualand temporal, and thus render themthat loyal and loving service whichcharacterized your every act. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Pro

tectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.Fifth Day

In her youth, even while yet a child,Rita s only desire was to consecrateherself to God in the religious state.But alas ! what trials and sufferingswere to come upon her before she wasto experience the joy of this religiousconsecration. In obedience to her parents wish she entered the married state.Here her life was one cross after another, caused by a wayward husband,


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30 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAand children who followed in the footsteps of their unruly father. After thedeath of husband and children, whenshe tried to gain admittance to the convent, she again, more than once, wasrefused and finally, when enrolledamong the virgins of Cascia, the afflictions sent her by Heaven itself wereso great that she was obliged to shutherself off from the sweet companionship of her sisters. Yet in all thesetrials, great indeed though they were,and lasting during her whole life, shewas never known to utter a word ofcomplaint. Rather hers was ever apeaceful and joyous countenance, andon her lips was a word of comfort forevery sufferer who came in contactwith her. Well did she learn the patience and resignation of her belovedMaster.You too, her devoted client, be sureto imitate these special virtues and youmay be certain that as God rewarded

St. Rita so too will He bless you. Remember that every pain, no matter howslight, if it be borne with patience, willbecome a jewel of infinite price in yourcrown of glory.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 31


ing prayer:blessed Rita, model of patience and

resignation to the will of God, in allyour trials ; how much I need the consolation afforded by meditating on yoursufferings, and learning from you never to be downcast but always to raisemy eyes to heaven, there seeking, asyou did, the strength to bear patientlythe various ills of life. Obtain for mefrom your Divine Spouse and Modelthose virtues of patience and resignation, the true philosophers stone whichwill change the ordinary trials of lifeinto the precious pearls of a gloriousdiadem, similar to that which nowadorns your brow, and which will beforever yours in reward for your patiently bearing the cross your heavenly Father sent you. Amen.Then say the prayer, "O holy Pro

tectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.


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32 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA

Sixth DayWhen St. Rita was yet a child sheobtained the consent of her parents toset aside a little room as an oratory.The walls of this room she decoratedwith pictures of our Lord s Passion,and therein she shut herself, as in themidst of all delights. The constant object of her thoughts during her wholelife, and which caused the ecstasies ofher soul as well as the most ardent loveof her heart, was the Passion of herCrucified Spouse. She felt herself absorbed into the Crucified One for whomalone she lived. It was her pious custom daily to prostrate herself beforethe crucifix and there to pour out theloving longings of her heart, that allmight do homage to the Son of God,who, out of love, suffered such torments for them. One day while thuskneeling in prayer she saw one of thethorns from the crown of the crucifixdetach itself and strike her on the leftside of the forehead with such forcethat it almost penetrated the bone,causing her exquisite pain. This woundshe carried with her to death.


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 33Dear client of St. Rita, there is no

form of meditation simpler or moreadvantageous than meditation on thesorrowful Passion of Christ. Let it beyour chief delight, with St. Rita, inwhose honor you are making this No-vena, to dwell with loving thoughts onthis Sacred Passion, especially today.Think of it during your work, yourfree time, and ask St. Rita, to obtainfor you the same delights from thisholy exercise as inundated her puresoul.


ing prayer:sweet Lord Jesus, Who becameman for the salvation of the humanrace, and who suffered such untoldpains and humiliations that guilty manmight be restored again to the love andfriendship of his Creator, grant thatthrough the merits of blessed Rita, thesorrows of Your Passion may be theconstant object of my thoughts and aspirations. Imprint deeply in my heartthe love of Your Passion, and grant thatin imitation of my glorious patron, St.


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34 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITARita, I may deserve to hear an answerto my prayers and may come with herto eternal happiness. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Seventh DayForgiveness of injuries is a duty incumbent on every Christian who claims

to be a follower of Christ. The necessity of this duty is taught not only by thepositive precepts of our divine Lord, butfar more forcibly by the example of Hislife, for when hanging on the cross,His dying words were a prayer to Hisheavenly Father for the pardon of Hismurderers. "Father, forgive them forthey know not what they do." Sothoroughly was St. Rita convinced ofthe necessity of pardoning her enemies,and so desirous was she of imitatingthe example of her beloved Spouse thatshe did not for a moment hesitate topardon sincerely from her heart thecruel men who brutally murdered herunfortunate husband. She too in imitation of the example of the dying Re-


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 35deemer offered fervent supplications tothe divine mercy for those wicked murderers.We, the clients of St. Rita, wishingto honor her and obtain her protectionduring this novena, should bear con

tinually in mind that there is no better way to insure her help than by a fervent and loyal imitation of her virtues.

Resolve, then, today to banish fromyour heart all ill-will and uncharitablefeelings toward those who may havedone you any injury. Forgive, and asyou deal with others, so will your heavenly Father deal with you, for charitycovers a multitude of sins.


ing prayer:dearest Lord, how many times Ihave offended You and how kind Youhave been to me in granting me thegrace of repentance. I acknowledgethat my life has been one of ingratitude for the numberless favors whichYou bestowed upon me. I thank Youespecially for the various lessons of vir-


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36 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAtue You have given me through thelife of blessed Rita, and beg of You toimpress on my heart the lesson of forgiveness of injuries. O blessed Rita,spouse of Jesus suffering, you whowere so cruelly treated by others during life and yet pardoned from yourinmost heart the injuries you received,obtain for me the favor to love all men,even those who may do me the greatestinjuries. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Eighth DaySt. Rita, one of the greatest Saints

whom God has been pleased to raiseup in modern times, may be truly considered a model for every condition inlife as well as a bright exemplar of thevirtues that ought to adorn every goodand fervent Christian. Holy Churchhas solemnly declared that she practised these virtues in an heroic degree.However, there is one practice that inher holy life stands out more prominently than all the others, and that is


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 37her love and devotion toward Jesus inthe Holy Eucharist. As a child, shespent her free time in church speakingto the Prisoner of Love on the altar.As a wife and mother, her chief delightwas to receive into her loving heart thedivine Spouse of her soul. As a nun,she spent whole nights prostrated before the Tabernacle, and when the firstrays of dawn began to break on herlong vigil, she complained because otherduties called her away from those sacred precincts. Yet no matter whatduties she was called on to perform, heraffections were ever directed to thatsacred spot where her treasure was.

Oh, dear client of St. Rita, learnfrom her that no devotion is of anyaccount that does not bring you intocloser contact with the Most BlessedSacrament. Receive it frequently andworthily and today prepare yourself toreceive it worthily tomorrow, the closing day of your novena.


ing prayer:


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38 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAsweet Lord Jesus, who out of lovefor me dost remain day and night, a

Prisoner of Love in the Most HolySacrament of the Altar, often lonelyand neglected by those You love, butmore so by me. grant me, dear Jesus, through the intercession of Yourbeloved servant Rita, to find my joyand consolation in visiting You in thisSacrament, and in receiving You intomy heart. I desire now to receive Youbut, alas, I am not prepared. Comethen into my soul in spirit. Prepare itfor that happy moment tomorrow whenI will have the happiness of receivingYou sacramentally as the crowningwork of this novena, and grant methrough the intercession of St. Ritathe favors I am asking You duringthese days of prayer. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress/ page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.

Ninth DayComing near the end of her holy andmiraculous life, St. Rita felt that shewas languishing with love for her heav-


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 39enly bridegroom. This love was thecharacteristic of her pure life, the guiding principle of her every act, and nowin her last moments on earth it causedher to desire her freedom from the tiesof her body so that she might take herflight to enjoy for all eternity her Uncreated Good. Our divine Lord, accompanied by His Most Holy Mother, appeared to her and announced the joyous tidings that in three days she shouldbe taken from this world and all herpains, and be received into Paradise toreceive the reward of her virtues andsufferings. With what fervor did shenot immediately prepare to receive thelast sacraments and fortify herself forthat long journey. She received themwith a fervor more easily imagined thandescribed, and then, with her eyes turned toward the abode of the blessed, herpure soul took its flight thither whereshe now lives an immortal life, the reward of her heroic virtues.Her precious death took place on the

night of May 22, 1457, the last day ofthe week, a day specially consecratedto the honor of the Mother of God,whom, after God Himself, she loved with


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40 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAher whole heart. Be devoted to Mary,and ask her frequently to intercede foryou at the hour of your death.


ing prayer:glorious St. Rita, filled with lovefor your heavenly Father, take me today, unworthy though I be, under yourpowerful protection, and obtain for methe favor I am seeking during this no-vena (name your request). I beseechyou also to obtain for me the ineffablegrace of loving God with my wholeheart during the remainder of my life,of loving Him above all things in imitation of the bright example of yourlife, that thus I may merit as you didto die in the sweet embrace of Jesusand Mary. teach me, dear Saint, toprepare myself for that moment onwhich so much depends, and obtainthat death may be for me the entranceto eternal life. Amen.Then say the prayer, "0 holy Protectress," page 9.Three Our Fathers, Hail Marys,Glory be to the Father, etc.


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BLESSING OF THE ROSES(On the feast day, May 22)

Blessing of the Roses for the Sick, on thefeast of St. Rita of Cascia, Widow of theOrder of St. Augustine.

V. Adjutorium nos- V. Our help is intrum in nomine Do- the name of the Lord,mini.

1. Qui fecit coelum,et terram.

V. Domine exaudiorationem meam.

I. Et clamor meusad te veniat.

V. Dominus vobis-cum.

$. Et cum Spiritutuo.

OremusDeus, creator, et

conservator generishumani, dator gratiaespiritualis, et largitorhumanae salutis, be-nedictione sancta tuabene f die has rosas,quas pro gratiis ex-

1. Who hath madeheaven and earth.

V. O Lord, hear myprayer.

$. And let my crycome unto Thee.V. The Lord be

with you.I. And with thy

Spirit.Let us prayGod, Creator and

Preserver of the human race, giver ofspiritual grace anddispenser of salvationto men, with Thy holybenediction bless theseroses which out of de-


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42 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAsolvendis cum devo-tione et venerationebeatae Ritae, hodietibi praesentamus, etpetimus benedici, etinfunde in eis pervirtutem sanctae Cruf cis benedictionem ;ut quibuscumque in-firmitatibus appositaefuerint, seu illorum,qui eas in domibussuis, vel locis cumdevotione habuerint,aut portaverint, in-firmitates sanentur;discedant diaboli, con-tremiscant, et fugiantpavidi cum suis minis-tris de habitationibusillis, nee amplius tibiservientes inquietarepraesumant. Per Do-minum nostrum, etc.

I. Amen.

votion and venerationto blessed Rita wepresent Thee todayand in thanksgivingbeseech Thee to bless.Infuse into them Thybenediction by thepower of the HolyCross, so that all infirmities, to whichthey may be applied,whether of those whowith devotion preservethem in their homesor other places, orwho carry them aboutwith them may behealed. May the devils, put to confusion,and terrified, flee fromthese habitations andnever more dare todisturb those whoserve Thee. Throughour Lord, etc.

5. Amen.(Then the roses are sprinkled with holywater and incensed).


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 43Oremus Let us pray

Exaudi nos Deus Hear us, merci-Salutaris noster; ut ciful God, that as wesicut de beatae Ritae rejoice in the feastfestivitate gaudemus; of Blessed Rita so weita piae devotionis may be enlightenederudiamur affectu. by the love of piousPer Christum Domi- devotion. Throughnum nostrum. Christ our Lord.

lx. Amen. $. Amen.

HOW TO MAKE A NOVENAOne of the essential qualities of prayer is perseverance, as is evident fromthe words of St. James, who says thatthe continual prayer of a just manavaileth much (James V. 16). Our divine Lord gives us in His own example,on the eve of His bitter Passion, a livelyproof of perseverance ; for the inspiredEvangelist says : "He prayed the thirdtime saying the self-same words" (Matt.XXVI. 44). For these reasons HolyMother Church has approved the practice of praying during certain periodsfor some favor or blessing which wedesire our Father in heaven to bestow

upon us.


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44 DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITAShe has her special times for prayer,

such as the holy seasons of Lent andAdvent. Besides this, we have ninedays devotions commonly called no-venas, either in honor of some one ofthe three Divine Persons, as the novenato the Holy Ghost, or to some of theSaints through whose favor with Godwe confidently hope to obtain our cherished requests.A novena, then, consists of certainprayers or devotions continuing uninterruptedly for nine days. These daysmay be either successive days or theymay be one special day each week fornine successive weeks. No special orset forms of prayers are required. Inorder, however, to help the clients ofSt. Rita to partake of the wonderfulfavors she obtains so abundantly forthose who make the novena in her honor, the prayers herein set down may beused with much fruit. If a day be missed either in the nine consecutive daysor weeks the novena is broken and mustbe commenced over again.As the state of grace is one of thesurest means of partaking of God sgraces and blessings, each person mak-


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DEVOTIONS TO ST. RITA 45ing a novena ought to try as often aspossible during the nine weeks to approach the sacraments of Penance andHoly Eucharist, and during the ninedays, if the novena be made on consecutive days, these sacraments shouldbe worthily received on or before thelast day of the devotions. If it be possible the novena to St. Rita ought to bemade at her shrine, though it may bemade privately at home.

Faith in God s promises, hope in Hisgoodness, and resignation to His Divine Will, joined to purity of heart andperseverance are the conditions offruitful prayer, the prayer of whichChrist spoke when he said: "Amen,amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name He will giveit to you."


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIAUMBRIA, an important province of Italy,is distinguished in the annals of theChurch as the land of saints andscholars. Three great religious institutes reverence it as the birthplace oftheir respective founders, St. Benedict,St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Clareproud claims that entitle Umbria to thegratitude of all Christendom. Not lessgenerous has she been to the Augustin-ians, upon whose calendar we find noless than eight servants of God honoredwith Mass and Office, whose birth waslikewise in this same portion of Italy.Among these is numbered St. Clare ofMontefalco, recently honored with thetitle of Saint, and also Rita of Cascia,of whose eventful life a sketch is hereappended, and whose canonization isnow a matter of history, having takenplace on the 24th of May, 1900.

In the Duchy of Spoleto, amid thehills skirting the Appenines, is situatedthe ancient town of Cascia, the capital,in former times, of an independentState. The inhabitants of this moun-


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 47tainous district were thrifty people,imbued with deep sentiments of loveand loyalty toward their holy religion.During the turbulent days of the 15thcentury, when the rival powers ofFrance and Spain were contesting forthe mastery of Italy, Cascia maintainedan unswerving devotion to the Sovereign Pontiffs, whose territory it hadbecome by the free choice of its inhabitants.

During the latter part of the fourteenth century, Rocca Porrena, a hamlet not more than a mile from Cascia,was the home of an aged couple, Antonio Mancini and Amata Ferri. During their wedded life they had becomeendeared to the townsfolk, not less forthe sanctity of their lives than fortheir unselfish devotion to all in distress. Though not rich in this world swealth, they found manifold opportunities of befriending the needy and ofexercising a far-reaching influence forgood among their neighbors and acquaintances. The mission of peacemakers among the inhabitants of Rocca Porrena seemed the special callingof this aged couple. In those days of


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48 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAstrife and discord, when arms were toooften the sole badge of authority andwar the arbiter of rival claims, theseathletes of charity loved to appeal to themeekness of Jesus Christ, as the bestmeans to overcome the spirit of discord so rife around them.

In many towns of Umbria there isstill preserved the laudable custom ofdesignating each year, by popular consent, some man and woman enjoyinguniversal confidence to act as arbitersin all questions of dispute, and to adjust amicably matters that have setfamilies and homes at variance. Fora task so commendable and so befittingthe guardian angel of peace, the venerable Antonio and his wife were chosen. Far and familiarly were theyknown as The Lord s Peacemakers."And the ready cheerfulness with whichtheir judgments were obeyed was thehighest tribute to the intelligence andintegrity of this holy couple. But therewas one blessing wanting, the possession of which could alone complete themeasure of their earthly felicity. Godhad not deigned to bless the union ofAntonio and Amata with offspring,


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 49which loss they deplored the morekeenly as advancing years seemed torender their desires hopeless and theirhome more cheerless. Many and heartfelt were the supplications which theyconjointly sent up to the Throne ofGrace, beseeching this favor of the MostHigh.The Lord was witness of the deeds,and He heard the prayers of His justservants, the Mancinis, who in old agewere singularly rewarded with thefruition of their hopes, as had beenAnna, the mother of Samuel, and likewise Zachary and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. History relates that Amata was favored with thevision of an Angel, who assured herthat the fruit of her womb should befrom very infancy the wonder of herpeople. It is also related that the heavenly messenger also made known tothe joyous mother the name, Rita,(signifying right) by which the childwas called, to denote her unwontedrighteousness in fulfilling the divinelaw and in cultivating the virtues thatadorn the various states of the Christian woman.


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50 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAAccordingly, from the beginning Rita

seemed a child of special Providence,and she plainly manifested the workings of divine grace in her infant soul.Among other marvelous incidents, it isrelated that at her baptism (1381) fourdays after her birth, a number of perfectly white bees clustered about theface of the child and between her lips,while parted in an angelic smile, deposited their honey, as a symbol of thatsweetness of spirit which should possess this privileged creature in themidst of the world s bitterness.From her early years the lot of Ritaseemed removed from, and raised above,that of other children. Her infant di

versions assumed the nature of a continuous practice of virtue, especially ofobedience and reverence for her agedparents. The virtue of holy purity sheguarded with special vigilance by separating herself from the company ofmen, while the natural love of her heartwas satisfied in holding communionwith Jesus, the Spouse of Virgins. Together with interior adornment of soiil,Rita was possessed of rare beauty andcomeliness, which in turn were greatly


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 51enhanced by her native modesty andsimplicity of manner. As she advancedin years, she reflected more vividly theinborn beauty of virtue, which nowhere shines forth more resplendentlythan from the soul of a sinless child.At the age of twelve years, Ritasought to ratify her mystic espousalswith Jesus. Her one desire was toconsecrate her virginity to the Lord bythe vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and thus place herself on earthin the ranks of that intrepid army ofvirgins who are privileged to followthe Lamb whithersoever He goeth inHeaven for eternity.But here Rita was destined to experience a disappointment in her longand ardently cherished hopes. Heraged parents, for some inexplicablereason wholly at variance with theirsaintly lives, withheld consent to theirdaughter s fulfilment of her vocation.Instead, they were intent on seeing herform an alliance of marriage. Accordingly, they favored the suit of a youngman, Ferdinand, whose family had attained considerable distinction in thelittle town of Rocca Porrena on account


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52 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAof its wealth. In the lessons of theDivine Office in honor of Saint Rita,the Church characterizes her suitor anddestined husband as a man of morosedisposition and sullen habits.The early biographers of Saint Rita

all aver that in foregoing her originalpurpose of embracing the religious lifeto enter the bond of wedlock, she was avictim sacrificed to the greed of herparents. To maintain, however, thatthe child Rita was wholly constrainedby parental authority to give her handin a marriage in which her heart hadno part, is truly a grievous blot uponthe memory of the venerable Antonioand his wife, as well as irreconcilablewith the profound affection in whichthey held their only child. Aside fromreference to the special providencewhich God exercises over his chosenservants, and to the mysterious waysby which He conducts them to the ultimate goal of sanctity, may we not,without lessening aught of Rita s claimto holiness, exculpate the parents fromthe guilt of having sacrificed the person and happiness of their child to the


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 53

greed of wealth and worldly preferment?In justice to all concerned, it wouldseem that Rita, as yet comparativelya child under the influence of her parents, and in response to the ardentpleadings of a devoted suitor, was diverted from her original intent of embracing the more perfect state of lifeand yielded consent to enter marriage,influenced more by the pleadings of theyouthful Ferdinand than by the persuasion of her parents. The faults andfollies of her impetuous wooer werecalculated to appeal powerfully to theself-sacrificing spirit of Rita, who tooreadily confided in the hope of curbinghis fierce nature by her own meekness.Many an unhappy marriage may betraced to that exaggerated confidencewhich the trust of women have in theirability to reform and to reclaim evildoers, and to their willingness to besacrificed for the betterment of thosewhom they love. Too often are foundthose whose innocence of life, like thatof Rita, permits them to know evil onlyby name. They are deluded by thischimera, because they are most liable


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54 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAto misjudge the depths of human depravity and forget that he who is faith-jess to his God and his own manhoodis seldom stayed from the pursuit ofevil, either by the pleadings or the devotion of the noblest of women.

CHAPTER IIThe world is no stranger to the sad

story in which the memory of theheroic St. Monica is bequeathed toposterity. The sorrows which rent hersoul in grief have been the inheritanceof innumerable wives and mothers ofsucceeding generations. Many, too,are the struggling hearts that havebeen crushed beneath the burden whichthis holy woman sanctified by hertears and her prayers.The ever memorable home in distantAfrica, whose native cheer and brightness were blighted by the combinedwickedness of an erring husband and awayward son, was vividly portrayed inthe unhappy marriage of Rita of Cascia.From bright dreams wherein were indulged fond hopes of reclaiming theprodigal husband, the young wife wassoon rudely awakened to a full sense of


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 55the appalling sacrifice she had made, inplighting her faith to a spouse whoseardent wooing was in marked contrastwith his utter disregard of the dutiesof a Christian husband. The paganfather of Augustine was not further removed from the maxims of the Gospelthan was the worldly and dissipatedFerdinand, into whose keeping the parents of Rita surrendered their onlychild.

His was a master mind in fosteringthose bitter strifes and feuds, whichwaxed strong in his day, and were toooften perpetuated with increasing virulence from generation to generation.Frequently was his hand raised indeadly combat, despite the prayers andentreaties of his wife. Upon her andthe home she dignified by her virtueshe looked with indifference and treatedthem with woeful neglect, while hisheart was allured by the ill-fated delights that are found in debauchery andriot. In this bitter experience, Rita ofCascia was schooled during the earlyyears of her married life. Through itshe learned how powerless were her efforts to elicit from her husband that


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56 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAlove and affection she so eagerly coveted, or to restrain him in his ruthlesscareer of vice and dissipation. Thoughthe heart of her husband reposes notin her the well-merited trust, yet willshe prove herself the valiant woman,"who will render him good, and notevil all the days of his life."Like a giant figure from out a storm,there rose from Rita s lone grief a calmresolve, that the heavy yoke whichbowed her neck shall not be borne invain. Though the husband of her choicehad by his infidelity forfeited that purelove which her heart so generously bestowed upon him at the altar, and thusrobbed her of the pearl of earthly happiness, yet will she forget the grievouswrong in the all-consuming desire towin to God that soul which broughtanguish to her heart. To this end Ritabends the powers of mind and body,and generously does she consecrate hersufferings and her prayers in the onehope that, as she sows in tears, so mayshe reap with delight the bounteousharvest in the Lord s own good day.From the smouldering ruins of awife s outraged affections bursts the


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 57fire of an apostle s zeal. A voice withinher soul, whose gentle echo chides therising emotions of resentment, tells hershe is the divinely appointed vessel ofelection through which the soul of afaithless husband shall be restored tothe inheritance of grace which he sodishonored. The consciousness that hisill-requited love has blighted the joy ofher young life and clouded her homewith the gloom of mingled shame andsorrow, is swallowed up in the burningzeal for the salvation of a soul. Foreighteen long years this hope is the oneray of light to relieve the darkness thatbeset the path of Rita of Cascia, theone abiding comfort to support herjaded spirit, as she goes back in memory to the happy days of her childhood,and realizes how abortive have been theresults of her once cherished desiresfor the quiet and peace of the cloister.

In lieu of this haven of repose, whichGod reserves for the favored few, poorRita in a fatal hour elected to embarkupon a sea of bitterness, the fury ofwhose storm she was now strugglingheroically to buffet. The lesson of St.Monica, whom she had, early in her


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58 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAcareer of misfortune, chosen as modeland patroness, appeals powerfully toher in the midst of her abandonmentand sorrow. The heavy cross she espouses with ready cheerfulness, if onlyby it she can uplift from sin and shamea reckless, recreant husband. Tofriends and acquaintances, who couldnot be ignorant of the notorious misdeeds of Ferdinand and the consequentunhappiness that pervaded her home,Rita deigned no word of complaint.God alone was her comfort; to Himwho knew the secrets of her heart, shehad refuge in tears and in prayers.When other wives had recourse to herto relate their unhappiness, she was always quick to shield husbands from excessive censure. She was wont to sayon such occasions: "Bear in mind thatthe wife who speaks ill of her husbandis not less at fault than is he whoseevil ways have given grounds for theaccusation."

The violence which this afflicted woman bore to Heaven by her prayers wasnot in vain. God at length touchedthe obdurate heart of Ferdinand, andcaused him to see the full iniquity of


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 59his former ways. Divine grace floodedhis soul with light. Its magic powertames the fierce lion and forthwithtransforms him into the meek lamb ofthe Gospel. Rita rejoices to see herrepentant husband wholly resolved onconsecrating the residue of his years inatoning for his past iniquities. TheGod whom he had insulted, the wife,the family and the home, upon whomhe had brought sorrow and shame,caused him, like another David, to pourout tears of repentance.But this crown of happiness, whichwas awarded Rita of Cascia in answer

to her eighteen years of anguish, wasdestined to be interwoven with newthorns of suffering. Short was to bethe respite of her repose. Earthly joys,though sanctified by high and holy aims,were not to be the portion of her inheritance. Not yet had she drained thechalice of bitterness; a thorn-strewnpath still lay between her and the goalof peace and comfort. God had reserved a strange, hopeless journey forRita, in order to make more luminousher claim to the title, "Advocate of the


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60 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAImpossible," with which Catholic devotion has invested her.Though the grace of forgivenesswas freely bestowed upon the repentant husband, there was still due a debtof human reckoning, a temporal punishment, the discharge of which entailed dread consequences upon himself and his family alike. The daggerof an assassin, who had nourished resentment from strifes of former days,cut short the career of the unfortunateFerdinand in the first fervor of hisrepentance.The bereaved widow, in the paroxysmof her grief, pleaded with equal earnestness before the throne of divinemercy for the soul of her husband, asshe interceded at the human tribunalof justice, to save the perpetrators ofthis tragic deed from the full penaltyof their crime. But not so with thetwo orphans of her charge, whoseyoung hearts nurtured a desire of vengeance upon the slayers of their father.The noble example of the mother s forgiveness, her entreaties and prayers,were all powerless to quench theirthirst for the blood of him whose dag-


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 61ger thrust had made them orphans.The Vendetta, so long the curse ofSouthern Europe, aroused the poorwidow to a sense of the awful fatewhich, in pursuance of its behest, mightyet befall her desolate home. Too wellshe knew that the vow of a kinsman,once registered to avenge the blood ofa murdered kith, stifles the voice ofconscience and causes men to trampleupon the most sacred ties of duty andreligion. What if the children of hertears, goaded on by revenge and a misguided sense of honor, should one dayimbrue their hands in human blood!Oh, that the curse of Cain should betheir inheritance, is a thought too terrible to be entertained. Yet, the firethat gleams from their eyes and thefrowning look of sullen resolve thatovercasts their countenance, is the orphans only answer to the mother sentreaties for forgiveness. For themoment Rita is made forgetful of allelse, save the consuming dread of thehorrors which are foreshadowed in thedemeanor of her sons. The forebodingso^ murder transfix the mother s love.In this hour of over-shadowing de-


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62 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAspair, Rita of Cascia had reached thecross-road in the journey of bitterness,v- iich an all-wise Providence had marked out for her to tread. Here was tobe raised the altar where the sacrificeof a mother s heart would be immolated. The cup of human sorrow isfilled to the overflow, as she knelt inprayer, and with an anguish of spiritbordering on despair, cried out: "MyGod! if these children, with whichThou hast blest me in the days of mysorrow shall avenge a father s murderby defiling their own souls with blood,deign to take them to thy own keeping, ere the crime be enacted."The prayer of the heart-broken widow was heard. Her two sons weresnatched from this world of strife:

"Taken away lest wickedness shouldalter their understanding, or deceitbeguile their souls." Within the spaceof one short year Rita, bereft of allthe earth can prize, knelt in tears overthe graves of her husband and twosons; while in her solitary grief shebowed in submission to the will of Himwho hath said: "Revenge to me, Iwill repay."


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 63

CHAPTER IIIThe good Queen Blanche was wontto say to her much-loved son, whomwe today venerate under the title of St.

Louis, King of France: "My child, Ishould infinitely rather see you falldead at my feet, than that you wouldever commit one mortal sin." God waspleased to accept the sacrifice of thisholy woman s will and to reward herdesire, as with the Patriarch Abraham,without requiring further proof of herunalterable Ipve.But the desolate widow of Cascia, ingiving expression to the same sentiment in reference to her two sons, mustlike Job redeem the pledge of her loyalty by the utter abandonment of allthat the human heart holds dearest.For generously had she immolated upon the altar of divine love the dearestsacrifice of a mother s heart; and Goddemanded that this should be made averitable holocaust or whole burnt-offering of her afflicted soul.Once freed from the manifold caresand duties that engage a wife andmother, Rita with a singleness of pur-


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64 SAINT RITA OF CASCIApose labored for her own greater holiness, as the one thing necessary. She,indeed, was the model widow of theGospel, whose trust was in God, andshe continued in prayer and supplication night and day. In that braveheart which sorrow like a winter sblast had benumbed there was experienced a cheery awakening, as if thespringtime of renewed hope had atlength dawned. Beneath this holy influence quickened to life the long buriedambition so dearly treasured duringher childhood years. To the cloistershe turns with a fondness that comesonly from God, and she yearns to possess it as the one haven of reposewhere the calm of holy peace maysettle upon her wearied spirit, andGod may be served with undividedthought. Full well she knew, however,that the condition of widowhood wasan almost insuperable obstacle to heradmission into any religious community of Sisters, not to speak of the factthat she was already near thirty-fiveyears of age. After weighing the question well in prayer, she resolves withunfaltering trust in God to exert her


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SAINT RifA OF CASCIA 65utmost to attain the object of her desires. The sequel discloses how lawand custom wisely sanctioned by human prudence may at times be at variance with the plans of divine Providence.At the close of the fourteenth centu

ry, contemporary with the events hererelated, a community of AugustinianNuns resided in the town of Cascia.Eita s early years were consumed inthe devout expectation of being one daynumbered among these virgins of theLord. And afterwards when this holypurpose was defeated by an ill-fatedmarriage, which reduced her to a veritable bondage, the burden of grief thatweighed heavily upon her heart wasoften uplifted by the consolation afforded her in the frequent visits to thissacred retreat. Here was she taughta love for St. Monica and urged by entreaty of the good Sisters to take themother of their holy founder Augustine, as the patron of intercession andthe model of imitation.

Conscious as the poor widow was ofthe apparent hopelessness of her petition, she repaired to the convent with-


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66 SAINT RITA OP CASCIAout delay and courageously asked to beadmitted to the society of these religious. Rita, however, in spite of herentreaties, was met with a polite butno less forcible refusal. The good Superioress pointed out the barrier placedby the Rule of the Order against herreception. But the widow of Casciadid not on this account despair of ultimately attaining to the fruition of herdesires. Disappointed, but not disheartened, she returned to her home,and gave herself unreservedly to prayer and works of penance, in order thatthe Lord might obtain for her what,humanly speaking, seemed impossibleto attain.

"0 woman, great is thy faith : be itdone to thee as thou wilt," said Jesusto the woman of Canaan who, despiterebuffs, importuned Him the more fervently for the health of her daughter.God wishes us to go to Him with humility and confidence in moments ofgreatest trial; for we not only thushonor Him, but also learn to valuearight the blessings we stand so muchin need of. Oftentimes He singles outthe objects of His predilection from


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 67among those whose positions in life areso obscure and their sufferings so commonplace, as to escape the observationof the world. Thus are we taught thatvirtue alone lifts man to eminence anddistinction in the mind of Him whoseeyes are always upon the just andwhose ears are attentive to theirprayers.

Rita was chosen by God to exemplifyin a most striking manner the triumphof an enduring faith and constancy.One night shortly after her disappointing visit to the good Sisters in Cascia,she was suddenly interrupted in herfervent prayers by the sound of avoice of inexpressible sweetness, saying: "Rita, Rita, thy prayers havebeen received with favor; God grantsthee the fruition of thy desires/* Astonished at the reality of the sound,she was yet further entranced by thesudden apparition of St. John the Baptist followed immediately by St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentine, thethree special advocates of her devotion.These made known to her that Godhad been pleased to close the period ofher sorrows. At the instance of these


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68 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAheavenly messengers, she forthwithrose from her kneeling posture and following their guidance, repaired directto the Augustinian convent. Within itsportals she was admitted unknown tothe community, without loosening boltor bar. The mysterious guides at oncedisappeared, leaving Rita kneeling inreverential awe to await the momentwhen her presence should becomeknown to the community.The poor widow amidst tears of joytold the astonished Sisters the means

by which she had gained access to theircloister. "I beseech you," she exclaimed in finishing this strange recital, "forthe sake of the Lord who has shownin my regard His boundless mercy, thatyou deign to admit me into your society." An interior light, more convincing than the words of Rita, forcedupon the whole community the conviction that the operations of the MostHigh were apparent in her presenceamong them. Accordingly, she whohad been previously rejected as un-suited to their companionship, was nowwelcomed with sentiments of mingledjoy and reverence, as they successively


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 69impressed the kiss of peace upon thisangel of peace, whom God had so mysteriously sent them.

This marvelous incident attendingSaint Rita s entrance to religion wasduly examined and authenticated asone of the miracles which the Holy Seeadmitted in the process of her beatification. It is also embodied in the lessons of the Divine Office, which is recitedin her honor by the Augustinians onthe twenty-second day of May of eachyear. Occurring as the first miraclerecorded in the life of this privilegedservant of God, it marks an epoch inher earthly career. It came as a helping hand outstretched from Heaven touplift a patient, suffering soul from theuttermost depths of adversity. It is abeautiful example of the watchful carethat God bestows upon the patient sufferer whom the world despisesRita, as the child of St. Augustine, inseeking after perfection through the.observance of his holy Rule, became aspectacle to men and angels of thosevirtues which befit the followers of theImmaculate Lamb. The inborn prideof the human heart she subdued by obe-


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70 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAdience and humility of an heroic degree; while she not less effectuallychastened the bodily senses by the mostrigorous penances.Her special devotion centered uponthe mysteries of the cross and uponthe sorrows Jesus Christ endured whenHe was nailed to it for love of man.So consuming was the fire of love awakened within her soul by the contemplation of the sorrows of the Saviorthat, while prostrate one day at thefoot of the crucifix, she besought theLord to cause her to feel some share ofthe sufferings which He experienced inHis agony on Calvary. Marvelous torelate, a thorn was instantly detachedfrom the crown that encircled the browof the holy figure before which she waskneeling and, being guided by someunseen hand, imbedded its dart in theforehead of the devout suppliant, causing her intense pain, which togetherwith the wound it inflicted remainedwith her until death. This singularpledge of the divine love which Jesusbore his devoted client served as theindescribable torment which crystallized the virtues of Saint Rita. It was


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 71like a mysterious fountain replenishing with untold delights her spiritualnature during life, and an abidingmark of predestination, that as she patiently suffered, so also should she reignwith Jesus.

CHAPTER IVSaint Rita, in her ardent devotionto the passion of Jesus Christ, verifiedamidst sufferings the prediction of theProphet: "You shall draw waters of joyfrom the fountains of your Savior."The inexhaustible source of comfort tothe holy nun in the latter years of herlife seemed to have come from her prolonged meditations before the crucifix.From a vivid sense of our Lord s sufferings she was often lifted to the contemplation of the delights of Heaven,repeating in moments of highest ecstasy: "It is not in the power of human language to describe the life of anangel."

At this time (1450) when Rita wasgrievously afflicted with the mysteriouswound upon her forehead, the Sovereign Pontiff proclaimed a jubilee of indulgence to all who visited Rome. Cus-


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72 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAtorn in those ages sanctioned the rightof religious communities to visit Romein such special seasons of grace. Rita,however, was threatened with the denial of this privilege on account of thedisfigurement of her face, consequenton the wound upon her forehead. Atthis juncture, in answer to her prayers,she was suddenly relieved of all appearance of the sore, although she remained sensitive to the pain, whichnever departed from her in this life.But immediately upon her return tothe convent after her pilgrimage themysterious affliction reappeared.Owing to this unsightly wound upon the forehead of Saint Rita, she was

permitted to occupy a portion of theconvent secluded from the public andfrom the remaining members of thecommunity. Here in her solitude shewas seldom disturbed, and her constant companions were limited to thesnow white bees which had followedher from her home at Rocca Porena tothe Augustinian convent. These beesof a singular species took up their abodemar the nun s cell, over the door. Theyto this day live a solitary life; do not


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 73mate; and only appear in Holy Weekof each year, when, issuing from theircavities, they remain visible until thefeast of their Queen, Rita, May 22.Afterward they immediately return totheir tiny hermitages in the wall. Eachbee inhabits a particular retreat, notlike the ordinary bee-comb, but a longnarrow hole, as if made by a nail or %thorn. On returning to its wontec*seclusion, each bee closes the entranceto its cell with a delicate, white gossamer like web or tissue, and therestays as if in contemplation, duringthe rest of the year.

These strange companions of Ritaare not known to eat or to grow innumber or even to die. They possessneither sting nor mandible and neverdisturb the cloister silence with theirhum. They are indeed veritable anchorites. One of this strange collection was enclosed in a crystal vase, andsent by special request to Pope Urban VIII, by whom Rita was beatified,July 16, 1625. The Sovereign Pontiffmarveled at the significant characterof the bee, which he quaintly called amember of the new Augustinian Order.


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74 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAThe bee, after remaining one day withthe Pope, suddenly disappeared. Oninquiry it was found snug at home withits associates in Cascia where theyhave continued undisturbed ever since,to the wonder and astonishment ofmany.

The foregoing facts, confirmed byreliable witnesses, have been the themeof several beautiful stanzas of poetry.The last illness of Rita covered aperiod of four years, during which Godpermitted her bodily sufferings to serveas the final process for crystallizingher soul and fitting it for the sight ofthe beatific vision. At these times,when her senses seemed dulled withpain and distress, a gift of superiorunderstanding savoring of the miraculous was vouchsafed her. Once whenvisited by a lady friend and close relative the sick religious said: "Go, forthe love of Jesus, to the garden attached to the home of my parents, andthere pluck a rose and bring it to me."It was then the month of January; theground was frozen; snow and frostabounded ; vegetation was paralyzed.The friend obeyed the invalid from a


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 75motive merely of gratifying a deludedfancy, but with no thought of findingthe promised flower. Great was hersurprise, however, on reaching the garden to see a tiny rose peeping throughthe surrounding snow, possessing thebloom and fragrance of spring. Hastilyshe returned to the bedside of Rita, andexhibited the rose, to the amazement ofall present. On another occasion during the same month, this friend visitedthe afore-mentioned garden at Rita srequest, and brought her two figs foundthere upon a tree. This tree was pointed out as an object of wonder and reverence by the people of Cascia, as recently as the early portion of the presentcentury. It seemed the Holy Ghost,who had found her soul so agreeablea dwelling-place, now in her last illnessdeluged it with delights. The marvelsof the figs and flowers were the outward evidence of the internal voice ofthis Divine Spirit speaking to her."Arise, my love, and come Thewinter is now past The flowershave appeared in our land Thefig-tree hath put forth her green figs;


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76 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAthe vines in flower yield their sweetsmell."The mortal life of this holy nun wasprolonged to the following month ofMay. God, it would seem, delayed herdays of suffering in order to edify thosewho were privileged to surround her inher last illness and to cleanse her soulof every taint of dross. She was forewarned by supernatural power of theapproach of death. On awakeningfrom a long stupor, during which theSisters feared that life was extinct,she spoke with apparent pleasure: "Iknow that I am going to die, that Ishall soon close my eyes to the worldto open them only on God."

After receiving the last Sacraments,and bidding farewell to the Sisters andearnestly exhorting them to pray forher soul, a calm and holy quiet possessed her, as one asleep. To the amazement of the nuns, who were kneelingin prayer and tears by her bedside, thepallor of death was suddenly succeededby the color of health and vigor. Herpale, emaciated features were mar-velously transformed to the appearanceof a young girl of twenty years. The


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 77Sisters, amazed at the sight of this inexplicable reality, were awed in reverence by the assurance of Saint Rita, onrecovering consciousness, that her advocates St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentine hadappeared to her. Then with apparentvigor of body, she addressed the nuns:"Dear Sisters, let God alone occupyyour hearts. Observe with exactnessthe rule which you have professed andvenerate our holy Father Augustine,who has laid down in it the royal pathto glory."Such was the last will and testamentof this holy woman, which she furtheraccentuated with the exhortation : "Mydear ones, abide with the Lord in holypeace and fraternal charity." She closed her eyes again and with the gentleness of slumber breathed her soul toGod, May 22, 1457, in the seventy-sixthyear of her mortal life.For many days the body of SaintRita was exposed to public veneration.The mysterious transformation of heraged and attenuated features to thesemblance of youth was apparent to allwho viewed the remains. Even to this


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78 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAday the phenomenon may be witnessed.A distinguished ecclesiastic now residing in this country, was privilegedrecently to examine, in an official capacity, the body of St. Rita. He aversthat the body, though cadaverous inappearance, is still in a perfect state ofpreservation, possessing all the outlines of youth.

CONCLUSIONBlessed Rita was canonized on the

24th of May, 1900. The steps that ledup to this culmination were the onesusually taken in such cases thoughhastened by the zeal and devotion ofone who had already given much timeand labor to the same object. This wasCardinal Sebastian Martinelli, lateApostolic Delegate to the United Statesof America and former Prior Generalof the Augustinian Order. It may notgenerally be known that the office ofPostulator of Causes for AugustinianSaints was at one time filled by His Eminence, then living as a simple priest ofhis Order in the old convent of Poster-ula at Rome. From the recent canonization of Blessed Rita, we may infer


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 79that nothing was left undone by himto raise to the honors of the altar thoseholy Augustinians who had died in theodor of sanctity. As General of hisOrder he found fresh opportunities andmeans of furthering the object he hadso much at heart. During his tenureof this office, a new examination intothe causes of the marvelous odor thatexhaled continuously from the body ofBlessed Rita was permitted by apostolical authority in the year 1892. Theexamination took place in the presenceof Father Martinelli and the Promoterof the Faith, Mgr. Caprara, the resultof the process being declared valid bythe Sacred Congregation of Rites in1895. This finding was a confirmation of the conclusion reached by theexaminers appointed for the same purpose in the year 1626.To establish a right to canonization,three miracles must be proved to havetaken place, since the person was declared Blessed. There were four of

such cases under process of examination, with regard to Blessed Rita, inthe hope that three of them, at least,could be established to the satisfaction


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80 SAINT RITA OF CASCIAof the Congregation of Rites. But theHoly Father was content with thethree first presented and dispensed withthe fourth, the miraculous cure of anAugustinian nun in 1735.The virtues of Blessed Rita were de

clared heroic by the Sacred Congregation, with the approbation of HisHoliness in 1897. Two years later, apreparatory discussion of the threemiracles was begun by the Congregation. On March 27, 1900, the generaland final discussion terminated favorably, and the question was proposed tothe Holy Father, whether in case themiracles were approved by him, thecanonization of Blessed Rita could withsafety be undertaken. Having securedthe votes of the Cardinals and Con-suitors on the subject, the Holy Father declared the cause most noble andacceptable, but deferred supreme andfinal judgment until April 8th, whichhe then gave forth in two decrees. Inthe first he declared that the miraclesworked through the intercession ofBlessed Rita were fully proved first,as to the wonderful odor emanatingfrom her sacred remains, which dif-


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 81fused itself abroad and effected remarkable cures whenever her intercessionwas sought; second, the instantaneouscure of Elizabeth Bergamini from inflammation of the eyes; and third, asto the sudden and permanent restoration to health of Cosimus Pellegrini afflicted with chronic catarrh and anaemia. In the second decree he declaredthat the canonization of Blessed Ritacould be safely proceeded with.From the accounts given in the various decrees setting forth the reasonsfor thus honoring this holy servant ofGod and from other historical sources,as well, Saint Rita appears as an extraordinary and illustrious model forevery condition of Christian womanhood maiden, wife, mother, widow,nun. Born on the 22nd of May, sheconsecrated the first twelve years ofher life to holy childhood in domesticretirement ; for the next eighteen yearsof her youth, she endured the assaultsof an ill-tempered husband with suchsweetness and patience as finally toarouse in him a spirit of repentanceand a sense of Christian duty; the twoyears following his edifying death were


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82 SAINT RITA OF CASCIApassed in devout exercises of religion,when her desire to consecrate herselfentirely to God s service was miraculously obtained and within conventwalls she passed the remaining forty-four years of her mortal existence,leading the perfect life of a religious,until her beautiful soul winged its gladflight to Heaven.

In the Consistory of April 19th, 1900,the canonization of Blessed Rita wasasked for and the Holy Father expressed his great joy at being able to grantthe request, but first wished to havethe opinion of the Episcopate. TheCardinals and Bishops gave their consent in the Consistory of May 17th,and the Holy Father appointed the24th of the same month for the ceremony of canonization. Special devotions were proclaimed in preparationfor the event, which was at lengthcelebrated with the grandest pomp andsplendor amid the joyful acclamationsof thousands drawn to the Holy Cityby their desire to gain the great Jubileeindulgence of that year. The enthusiasm reached its height when the HolyFather, to whom alone pertains the


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SAINT RITA OF CASCIA 83right of proclaiming a Saint, decreedand defined that Blessed Rita of Cascia,professed nun of the Order of SaintAugustine, was a Saint and was hereby inscribed on the catalogue of Saintsand that her memory should be held inperpetual veneration on the 22nd ofMay each year by the UniversalChurch. In the Name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.Thus closes the last act in the life-drama of a true servant of God. And

while the canonization of Saint Ritaadds nothing to her glory and happiness in Heaven, it emphasizes the virtues she so nobly practised on earth andsets her more clearly before us as amodel for

devotions to st. rita a compendium life of st. rita, devotional exercises, novena

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