Friends, the priest preaching this sermon is Fr. Michael DeGrogorio, OSA. Fr. Michael is the man who is responsible for establishing the National Shrine of St. Rita at St. Rita’s parish in Philadelphia. It is he who counseled a much younger version of myself all those years ago to ask St. Rita’s intercession and to be specific in my prayers. I began the first of many, many novenas and nine days later met my wife. When we married, it was in this magnificent church and Fr. Michael was there with us. His words about this great saint of the impossible are as moving as they are true.
She is not distant from us. She is very near to us and she is also near to Our Lord. He “graciously grants favors through her intercession which are considered impossible to human skill and effort” as the novena prayers say. By now you all know of my rabid devotion to her. I think it can be rightly said, and fellow devotees will correct me if I am wrong, that any who have found her – or rather whom she has found for God – are immediately drawn into her life and never let go.
This morning I awoke to a text from a friend, fellow blogger St. Louis Catholic, wishing me a happy feast day. This means I’m doing my job in spreading devotion to her. I went to confession at a church downtown. On my way out, I stopped to hold the door for a very expectant young mother and glanced down at the wicker basket in the gift shop. It was filled with those socks with the saints on them. The church was named in honor of St. Jude, Rita’s male counterpart in helping desperate souls. The socks at the top of the basket were of St. Rita. I laughed. The woman at the counter asked what was funny and I launched into ten minutes of the life of St. Rita. On my way back to my car I got an email from a regular reader who told me that he had been offering one of his intentions in his novena these past nine days for me and my family. Another dear friend sent me messages of prayerful union on this day. A priest-friend texted with links to celebrations of her feast from around the world. I cannot tell you all how much these things mean to me.
And what would mean even more? Learn from her. Learn her way of understanding, her way of resignation, her way of peace-making. In all she did and in every state in life, she pointed to Our Lord who so loved her as to give her one of His thorns. We should all be so blessed.
May God bless each of you and know that you continue to be in my novena prayers daily.
The great feast day of the patron saint of the impossible is upon us. Many of you know of my own personal devotion to this saint. This is a most special day for me and my family. I wish I could be back at the Shrine in Philadelphia today but that day will come again. For now, here’s hoping she sends you a rose!
Translation of the solemn epitaph of 1457: O blessed, how you have illuminated us with your constancy and virtue before the Cross where you received from Christ the King great sufferings, after having abandoned the sad worldly life (of Roccaporena) to go and enjoy (for singing hossanas to) your moral infirmities and the unknown wounds of your soul before those far more atrocious of Christ! What merit so great you have earned! What great faith, greater than that of any other woman, you were given! So much so that you received from Christ one of his thorns, not as earthly reward because you never thought of having greater treasure than Christ to whom you gave yourself entirely; nevertheless, it did not seem sufficient to consider yourself well purified, so you bore it on your forehead for fifteen years before ascending to heaven. 1457.
Friends, Fr. Zuhlsdorf (known to just about anyone who would be reading this page) has posted to his blog an article entitled “Shut up, pray for the man, keep doing your thing, and stay out of sight”.
His combox is closed. I really have no objection to that as I never opened mine.
However, if I were to comment I might say this:
“It almost feels like you’re telling a lot of people to just shut up and let ‘professionals’ do their jobs. Oh wait, you literally are telling people to shut up. It’s the first words of your title. Also, we get that you’ve got credentials in the inter-blogo thing. You’ve been doing it for years. Yay. If my math is correct, you’ve had an online presence for almost half as long as I’ve been Catholic which is to say, my entire life so that’s gotta count for some cred for me, right? Speaking of… I’m going to quote your friend’s ’sage advice’ here. ‘there is no reason to pressure him [presumably Leo] and the good guys around him into hating you because you want to see your (often childish) agenda implemented by them NOW’. I don’t know about the people to whom you are referring, Fr., but the only agenda I want to see is the Catholic faith. If that’s an unrealistic demand on a bishop or even a pope, I offer my humble apologies.”
Guess I’ll just shut up and let the internet priests and their chat group friends do all the talking from now on. I couldn’t smoothly translate the Latin at the end.
Monday May 19 is the anniversary of priestly ordination for a young priest who was called out of this world several years ago. I did not know him. Nevertheless his tragic death should call all of us to thank God for our priests, pray for them, and pray for the faithful departed. And to stay confessed.
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 