When people think of St. Rita of Cascia, they picture her with a wound on her forehead. She prayed to suffer the passion with Jesus and was given this “Gift of the Thorn.” For over ten years until her death, St. Rita suffered a visible wound from the crown of thorns on her forehead.
However, her entire life was a kind of crucifixion. Her husband of an arranged marriage was a cruel and abusive man. He was later murdered in a local feud. Her only children, two sons, died from disease. Yet, as a wife and mother, she bore these incredible sufferings with patience and faith.
While people marvel at those saints who bear the stigmata of Christ, I marvel at the suffering that so many people endure in the daily tragedies of life. St. Rita endured both.
Thank you Msgr and thank you to all the LFF who have responded in regards to suffering. I guess my faith isn’t as strong as all of yours because I feel so sad about all the suffering of innocent people and children all over the world and I ask God “Why, Lord?” Free will isn’t an answer when children are born with cancer or are victims of war and domination. The only thing free will can do is how we respond to the suffering. Dear Lord, forgive me for my doubts.I hope to change the way I feel about suffering.
AMEN!
Wow you guys are special. What reflections and emotional outpouring. I also what was God's thoughts when tragedy and deaths occur. Then I remember this . Isaiah 55: 8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Ken
I know why I'm suffering right now and it's not because I prayed for it but because I ignored God's blessings for so many years and often took credit for them myself. Since fully accepting Christ in January I have suffered in many ways, but I have also received many blessings, for which God received ALL the credit. I pray that my current suffering will decrease soon and relationships I've lost be restored, but realize that life without suffering is death. Whether suffering from a cold or the death of a friend or family member, suffering is a part of life. It allows us to be patient and trusting in the one who will relieve our earthly suffering and promise us an eternity, free of all suffering.
God is so above our understanding! He is not our "Santa Claus" in heaven. He gives laws and rules that must be obeyed. Our free will oftens gets us to forget He is God and we owe Him everything. His thought are far above ours and His justice, kindness and peace is ours if we ask in Jesus' name.
Msgr Stephen thank you for your words. It's so very hard to see others suffer and to go through it ourselves. I didn't know that about St. Rita, thank you for that information. She must have been a wonderful woman. Blessings to all the LFF. May we find the strength to live in this confused world. Prayers for all the LFF and those needing an extra hand today. May we all go out and spread the love of God throughout all the world.
I’ve posted here before about my mom. I think it’s important to share her story again as an example of faith and trust in the Lord. She had polio as a little girl and walked with a limp her entire life, as one foot was shriveled and one leg shorter than the other. Imagine the taunts and difficulties she faced. She watched my dad go to war (Dday plus two, Battle of the Bulge, etc) while she raised their first two little girls at home. He was one of only two in his unit that wasn’t killed, wounded or captured. Dwell on that. It was her promise (which she kept) to say a daily Rosary for the rest of her life that brought him home safely. Mom and dad had 13 children. The twins died one hour and eleven hours after birth. My brother Tommy, a healthy, energetic beautiful little blond baby boy, died at the age of 3 from spinal meningitis two days before Thanksgiving. His last week of life was spent in an iron lung. Her grief was so intense that she said she would never be happy again. Imagine for a minute. My dad died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 48. My mom lost the love of her life at 43, with seven kids still at home. Yet through all of that, she never lost her faith, her trust in the Lord, or her joy! I don’t know why the Lord burdens the good, holy ones with tragedy and hardship. But, I do know this, I am a better, faith filled person because of her! As her eight remaining children held a constant vigil around her bed, in the home she shared with my dad, the last weeks of her life, we witnessed joy and peace as she suffered. She had a clear mind til the end of her 100 years of life, as she constantly reminded us how much she loved us. She was for me, an example of Jesus, on this earth.
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’ Is not part of the readings for today. This happened yesterday as well- I think. I study the readings and then I look to the meditations for an added perspective, but the meditation is on the wrong Bible verse.
Amen.
Why does God allow the innocent to suffer? What kind of God is He? Is He really God when He allows unnecessary sufferings? *** Does God have the power to stop all unnecessary sufferings? *** Is there a purpose for sufferings? *** How can we believe in the God Who doesn’t stop or allows sufferings?
Amen.☮️
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Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, and all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.