Optional Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious
St. Rita Cascia is the patron saint of lost/impossible causes, marital problems, and spousal abuse. For much of her marriage she suffered violent abuse at the hands of her husband. After her husband’s death, she tried to join a convent, but was rejected because of the reputation of her husband and because she was no longer a virgin. It wasn’t until some time later, after performing heroic work during the plague and bringing an end to local inter-family feuds, that she was allowed to enter the convent. With all the suffering in her life, she had plenty of opportunities to be hopeless, yet she always persevered.
But why is St. Rita a saint? It is not because of her suffering. At the risk of sounding callous, everyone suffers and many people suffer at the hands of others. Suffering is not sufficient to make one virtuous. Rather, her saintliness can be found in how she chose to respond to her suffering. She lived out the words of today’s Gospel for her memorial: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other one as well…. By her prayers and steadfast love, she was able to bring about the conversion of her husband. This was heroic by any standard.
Now, it is important to emphasize what is not the lesson of her life. The lesson is not that victims of abuse and degradation should simply endure their sufferings patiently. Not at all. There is neither shame nor sin in protecting oneself from the abuse of another, even a spouse. The shocking thing about her is that she didn’t give into hatred when she could have very reasonably hated the one who did evil to her. St. Rita was an exemplary imitator of Christ, the same Christ who forgave those who killed him, the Christ who even converted the heart of the centurion who pierced him (St. Longinus). Christ saved and converted St. Rita’s husband through her; she became the instrument of the conversion of her wrongdoer. How many more have been converted through her intercession and the popular devotion that grew following her death?
She is an exceedingly difficult saint to imitate. Perhaps that is all the more reason to let her inspire us. By her prayers, may we also resist the temptation to hate those who harm us. May we pray for those who mistreat, as Jesus commands us.