About Me

My photo
Life is tough. Nuns are tougher.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A Little Christmas Cheer

I'm a little behind in answering questions and there are other questions ahead of this one in the queue, but it being Christmas and all, I thought maybe we should tackle this one now:

Dear Sister, I've just been fired from my job and feeling extremely low. We need some stability in our lives and for the past couple years my husband and I have strived so hard to make a better life for ourselves, and yet we seem to be met with disaster and upheavals. I'm just tired of having to fight every single step of the way, wondering if there will be food to eat this month, where we will find the money for this medication and that one (my health is not good). I just don't know what to do anymore. We need help, and I pray so hard to be able to accept whatever His will be, but I'm just at the end of my rope. I know we should just be thankful were alive and breathing, but its hard to look at the sky when it feels like there is a heavy boot crushing you. Who could I pray to?

  What horrible Grinchey Scrooge of a person fired you at Christmas time?

Poor thing.  You must be so worn out.  It's wonderful you have a little gratitude left in you.  That's admirable. Hang on to that and we'll try to do the rest.

Okay, readers. Let's see if we can prove a point. There is nothing like the power of prayer.  But it works a lot better if a lot of people do it together and even better if they do it together all at the same time. So let's pick a time and pray for this woman and her husband. Don't be afraid to throw in a prayer for yourselves or everyone else praying either, but let's focus ourselves and get down to business.

So today  at 5pm Central time...3pm on the West Coast and 6pm in the east, let's ask for some help and peace for this sister of ours. Set your devices...you all have them...set those alarms and cell phones to remind you.

Altogether.  Once, some sisters and I did this for snow.  I don't know why we were so interested in asking for  snow, but we did, altogether all at once.  We had the most giant snowfall on record.  Everyone got to stay home from work for a week and dogs could run all over without leashes because no cars could drive through the streets and hit them.

Let's make it snow for this lady.  Friday, December 21st at 5pm Central time.

Meanwhile, dear reader, I suggest you turn to St. Rita. Although St. Jude is the patron saint to whom we pray for impossible causes, your situation, however desperate, is not impossible.  It is difficult. St. Rite is the patron saint for difficult situations.  That is just the kind of hair the Catholic Church loves to split.

You know her story?  I'll just stick to the difficult part.  After her husband and sons were dead, Rita wanted to fulfill her lifelong desire to become a nun. But the convent was not interested in an old widow and mother of two. She was told in no uncertain terms to take a hike.  Rita persevered, however and finally, angels flew her over the convent walls.

Even that didn't impress whoever it was that wouldn't let her in.  Okay, she was in.  But she still wasn't "IN".  She was ridiculed and harassed and made to water a stick in the ground every day.  The stick turned into a tree. I believe it is still there.

Rita is still there, too.  Her incorrupt body is in a glass case and has been known to move around and scare everyone. I'm a bit dubious about that part of her story.  She's in a glass case alright, but looks all the worse for wear, corruptness-wise. She was incorrupt when they dug her up, but her incorruptness has worn off.  I have to wonder if her movements were due to the swoonings of folks who had been on their knees too long.  It happens.

St. Rita is the patron saint of difficult causes, of bad marriages and of infertility.  And sticks that turn into trees.

We'll all be together today at 5pm.  God Bless us every one.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll be here at 6pm est to offer a rosary for this dear lady's,and her family's intentions.

Anonymous said...

I'll be on it. St. Rita is my patron saint.

Alexa

Anonymous said...

I've set an alarm. But since it might be a busy time at work, I've said a prayer now, to make sure. I'm sure St Rita and all the other saints (and God himself) will be able to keep track.

My prayers to anyone facing difficulties. And Merry Christmas.

Anonymous said...

I've set an alarm and I'll be praying

Susan

Katney said...

I will pray then, too, if I feel the alarm in my pocket. We will be practicing for the Nativity Pageant, and I think we have more angels than wings. Said a prayer now just in case.

Anonymous said...

I'm in. Alarm is on.

St. Rita, pray for her!

Wendy said...

Will set my alarm and pray!

Meg said...

I joined you. May the dear Lord grand a Christmas miracle for her...and my brother who is in a similar situation.

ClassicBecky said...

Well Sister, I found you too late to make the prayer appointment, but I'm pretty sure it's still needed, so I'm joining in now. I just found your blog, and I absolutely love your writing style and sense of humor. I recently started a faith blog of my own -- I call it Journey of a 21st Century Catholic. I love to write with devotion and humor. If you would ever like to come and visit, I'd love to have you -- www.catholicbrainwork.blogspot.com.

I'm so glad to have found you. Your blog is going up in my favorites blogroll!

ClassicBecky said...

I had to come back -- I saw the Weight Watchers bracelet on your sidebar and had to go look -- I'm definitely a candidate! I'm still laughing about the descriptions of the saints, particularly St. Lawrence: "...roasted to death on a grill. That's him on the medal, holding his grill." That made me laugh the hardest (even made me snort) because I went to St. Lawrence grade school here in Indianapolis, and do you believe that the Church's bulletin was named "The Gridiron Ember"? Oh my gosh! I remember thinking how weird that was when I was a kid, kind of morbid for a parish paper! Just had to share that with you.

Anonymous said...

Just saw this post today (12/26) so I'm late to the game. But I AM praying for this woman and her husband. May Christ fill their hearts with hope and peace.

Rosemary said...

Two months late (15 Feb 2013) but praying for the lady.