What do you want to be when you grow up? That was a question I was asked frequently when I was your age. I’m sure you have been asked the question several times as well.
I took an opportunity to look up what some common responses kids have to this question. Maybe by a show of hands, let's see which ones some of you may be considering as an answer to that question.
- Doctor/Nurse
- Teacher
- Chef
- Musician
- Priest/Nun
It is good to have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up, and at the same time, ask God what He wants for you. It is good to ask God how He is calling you to love Him and follow Him. Sometimes, however, your plans may change as you get older. That’s what happened to the saint we celebrate today, Saint Rita of Cascia!
Saint Rita wanted to be a nun from the time she was a little girl. But her parents had other plans. Saint Rita was their only child and they wanted to have grandchildren! The idea of her being a nun was not an option.
This made Saint Rita sad and she prayed about it and asked guidance from a priest. After much prayer, Saint Rita chose to obey her parents, believing that God wanted her to sacrifice her desire to be a nun and to marry as her parents wanted.
Saint Rita lived during a time when marriages were arranged by parents. At the age of twelve, she was married. Who here is twelve or older?
The man Saint Rita married was very unkind. When he got angry, he often would say mean things to Rita. With God’s help, Rita stayed kind and loving towards her husband; over time, her husband became a loving, caring, God-fearing man. They even had two sons together.
Then the unthinkable happened. She lost her husband in a violent crime! It was common during those times for the family to take revenge by hurting those that hurt them. In this case, Rita’s sons, along with their uncle and his family, wanted to hurt the other family for the loss of her husband. So, they began plotting to carry out the revenge they desired.
Saint Rita begged them not to, but they would not listen. So then she prayed to God. She prayed they would choose peace over hate.
Further, she knew that committing murder was a mortal sin. A mortal sin is a deadly sin, one that separates us from God. If her sons committed this horrible sin and died without turning back to God (without truly repenting and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation), then they could go to hell—and Saint Rita certainly did not want that to happen to her family!
There is a whole other story here that I do not have time to go into, but at the end of that story Saint Rita became free to become a nun like she always wanted.
Even though she was known as a very holy woman, she was denied entrance to the Augustinian convent. It was believed that since her husband’s family and the other family were still upset with each other it would not be safe for the other nuns if she entered the convent.
Saint Rita had already made it clear to everyone that she had forgiven the murderer of her husband. This was not enough, the convent said. She needed to bring peace between the two families first.
It took a lot of courage and patience to work with both families and get them to become friends. But, through God’s help, she succeeded and was allowed to enter the Augustinian convent.
Saint Rita loved her life as a nun and lived a very holy life there. She spent much time in prayer and always did God’s will. Jesus appeared before Saint Rita many times.
Saint Rita reminds us that no matter what life throws at us and no matter how much our plans may change, God loves us. No matter how difficult things may seem or how bad things appear, God can bring good out of it. He gives us opportunities to love Him in return and put Him first in our lives, He gives us opportunities to love our neighbors, and He gives us opportunities to follow Him and to grow in holiness.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven to shower grace on those who love him and follow him.
Thanks be to God!
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