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Sermon May 14, 2023
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A
https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster6_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__May_14__2023
Video: https://youtu.be/bKBaOok6c5s
Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 1 Peter 3:13
This sermon was a powerpoint presentation with videos from my sabbatical trip in 2022. This particular focus was on the celebration of St. Rita, which occurs on May 22 each year. St. Rita is known as the patron saint of lost causes. This celebration occurred in Riposto, a town on the east coast of Sicily. It is the town where my grandfather was born.
St. Rita, born Margherita Lotti (1381-May 22, 1457), was an Augustinian nun from Cascia, Italy. Cascia is about 2 1/2 hours northeast of Rome.
She wanted to go into the Order as a child, but her parents arranged her marriage at the age of 12. Eighteen years later and after she had had two sons, when her husband died, Rita worked hard to get into the order and was finally admitted. She was beatified in 1626 and finally canonized in 1900.
Because of some experiences in her own life, she is the patron saint of lost and impossible causes, sickness, wounds, marital problems, abuse, and mothers.
She often appears with a red mark on her forehead. This occurred when she was 60 years of age and was meditating before an image of Jesus Christ. She received this wound, as if one of the thorns from the crown of thorns had pierced her head. This was considered to be a partial stigmata. A stigmata is a wound that appears in the place where the wounds of Jesus on the cross were.
Rita is associated with red roses. At the end of her life, she was bedridden in the convent. She asked for a red rose from her old home, but it was January and not a time when roses would be blooming. But when her cousin went to the old home, she found a single blooming rose, which was brought back to Rita.
In Riposto, there is a group of women who oversee this observance each year, as well as other acts of charity and devotion throughout the year. They wear black with a wide white collar to symbolize the habit of the Augustinian nuns.
There are many saints observances throughout the region and they have common features of beautiful flowers and church decorations, parading through the town with a statue of the saint, and decorating the streets with colorful lights.
I loved being a part of this for a number of reasons:
1. It drew attention to religion. People came out of their homes as we passed by and waved, and crossed themselves. Every so many blocks, we'd stop and the priest would say a prayer and he'd end with "Viva Rita!" We'd all shout "Viva Rita!"
2. I LOVE a parade and so marching through the town with great music and then fireworks, too...some of my favorite things.
3. It was joyous and multigenerational.
4. And I just love that there is a saint for lost and impossible causes, because I think in working for justice in so many areas, I often feel like it's a lost or impossible cause. She is definitely my saint.
Rebecca+
Here is the powerpoint: /digital_faith/documents/3310367
