Today's devotion: the 4 patron saints of impossible causes
There are examples in every person's life when it seems that a problem is insurmountable or that a cross is unbearable. In these cases, pray to the patron saints of impossible causes: Santa Rita di Cascia, San Giuda Taddeo, Santa Filomena and San Gregorio di Neocesarea. Read their life stories below.
Saint Rita of Cascia
Santa Rita was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, in Italy. He lived a very difficult life on earth, but he never let it destroy his faith.
Although he had a deep desire to enter religious life, his parents arranged his marriage at a young age for a cruel and unfaithful man. Due to Rita's prayers, he eventually experienced a conversion after nearly 20 years of unhappy marriage, only to be killed by an enemy immediately after his conversion. His two sons fell ill and died following the death of his father, leaving Rita without a family.
He again hoped to enter religious life, but was denied entry to the Augustinian convent many times before finally being accepted. At the entrance, Rita was asked to tend to a piece of dead vine as an act of obedience. He watered the obedient stick and inexplicably produced grapes. The plant still grows in the convent and its leaves are distributed to those seeking miraculous healing.Statue of Santa Rita
For the rest of her life until her death in 1457, Rita had an illness and a nasty open wound on her forehead that repelled those around her. Like the other calamities of his life, he accepted this situation gracefully, observing his wound as a physical participation in the suffering of Jesus from His crown of thorns.
Although his life was full of seemingly impossible circumstances and causes of despair, Saint Rita never lost her weakened faith in her determination to love God.
His feast is on May 22nd. Numerous miracles have been attributed to his intercession.
St. Jude Thaddeus
Not much is known about the life of St. Jude Thaddeus, although he is perhaps the most popular patron of impossible causes.
St. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and preached the gospel with great passion, often in the most difficult circumstances. He is believed to have been martyred for his faith while preaching to the pagans in Persia.
It is often depicted with a flame over his head, which represents his presence at Pentecost, a medallion with an image of the Statue of St. Judevolto of Christ around his neck, which symbolizes his relationship with the Lord, and a staff, indicative of its role in guiding people to truth.
He is the patron of impossible causes because the Scriptural Letter of St. Jude, which he wrote, urges Christians to persevere in difficult times. In addition, Saint Brigid of Sweden was directed by Our Lord to turn to St. Jude with great faith and confidence. In a vision, Christ said to Saint Brigid: "In accordance with his surname, Taddeo, lovable or loving, will show himself very willing to give help." He is the patron of the impossible because Our Lord has identified him as a saint ready and willing to help us in our trials.
His feast is on October 28th and novenas are often prayed for his intercession.
St. Filomena
Saint Philomena whose name means "Daughter of Light", is one of the first known Christian martyrs. His grave was discovered in ancient Roman catacombs in 1802.
Very little is known of her life on earth, except that she died a martyr for her faith at the young age of 13 or 14. Of noble birth with Christian converted parents, Philomena dedicated her virginity to Christ. When she refused to marry Emperor Diocletian, she was cruelly tortured in many ways for over a month. She was scourged, thrown into a river with an anchor around her neck and crossed by arrows. Miraculously surviving all these attempts on her life, she was finally beheaded. Despite the torture, he did not waver in his love for Christ and his vow to him. The miracles attributed to his intercession Statue of San Filomena were so numerous that he was canonized based solely on these miracles and on his death as a martyr.
It is represented by a lily for purity, a crown and arrows for martyrdom and an anchor. The anchor, found engraved on his grave, one of his torture tools, was a famous early Christian symbol of hope.
His feast is celebrated on August 11th. In addition to impossible causes, she is also the patroness of children, orphans and young people.
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker
San Gregorio Neocaesarea, also known as San Gregorio Taumaturgo (the thaumaturge) was born in Asia Minor around the year 213. Although raised as a pagan, at 14 he was deeply influenced by a good teacher, and therefore converted to Christianity with his brother. At the age of 40 he became bishop in Caesarea and served the Church in this role until his death 30 years later. According to ancient records, there were only 17 Christians in Caesarea when he first became a bishop. Many people were converted by his words and miracles which showed that the power of God was with him. When he died, there were only 17 pagans left in all of Caesarea.
According to St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Wonderworker (the Wonderworker) is comparable to Moses, the prophets and the Twelve Apostles. St. Gregory of Nissa says that Gregory the Wonderworker had a vision of the Madonna, one of the first recorded visions.
The feast of San Gregorio di Neocaesarea is November 17th.
The 4 patron saints of impossible causes
These 4 saints are best known for their ability to intercede for impossible, hopeless and lost causes.
God often allows trials in our lives so that we can learn to rely only on Him. Encourage our love for his saints and give us holy models of heroic virtues that persevere through suffering, He also allows prayers to be answered through their intercession.