If you don’t ask for miracles, miracles won’t be granted.
At Palazzo Apostolico of Paolo Rodari there is a story that the present editor of the Vatican’s newspaper L’Osservatore Romano was healed when he was little through the intercession of St. Pius X.
My translation.
Un direttore miracolato
25 May 2011In a long interview on many subjects with Consulente Re – monthly online magazine of Gruppo RE, specialists in financial services for men and institutions of the Church, Gian Maria Vian, editor of L’Osservatore Romano, revealed: “I received a miracle from Pius X.
He says: “This is what my parents told me. In 1954, when I was just two years old, I was struck with a virtually lethal form of diphtheria: it was the vigil of the canonization of Pius X and I was recommended to him by a historian, a Spanish priest friend of my father, don Vincente Castell Maiques. Don Vincente celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s on the tomb of the Pope to whom my family, of Venetian origin, was very devoted. I recovered.”
I would put to you several points to consider, any of which might serve as a starting point for comments below:
- Saints are presented to us by Holy Mother Church for “the two I’s”: imitation and intercession.
- We are not alone: the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are closely knit, interwoven in charity. We on earth must intercede for each other and believe and ask for the intercession of the saints.
- God makes use of the weak to demonstrate His might and love.
- If we do not believe in miracles, we do not ask for them. If we do not ask for them, they will not be granted.
- Our life of faith is noticed by non-believers and they are not unaffected.
- How often do you invoke the help of the saints and holy angels?
- God’s ways are not our ways.
- No one is too small to be an occasion of grace for others.
Do you have a pressing care? Ask the saints for help. Ask for help from those proposed for beatification of canonization.
You might try Ven. Pauline Jaricot.
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Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Blessed John Paul the Great are two saints that have personally come through for me. Venerable Pius XII is taking his time, though!
I am currently in joyful temporary custody of a reliquary containing bits of 8 saints, as well as a piece of the Column of Scourging. It has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our holy friends & I’m afraid I’ve not been shy about asking for their assistance (especially poor dear Anthony, who’s been great about finding our misplaced things). The kids think it’s funny that I take them to daily Mass & wonder if their souls enjoy being reunited with wee parts of their bodies for a while. If our temporary guests come through with a miracle baby, that child is going to have a very long name! :o)
I have a prayer book stuffed with picture of departed friends who, mostly, lived good and holy lives. I pray to and for them. Alot.
Plus the normal posse of favorite canonized saints.
Someone once said, in response to this practice of mine, “I believe life is for the living.”
The saints are supremely alive.
Most especially the Romans, but the rest of us, too, ought to be asking for Bl. Anna Maria Taigi’s intercession more.
I have several patrons who are very dear to me; sometimes it astounds me that these so-very-wonderful people, who lived centuries ago, are aware of tiny little me here and now! I would recommend Blessed John Henry Newman for prayers; he’s helped me more than once.
Thanks Fr Z. It’s very important to realize that prayer with whole Church, with the communion of saints, radically changes us.
For parents in conversation with children a great book is Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The main character has a fascination with the stories of some obscure and some very well known saints. He and his brother are recovering from a family trauma with their kind but always busy father and his fascination seems a rather quirky personality trait and another world to which he escapes in trying moments. Through the exciting plot his sort of remote fascination with some extraordinary attributes of certain saints changes and he begins to also notice the extraordinary virtues demonstrated by the people in his own real life. It’s a great read-aloud book (and yes there is a movie version) and the author included a very nice appendix in the back with facts about the various saints referenced in the story and his own life of faith. (Also Cosmic by the same author a tremendous work about the notion of fatherhood, what makes a parent).