Anything under the sun: Battered women, choose wisely!

BY ATTY. REX S. SALVILLA

TODAY, May 22, the people of Igbaras, Iloilo and Sibalom, Antique celebrate the feast of Santa Rita de Cascia.

In 1381 when Santa Rita de Cascia was born, there appeared in their home a swarm of strange, large bees without sting and had a unique hum. These bees kept appearing at her home every Holy Week — and later, during Santa Rita’s feast days – and made part of her canonization process.

Brought up to love Christ and be generous to the poor, she longed to be a nun but her parents begged her to marry instead, so she could be protected by a husband.

She married Paolo Ferdinano, a quick-tempered and brutal leader in their town. This bad trait of Paolo extended to Rita thru constant anger and brutality.

Rita offered her suffering to God and prayed for her husband’s conversion. Unfortunately, their two sons followed their father’s footsteps.

But before Paolo’s death thru an assassin’s knife, he was converted. He tried to make up for his wrongdoings. But his two sons planned to avenge his death.

Rita prayed hard for forgiveness. She cried and urged her sons to avoid the violent path of their father.

After failing to correct them, she prayed that they rather die still innocent rather than commit the sin of murder. Within a year, her two sons died.

Alone and with no more family, Santa Rita tried to enter the Augustinian order of nuns. She prayed to her favorite saints – St. John de Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas de Tolentino to intercede for her admission in the nunnery.

One night, she heard her name called and saw the three saints at her door. They led her to a tightly locked convent and to its chapel where the nuns found her praying the next morning.

Since there was no way for her to pass thru the securely locked door, the nuns decided it was God’s will.

They believed her story and admitted her to their congregation.

Later, God gave her stigmata in the form of a thorn that wounded her hand permanently, accompanied by a horrid stench and infestation of worms.

These conditions confined her to her cell. But those who visited her experienced miraculous healing – and even up to the present by visiting her tomb.

To battered wives, this is a lesson against divorce or dissolution of marriage. Marriage is a sacrament. In it, the groom and the bride solemnly vow to God to maintain their marriage bond “for better or for worse, until death do us part.” This is in accordance with the teaching of Christ that “What God had joined together, let no man put asunder.”

Many wives argue that it is their human right to be treated well by their husbands and enjoy a happy married life. This is correct. But it is a shallow attitude. God has given every person the more superior right to enjoy eternal happiness in heaven.

So, which do you prefer – short, materialistic happiness on Earth or eternal spiritual happiness in heaven?

Battered women, choose wisely!/PN