St. Rita returned!
Unfortunately, so did the abdominal pains. Actually, the abdominal pains came first. They followed their usual pattern –waves of pain that intensify by the hour until it makes me scream (worrying my husband and scaring my kids), soon accompanied by violent vomiting. Not the easiest way to spend the night.
In the midst of all this, I prayed for relief. The last time this happened, I prayed to St. Rita and offered a trade: ANYTHING instead of this pain. At that instant, the pain vanished and my nose started bleeding like a faucet.
This time, I tried praying to St. Rita without trading: Just help me. But my pain remained. Maybe she answered my prayers. Maybe the answer was, “No.”
In desperation, I finally offered the same trade as last time: ANYTHING instead of this.
The good news is that the abdominal pain disappeared, but I immediately needed to vomit again. Suddenly, my throat burned intensely from the stomach acid. Seriously? I now couldn’t swallow and was up the rest of the night dealing with that. Okay….we are where we are.
It isn’t that I don’t appreciate the help. I do. But St. Rita and I can surely find a way to work together that doesn’t involve my getting hurt. In the dark of that night, I decided that I needed to ask my friend (who has some big connections to St. Rita) for a better way to pray to her.
The next day, before I could contact my friend, a package arrived in the mail. From her. Inside, she wrapped a bottle of blessed oil from the Shrine of St. Rita AND a prayer to go along with it.
What are the odds?
Four days later, I am still trying to heal my throat. I can drink only some liquids, and slowly. I can eat very few solid foods. Though it is both painful and inconvenient, it still beats the abdominal pain. I stand in awe of how events are linked and our wishes granted, albeit in unexpected ways.
Thank you for your prayers on my behalf, and know that, if stuff like this is happening in my life, it must surely be happening in yours. Please call for help whenever you need it. I pray that it comes through right away, and without a trade!
Love, Marie
Adventures in Spiritual Living 
Wow. That is another crazy story… I hope you are feeling better! So sorry my dear. I am assuming tomorrow am is not good for a walk but would love to see you soon. LMK how you are doing. oxoxox
oh gosh I do pray you can recover from the throat and thank you for sharing your pain. ‘After times of hardship there will be times of ease’.
Marie, I think there have been some incredibly strong forces around us the last three days. I’ve experienced them in strong extremes. Please let me help. I’d love to sit with you walk or have tea. What would help you? Just ask
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“Share another’s pain to make it half the pain and share another’s joy to make it twice the joy.”
Not sure who said it first (I heard it in Greece) but your post reminded me. Thanks for sharing, Marie–the good as well as the the bad. Sounds like you need some avgolemono soup…!
S’agapo.
Oh so true….!
Marie, that is a lot to bear. I am so sorry for your pain. The amazing thing is your will and your ability to weather the storm as an observer. Your writing is part of your healing and a gift to all who read it. I am sure there is powerful communication available to us all if only we open the channels. We may not understand the why’s and how’s but we know the what, is love. Praying for you, Sally
Sally, so well put. Wow. Your words made me pause for sure, and your last part, “we know the what, is love” just made me feel all warm inside. Thank you. Sending good wishes for all wonderful things for you. – Marie
while at a bookstore in Rennes-le-Château this past week I spotted something with “St. Rita” on it .. it immediately brought to mind the orb photo from Abadiânia, and you! now I know why I saw it. ℹℊ♡
Dear Marie,thank you for sharing your pain and we who go through it on a daily basis can empathise with you.I think if I had a day without pain,would think I had died and hopefully
gone to HEAVEN.It almost becomes your lifetime companion,you try to cope with it by the hour and not the day.I am going to try and communicate with St Rita,last time like you
the pain went,but then had violent vomiting,which I can handle.Wishing you a distress
free chemo this week.Sister Julie sends her love and prays for you every day as I do.
With much Love and Light Your friend Kim,Johannesburg,South Africa.
Kim, I am so glad that the unbearable pain was traded for something more bearable. I hope that this companion of yours is less bothersome today, this moment. Thank you to Sister Julie and to you also, for your love and prayers.