Joy in the Communion of Saints
· Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints! Today is the feast day of St. Philomena, a LONG-time friend of mine, and I’d like to talk about the joy we find in our friendships with the saints.
When I was twelve years old, Sister Philomena Therese, an Italian-American nun, loaned me a book about St. Philomena by Cecily Hallack, an Irishwoman. This saint changed my life.
Saint Philomena and I became fast friends. She was martyred at the age of thirteen, so I felt right at home with her. Cecily Hallack’s book is playful and friendly, bringing out the mischievous side of St. Philomena’s character. I would imagine Philomena sitting on my bed at night, as I talked to her about my worries and needs, asking her to intercede with the Heavenly Father for my requests.
I started a St. Philomena Newsletter, which I mailed out to kind, patient subscribers for about seven years. At the height of my creative talent on that subject (ahem, facetious), I even wrote meditations for the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in union with the sufferings and death of St. Philomena.
Someone had painted a mural of Saint Philomena in our church, and I often asked her to pray for me in the ups and downs of my youth. I remember praying fervently to her for a boyfriend who wouldn’t come to Mass with me. While I was at a babysitting job, I heard a knock at the back door. No one was there. St. Philomena has been known to “knock” to let you know that she heard your request. That night, the boyfriend called and said, “You know, I think I’ll come to Mass with you this Sunday.”
He didn’t end up being the right guy for me, but the fact remained that St. Philomena was, as they say, “powerful with God”. Her intercessions before the Divine Throne were potent.
When I married (the right guy) at the age of 22, and begun to suffer from infertility, it was natural that I turn to my heavenly friend. I began numerous novenas (nine days of prayer) to her, and every time, I would forget a day and have to start over. I began to think that she didn’t want me to finish the novena, because she couldn’t say yes right now.
One summer, four nuns came to stay with us for nine days while they led a girls’ camp. I asked them, while they were with us, to join us in a novena to St. Philomena for a baby. At last, the novena for this intention was completed! I felt in my heart as if she were telling me, “I’m working on it.”
When I was 27, I took a job as a flight attendant. I flew around the world, still hoping and praying for a baby someday. When I was 31, my husband and I made a pilgrimage to Rome during Holy Week. I couldn’t imagine going to Italy without visiting my friend St. Philomena, so one day we took a bus to Mugnano del Cardinale, in Avellino, near Naples.
We placed our wedding picture on her altar on June 10, 2005, our tenth wedding anniversary. On our twelfth anniversary, we showed up at Sunday Mass with our second daughter. Within two years, through the prayers of St. Philomena, we had been blessed with two gorgeous children. Both of them have the middle name of “Philomena”.
This is an example of the joy we can find in our friendships with the saints. Can we pray to God directly? Of course we can. Can we pray to His Blessed Mother and ask her to intercede for us? Absolutely. But we also have so many friends in the saints.
Just as I can call my friend here on earth and say, “Would you please pray for me for such-and-such-an-intention,” I also ask my celestial intercessors. They are closer to His Throne than I am, or any of my friends or relations here on earth.
I also ask my little sister Meghan to pray for me. She flew to Heaven on August 21, 1989, just three weeks before her second birthday, 35 years ago. I picture her climbing up into Jesus’ lap, stroking His Face with her little hand, and asking for favors and graces for her big sister. I am still stumbling along down here on earth, trying to get to Heaven someday too. Meghan Maire, pray for me!
Remember what St. Therese of Lisieux said as she neared the end of her life?
“I will spend my Heaven by doing good on earth.”
Let us rejoice in the saints, who give us not only excellent examples of sanctity, but heavenly friendships!