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Anonymous L. wrote:

Hi, guys —

I am a 40-year-old female, and I have a Catholic friend, (I'm not Catholic myself), who had a dream that we were both in a sanctuary in Italy. I was telling him that we were in this beautiful place and that the place that we were in belonged to St. Rita.

He didn't know who she was but had only heard her name before. I was holding a picture of her in my hand, and he says that when he woke up, he did a search, and the picture of her on his computer was the same as in his dream.

In the dream, I was telling him that I was devoted to her. He told me about this when he woke up, and I did a Google search and realized that she is the saint of the impossible and that her saint day was four days before he had the dream. He had a dream on May 26.

I want to know what this all means.

Recently, I have been going through very difficult times. I have had multiple surgeries, and I am currently bedbound. We don't live in the same country or even the same continent, for that matter, but I am very curious as to what his dream means and what I should do.


L.

  { What does this dream about St. Rita mean and what should I do, especially in lieu of my multiple surgeries and health issues? }

Bob replied:

Dear friend,

Thanks for the question.  

I don't know specifically what the dream means; other than that, you should ask St. Rita to pray for you and your healing.  Catholics have devotion to Saints because they are incredible prayer warriors.  James 5:16 tells us that the "prayer of a righteous man/woman has great power in its effects."  We always ask the holiest people we know to pray for us, so it is with those Saints who are with God.  Hebrews 12 shows us we are "surrounded by a cloud of witnesses," who literally are cheering us on and interceding for us all the time.  St. Rita must have a particular role to play in this, and the dream signified that.  Get a book about her or learn more about her online, and you may find the answer. 

Most Protestants don't have devotion to saints because they think it is impossible for them to hear our prayers or that we should only be praying to God (all our prayers are directed to God alone, even when we ask others in heaven to pray).  The two verses above contradict that, as well as the ancient tradition that has existed throughout all of Christian history.  

Don't buy the error; saints hear our pleas because they are in God, and God allows them to know what he knows.  God is glorified when we help each other; it is His grace that causes this love and concern for each other.  He is not being slighted, and no sane Catholic thinks that saints are God any more than you or me, that is just false.  

Go to St. Rita for her help, and she will be the best prayer partner you ever had.

Peace,

Bob Kirby
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