St Peregrine. The Patron Saint for Those With Cancer

St. Peregrine is the Patron Saint of Cancer and Incurable Illnesses

May 1st is the feast day for St. Peregrine, known throughout the world as the the Patron Saint of Cancer and Incurable Illnesses.  Feast Days are assigned to saints because they may have died or been martyred on that day or because some other event ties the saint to that particular day.  Feast Days are celebrated in all kinds of ways depending on the country in which you live and that particular saint's meaning.  While some celebrate a Feast Day by attending mass or even traveling on a pilgrimage, for most it would entail praying and partying on behalf of that saint.  May 1st seems like a good day to thank St. Peregrine and to say a prayer for his intercession on behalf of those who are sick and suffering.      

Loving someone who has cancer is the ultimate challenge of both selflessness and selfishness.  You find yourself correcting, controlling, trying to outwit the disease, while you pray and you bargain and you  live with the thought of cancer almost every moment.  Everything you do or think is filtered through the illness.  You watch what they eat with the eyes of an eagle.  You observe their exercise and sleep habits holding tightly to your tongue.  You try not to waste the time you have with the one you love by hovering like a mother over a newborn but focusing on the very desire to save them does that for you.  Finally, in a split second of exhausted clarity looking for help, you stumble upon your answer.  You discover St. Peregrine, whose shoulders are broad enough to help carry your burden.  It is possible to find your peace by praying to St. Peregrine to intercede and petition to the Almighty on your loved one's behalf.  His life story teaches you to have unconditional faith, let go of what you wish for and embrace what you have.
               

St. Peregrine's (1260-1345) story is one of a rebellious, opinionated youth finding faith through another's unexpected forgiveness of him, and finally joining the Order of Friar Servants of Mary.  He disciplined himself to observe silence and solitude as much as possible and for 30 years imposed a penance on  himself to not sit down unless it was absolutely necessary.  He was beloved for his preaching and dedication to the sick and poor.  At age 60, he was afflicted with cancer of the leg and was set to have it amputated.  During the night, as he prayed, he dreamed of being visited by Jesus from the Cross. Upon waking, his leg was miraculously healed and he lived another 25 years. The story spread and peoples devotion to St. Peregrine grew.

Statue of St. Peregrine from Chris Hart Studio

Sacred Heart Church in Palm Desert has a beautiful St. Peregrine statue placed in an alcove with an altar and a kneeler.  When I have the privilege to attend mass led by Father Howard Lincoln, I always visit the St. Peregrine statue.  There is usually a line of people, many in silent tears and with notes of request to intercede on behalf of those who have been afflicted.  The paint on the statue's leg has been rubbed off and the wound worn smooth by the their touch.  When it is my turn to kneel in front of St. Peregrine, I ask for guidance and strength for those I love to maintain an immune system that defies cancer.  I ask for calm and focus in my life while I care for those I know with cancer.  I pray for the faith to help me be steadfast in my belief that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence but rather a reminder to serve those I love.  I ask for his help to be of value to just one person by showing my love in the smallest ways, to do ordinary things with extraordinary grace and have faith that whatever happens will never be more than I can handle even when it doesn't feel that way.  It's a tall order but St.Peregrine has the inside track to make things happen when it comes to sharing the burden of suffering. 

The lesson of St. Peregrine’s life is not that God worked a miracle.  Instead as a faithful servant, he placed himself unconditionally in the hands of a higher power.  As a person who knew suffering and sickness, St. Peregrine’s trust in the Divine serves as an example for us to ask for help in deepening our love, to not waste a minute trying to control that which cannot be controlled and
to have faith that our burden is lightened
when we ask St. Peregrine's help in carrying it.