Intercessors - Heavenly Help
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Note: You’ve seen some of this text in other Reflections, but this is the original./Fred
There is an untapped reservoir of intercessory help available in Heaven. Many people think of a saint or two, perhaps St. Francis of Assisi or St. Anthony of Padua, or maybe St. Augustine. That's because in CCD or RCIA, the suggestion was made to ask the Saints or Blesseds for intercession. How many times have we asked St. Anthony to help us find something, or Saint Joseph to help sell a house? Probably hundreds of times. But there is another group of Holy Souls in Purgatory and in Heaven whom we do not so readily think of... those are, members of our family who have passed on, perhaps our parents, brothers and sisters, or people who were our friends and still are! And how about our Franciscan fraternity members? I've begun to think about this last group of dear ones more often. Take for example, my aunt, who spent 37 years as a Discalced Carmelite nun (cloistered - contemplative) in South Africa. Many wonderful and very spiritual letters passed between us, some of them went straight over my head. Surely, Sr. Benedicta of St. Joseph, ODC, now with Jesus, is a tremendous source of intercessory assistance.
Then, there were my parents, my Dad, Anthony, who had a legendary sense of humor, a wonderful and devout Catholic, and, my Mom, Nellie, who was a convert from Judaism, and went to Holy Mass every Sunday, rain or shine until she was no longer physically able to do so. There was our family friend, Truus (Gertrude) Jansen who helped a great deal while we still lived in the Netherlands.
Truus (Dutch for Gertrude) was a very special soul, I've often thought of her as a 'victim soul,' because there was so much suffering in her life. As a young woman, she contracted tuberculosis, which ultimately led to the amputation of both her legs below the knee. She wore prostheses, but with the poor wartime quality of these, she was always in a lot of pain. Yet she suffered silently, even making light of it by asking us to bring her slippers because her feet were cold. Truus was married but her husband was an alcoholic and eventually just walked out. He left her stranded without funds. At that time she was working for my Dad who made custom dress shirts. We offered her to stay with us in a guest room we had available. She helped us a lot, mostly by helping to take care of me, as a 4-5 year old (in WWII), when Mom was sick. She planted a seed... as a devout member of the Third Order of Saint Francis... and years later, long after Truus' death I discerned the vocation to become a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. Don't tell me that was by coincidence... I am sure Truus is still praying for me, and I do not know how to thank her adequately except by praising God in all His wisdom and love.
Many people over the years have passed on, and some in more recent times come to mind. A Capuchin-Franciscan priest, Father Paul Steffan, who had been my friend for over 35 years, with whom I was privileged to have a monthly correspondence throughout much of that time, he's surely still helping me. Just because a person passes on, that does not mean that his or her love for you stops. No, it means that this person's relationship with you continues, now not physically or humanly, but spiritually. I think of him often. I'm sure he remembers me, too.
The Saints and Blesseds are great intercessors, as we have seen in our reviews of those of the Franciscan Order who went before us. I’ve had people ask me “Why pray to Saints and Blesseds when I can direct my prayer to Jesus?” Well, yes, Jesus hears us. He heals. But asking for intercession from the Mother of God, Queen of the Franciscan family, and from Canonized and Beatified holy people, who are all much closer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we are, makes this humble prayer more efficacious.
Ask them to help you love God more. Praise God for his love and grace. So that one day, too, you may become a Heavenly intercessor for somebody else. God bless you!
I made an error of judgement. I stopped contacting a friend (email, and such). The priest’s name was Fr. Rock Travnikar, OFM, and I owe him an apology for that. I overheard a conversation where he mentioned this to some other friars, and he clearly was hurt. Dear Fr. Rock, you’ve been in Heaven some years now, so please let this letter, published on 11/1/2025, be my sincere apology for causing you grief. I continue to pray for you now. Fr. Rock lived from December 11, 1945 to December 25, 2016.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
rev. 7/25/2021, published in the Sep. 2021 Canticle
Republished (with above para., added), 11/1/2025