By Br. Michael Mary Pellerin, KHE
Mother Angelica, born Rita Rizzo in 1923, the beloved American nun and founder of EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network), often spoke about the deep and abiding necessity of trusting in Divine Providence. Her life and work embodied a conviction that God’s hand is present in all circumstances.
We come in contact with many different people throughout our lives. However, no woman has had such a lasting influence on my life like Mother Angelica. I joined the Knights of the Holy Eucharist in 2005, a community of Franciscan friars founded by Mother Angelica. Within the first few months of formation, I came to realize the need to always trust in God’s Divine Providence, even in the smallest things! Our loving Father is so generous to us, all we have to do is ask with a child-like faith.
Mother Angelica’s journey is itself a testament to the power of faith in Divine Providence. One has only to read her biography to see the numerous examples of God’s providing grace. One of the most striking aspects of her story is how often Mother Angelica undertook projects that appeared impossible by human standards, yet she trusted entirely that God would provide. She had no prior experience in media, no formal training in business, and lacked financial resources, but she consistently moved forward, confident that if it were God’s will, everything would fall into place.
Facing many difficulties in founding EWTN, Mother Angelica was undeterred and pressed on, confident in Divine Providence. “Faith is having one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach,” she once remarked. Despite the challenges, EWTN was launched in 1981 with only $200 in the bank, and against all odds, it grew into a global Catholic network reaching millions of viewers.
To understand Mother Angelica’s view on Divine Providence, it’s essential to explore both the spiritual and practical lessons she imparted through her ministry. At its core, Divine Providence refers to the belief that God is actively involved in the world, guiding and sustaining all things according to His divine plan. It is a principle found in Christian teaching that emphasizes God’s omnipotence, wisdom, and love, which allows Him to orchestrate events, even the smallest details of our lives, for our ultimate good. This is especially poignant when circumstances seem difficult, or when we are tempted to doubt.
Mother Angelica also believed that Divine Providence operates not only in the large events of life, but in the ordinary moments of everyday existence. She encouraged people to develop a sensitivity to God’s presence in their daily experiences, seeing His hand in every situation. Whether it was through a chance encounter, an unexpected blessing, or even a trial, she taught that God is constantly working for our good, even when we cannot immediately perceive His plan.
Mother Angelica’s teachings on trusting in Divine Providence can be distilled into several key principles. First, she emphasized that trust in God is not passive. It involves a willingness to step out in faith, even when the future is uncertain. This requires courage, which she demonstrated countless times when she took bold steps, trusting that God would make up for her inadequacies.
Second, she taught that trusting in God involves surrendering our own plans. “Unless you are willing to do the ridiculous, God will not do the miraculous,” she famously said. In her view, clinging too tightly to our own desires, expectations, or timing can block the very graces that God wishes to bestow on us. For Mother Angelica, this meant moving ahead with projects even when the path forward was unclear, believing that God would reveal the way, step by step.
A third principle is that trust requires perseverance. She was no stranger to suffering and setbacks—her early years were marked by poverty, her network faced financial difficulties, and her later life was fraught with physical ailments. But these hardships only deepened her reliance on God. She once commented, “Every moment of our life has a purpose. We must live every moment as if it were the last, in the knowledge that God’s hand is guiding us in the present and preparing us for the future.”
Mother Angelica’s unwavering trust in Divine Providence left a lasting impact on my life. She proved that, when we place our trust in God, He is able to accomplish great things, even through the most unlikely of vessels. Her life serves as a reminder that faith in God’s Providence brings peace, joy, and the courage to face whatever comes with confidence that God is always in control. For Mother Angelica, trusting in Divine Providence was not merely a theological concept but a way of life. It shaped her decisions, her outlook on suffering, and her approach to the future. By trusting that God was always in control, she was able to face each day with peace, knowing that whatever happened was part of a larger divine plan.
