Shadowing Practice: Story of Saint Rita of Cascia | Stories of Saints - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
Shadowing Controls
0% completed (0/116 sentences)
News Saints
⏸ Paused
All Sentences
116 sentences
1
News Saints
2
A long time ago, there lived a well-respected couple in Rocca Purena named Antonio and Amata Lodi.
3
They were the village peacemakers who helped everyone in the town of Rocca Purena get along.
4
When there was a disagreement, Rita's parents helped people discuss the problem to reach agreements and forgive one another.
5
Rita was born in the year 1381.
6
Her parents, Antonio and Amatolodi, considered her birth a very special gift from God, for Rita was born to them as they were already advancing in age.
7
She was named Margarita.
8
In the local dialect, her name meant Pearl, but she was simply known as Rita.
9
Rita's parents were very wise, and Rita learned the importance of pardon and reconciliation from them.
10
As a young girl, Rita frequently visited the covenant of the Augustinian nuns in Kaskia, and dreamed of one day joining their community.
11
Hello, friend.
12
How are you doing today?
13
One of her favorite places to go was the Church of St.
14
Augustine, where she would pray to God and to all the saints that she called her friends.
15
Rita's three favorite saints were St.
16
Augustine of Hippo, St.
17
John the Baptist, and St.
18
Nicholas of Tolentine.
19
But her parents had different plans.
20
Her parents, however, had promised her in marriage, according to the custom of the day, to Paolo Mancini, a good man of strong and impetuous character.
21
Rita, being an obedient daughter, agreed to her parents' decision and married Paolo.
22
Together, Paolo and Rita had two sons.
23
Rita was a good wife and a loving mother, and together the family lived a simple life of faith and love.
24
In the troubling political climate of the times, there was often open conflict between families.
25
Paolo was the victim of one such conflict, and he was murdered when their sons were still young.
26
Rita was very sad and knew what had happened.
27
Paolo's family had been fighting with another family for a long time, and every once in a while, someone would get hurt or even killed.
28
The families refused to forgive one another.
29
Instead, they kept hurting one another and then would seek revenge.
30
You should never let them sleep peacefully, boy.
31
You must avenge your father's death.
32
The society at the time expected that the boys should avenge the murder of their father to defend family honor.
33
Rita, however, influenced by the peacemaking example of her parents, pledged to forgive her husband's killers.
34
You have to forgive them.
35
You must let it go.
36
Otherwise, there will be no peace.
37
But Rita's two teenage sons did not feel very forgiving.
38
They wanted to get even.
39
Now, at the same time all this was happening, there was a severe illness sweeping through that area of Italy, making many people sick and die.
40
Before Rita's sons could seek revenge on their father's murderers, Both of them got very ill and died.
41
Despite her great burden, she could still thank God.
42
Thank you, God, for they have died in peace, free of the poison of murder.
43
They were getting drawn to hatred and revenge, which would have soon consumed them.
44
Now alone in the world and without family responsibilities, Rita once more turned her thoughts to the desired vocation of her youth, that of joining the Augustinian nuns of St.
45
Mary Magdalene Monastery.
46
She went to the convent in Kaskia and asked to join the nuns there.
47
Sister, it has been my wish since I was a child to join this convent.
48
Please let me in.
49
But the sisters at St.
50
Mary Magdalene Monastery were hesitant and refused her request.
51
Although the nuns liked Rita and knew how faithful and forgiving she was, they also knew about Paolo's death.
52
They knew that Paolo's family and the family responsible for his death had not forgiven each other, and they were still fighting.
53
The nuns feared that if Rita entered their convent, these families will somehow follow her and hurt the convent.
54
Disheartened, she implored her three patron saints, John the Baptist, Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino to assist her, and that's when she realized what she must do.
55
I have to make peace.
56
She went to her husband's family and exhorted them to put aside their hostility and stubbornness.
57
They were convinced by her courage and agreed.
58
Rita went to the family who had murdered her husband and told them the same thing.
59
It is time for peace.
60
The rival family, astounded by this overture of peace and by the suffering she had endured, the family agreed.
61
Rita was successful in establishing peace between two hostile families for tens of generations.
62
She had achieved the impossible.
63
She was finally allowed entry into the monastery.
64
At the age of 36, Rita pledged to follow the ancient rule of St.
65
Augustine.
66
Thank you, Jesus.
67
Thank you for giving me the chance to serve you.
68
Even while staying in the covenant, she put her peacemaking skills to good use.
69
She was frequently visited by people from town who needed help forgiving one another.
70
For the next 40 years, she gave herself wholeheartedly to prayer and works of charity.
71
The poor and needy often visited her, and she would never turn them away.
72
For 40 years, she lived a regular life of prayer, contemplation, and spiritual reading, according to the rule of St.
73
Augustine.
74
One Good Friday, Rita was deep in prayer.
75
She was thinking about Jesus' suffering on the cross.
76
Because she was such a kind and generous person, Rita told Jesus of her greatest wish.
77
Oh, Jesus, how I wish I could ease some of the pain you experience on the cross.
78
She prayed this with such pure love, and she wanted more and more to intimately join the suffering of Jesus.
79
This desire of hers was satisfied in an extraordinary way.
80
Suddenly, a small wound appeared on her forehead, as though a thorn from the crown that encircled Christ's head had loosed itself and penetrated her own flesh.
81
The stigmata remained on Rita's head for the rest of her life, a sign that Jesus had recognized her great love for him and accepted her offer by allowing her to carry one of the signs of his passion.
82
For the next 15 years, she bore this external sign of stigmatization and union with the Lord.
83
In spite of the pain she constantly experienced, she offered herself courageously for the physical and spiritual well-being of others.
84
Rita was confined to bed during the last four years of her life.
85
She was able to eat so little that she was practically sustained on the Eucharist alone.
86
The nuns in the monastery were greatly moved by her faith in Jesus, and they looked up to her.
87
Toward the end of her life, Rita progressively weakened physically.
88
Several months before her death, she was visited by a relative from Rocco Perena, who asked if there was anything she could do for the ailing woman.
89
Rita at first declined, but then made a simple request.
90
Bring me a rose from my garden.
91
But that was impossible.
92
It was January in Kaskia, and snow covered the hills for miles around.
93
No roses could bloom in that snow.
94
Nevertheless, on returning home, the woman discovered, to her amazement, a single brightly colored blossom on the bush where the nun said it would exactly be.
95
She picked the flower and ran back to the convent.
96
Rita knew this rose was a sign from God that her many years of prayer for her sons and her husband had been answered and that she would see them in heaven again soon.
97
She breathed her last.
98
Rita's final words to the sisters who gathered around her were, Remain in the holy love of Jesus.
99
Remain in obedience to the holy Roman church.
100
Remain in peace and fraternal charity.
101
Rita died peacefully on May 22, 1457.
102
The bells of the convent immediately began to ring, untouched by human hands, calling the people of Kaskia to the doors of the convent and to announce the triumphant completion of a life faithfully lived.
103
As the nuns prepared her for the final burial, a carpenter, paralyzed by a stroke, wished, If only I were well, I would have prepared a coffin worthy of you.
104
It was then that the first miracle happened.
105
The carpenter was healed completely as soon as he said those words.
106
He was overjoyed and ran to the convent.
107
The people who knew him were shocked to see him running toward them.
108
It's a miracle!
109
I am healed!
110
He then made an elaborate and richly decorated coffin that would preserve Rita's remains for centuries.
111
It is still incorrupt today, now in a glass-enclosed coffin in the Basilica of Kaskia.
112
Her feast is observed on the anniversary of her death, 22 May.
113
Pray for us, O holy St.
114
Rita, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
115
Amen.
116
Saints
📱

Shadowing English

Now available on mobile devices, download now!

5.0
Download on theApp Store
GET IT ONGoogle Play

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video tells the inspiring story of Saint Rita of Cascia, highlighting themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and faith. By engaging with this content, English learners can improve their English pronunciation and overall speaking skills while immersing themselves in a rich narrative. Listening to the tale of Rita’s life not only enhances comprehension but also provides a meaningful context for practicing English speaking. The emotional depth of the story encourages learners to express their thoughts on interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution, making it an excellent resource for English speaking practice.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several grammatical structures and expressions are prominent:

  • Past Tense Narration: The story accurately employs the past tense throughout, such as "Rita was born," and "Paulo was murdered." This structure is essential for recounting events in English.
  • Conditional Sentences: Phrases like “If only I were well” showcase the use of conditional verbs, which are crucial for expressing hypothetical situations and desires.
  • Imperative Expressions: Commands such as “You have to forgive them” illustrate direct speech. Practicing these can help learners convey urgency and advice.
  • Reported Speech: Sentences like “Rita told Jesus of her greatest wish” demonstrate how to relay what someone has said. This skill is fundamental for effective communication.

Engaging with these structures within the context of the story allows learners to learn English with YouTube while enriching their grammatical knowledge.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As with any narrative, certain words and phrases can pose challenges for English learners. In this video, some tricky elements include:

  • Names and Places: Names like “Rita,” “Paulo,” and “Cascia” can be difficult to pronounce correctly. Focus on the syllable emphasis and practice these consistently.
  • Emotional Vocabulary: Words like “forgiveness,” “reconciliation,” and “contemplation” are essential in the context of the story. Emphasizing the time taken to articulate these longer words can significantly enhance improve English pronunciation.
  • Intonation Patterns: The speaker's emotional delivery sets the tone of the story. Mimicking the speaker’s intonation can greatly aid learners in mastering shadow speech, capturing not just the words but also the emotion behind them.

By practicing these aspects, learners can refine their pronunciation and deepen their understanding of the language, making significant progress in their English speaking practice.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

☕ Buy us a coffee