Saint Rose of Lima
Feast Day: August 30
Saint Rose of Lima
Profile
At her confirmation in 1597, she took the name of Rose, because, when an infant, her face had been seen transformed by a mystical rose. As a child she was remarkable for a great reverence, and pronounced love, for all things relating to God. This so took possession of her that thenceforth her life was given up to prayer and mortification. She had an intense devotion to the Infant Jesus and His Blessed Mother, before whose altar she spent hours. She was scrupulously obedient and of untiring industry, making rapid progress by earnest attention to her parents' instruction, to her studies, and to her domestic work, especially with her needle. After reading of St. Catherine she determined to take that saint as her model. She began by fasting three times a week, adding secret severe penances, and when her vanity was assailed, cutting off her beautiful hair, wearing coarse clothing, and roughening her hands with toil. All this time she had to struggle against the objections of her friends, the ridicule of her family, and the censure of her parents. Many hours were spent before the Blessed Sacrament, which she received daily. Finally she determined to take a vow of virginity, and inspired by supernatural love, adopted extraordinary means to fulfill it. At the outset she had to combat the opposition of her parents, who wished her to marry. For ten years the struggle continued before she won, by patience and prayer, their consent to continue her mission. At the same time great temptations assailed her purity, faith, and constance, causing her excruciating agony of mind and desolation of spirit, urging her to more frequent mortifications; but daily, also, Our Lord manifested Himself, fortifying her with the knowledge of His presence and consoling her mind with evidence of His Divine love. Fasting daily was soon followed by perpetual abstinence from meat, and that, in turn, by use of only the coarsest food and just sufficient to support life. Her days were filled with acts of charity and industry, her exquisite lace and embroidery helping to support her home, while her nights were devoted to prayer and penance. When her work permitted, she retired to a little grotto which she had built, with her brother's aid, in their small garden, and there passed her nights in solitude and prayer. Overcoming the opposition of her parents, and with the consent of her confessor, she was allowed later to become practically a recluse in this cell, save for her visits to the Blessed Sacrament. In her twentieth year she received the habit of St. Dominic. Thereafter she redoubled the severity and variety of her penances to a heroic degree, wearing constantly a metal spiked crown, concealed by roses, and an iron chain about her waist. Days passed without food, save a draught of gall mixed with bitter herbs. When she could no longer stand, she sought repose on a bed constructed by herself, of broken glass, stone, potsherds, and thorns. She admitted that the thought of lying down on it made her tremble with dread. Fourteen years this martyrdom of her body continued without relaxation, but not without consolation. Our Lord revealed Himself to her frequently, flooding her soul with such inexpressible peace and joy as to leave her in ecstasy four hours. At these times she offered to Him all her mortifications and penances in expiation for offences against His Divine Majesty, for the idolatry of her country, for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in Purgatory.
Many miracles followed her death. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first American to be so honoured. Her feast is celebrated 30 August. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.
Hansen, Vita Mirabilis (1664), Spanish tr. by PARRA
The
Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII
Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1912, Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Text Courtesy of TraditionalCatholic.net
Prayers in honor of St Rose of Lima
God our Father,
for love of you
St. Rose gave up everything
to devote herself to a life of penance.By the help of her prayers
may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth
and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven.Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Litany of St. Rose of
Lima
For Private Use Only.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins,
pray for us.
St. Dominic, glorious Patriarch,
etc.
St. Rose, prepared by the dew of heavenly grace,
St. Rose, in whom the grace of God was not fruitless,
St. Rose, from infancy illustrious for holiness,
St. Rose, in whom the grace of God, was not fruitless,
St. Rose, from infancy illustrious for holiness,
St. Rose, foolish to the world but chosen by God, to confound the wise,
St. Rose, dear to the Virgin Mary, while yet a child,
St. Rose, consecrated to Christ by a vow of virginity,
St. Rose, who didst abhor worldly vanities,
St. Rose, who didst despise beauty,
St. Rose, who didst disdain all things to gain Christ,
St. Rose, shining example of an angelic life,
St. Rose, lily among the thorns,
St. Rose, nailed to the Cross of Christ,
St. Rose, model of patience and mortification,
St. Rose, who didst fast almost beyond human strength,
St. Rose, crowned with sharp nails,
St. Rose, who didst gain unnumbered victories over demons,
St. Rose, victim of many calumnious tongues,
St. Rose, refreshed by heavenly consolations,
St. Rose, favored by appearances of the Mother of God,
St. Rose, devoted to heavenly contemplation,
St. Rose, inflamed with seraphic love of God,
St. Rose, ardently zealous for the salvation of souls,
St. Rose, whose charity was not extinguished by persecutions,
St. Rose, whose didst exhale the sweet fragrance of Christ,
St. Rose, dying in the love of Jesus and Mary,
St. Rose, who wast brought to Him whom thou didst love,
St. Rose, first Flower of sanctity in America,
St. Rose, ornament of Christian virgins,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Pray for us St. Rose.
That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.
Let Us Pray.
Almighty God, the author and giver of all good things, who didst will that Blessed Rose should
be prepared by the dew of grace from Heaven, and should bloom in America as a beauteous
flower of virginity and patience, grant to us Thy servants to be drawn by the perfume of her
virtue, that we may deserve to become a sweet fragrance of Christ, who livesth and reigneth
world without end. Amen.