Saint Rose of Lima

Catholic-Pages ^ | 1997-2002 | Catherine Fournier

[Lady In Blue]

Saint Rose of Lima

Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: "Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven."

When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemd to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: "Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep aprticipation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul."

"If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men."

from the writings of Saint Rose of Lima

[Lady In Blue]

ping

[NYer]

she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered.

In anticipation of your posting the story of St. Rose of Lima, I read it on the web earlier today, hoping to find some worthy sentiment on which to comment. On the contrary. Granted St. Rose lived in the 16th century when lifestyles were quite different, but, as a mother, if my daughter were to do even half of what St. Rose did, I would be most concerned about her health. From what I read, she fasted 3 days a week, then 5 days a week, then 7 days a week ... eventually, she denied herself all food except for some water. She drove a pin through her head and wore a crown of nails.

No disrespect intended, and I am hoping some other poster will chastise me for thinking this way, but her behavior does not impress me as being in conformity with healthy norms. Then again, I have heard the same argument made against St. Francis. Was this, perchance, a reflection of that period in time?

[Lady In Blue]

I'm almost sure that it was.She was of Spanish descent,so back in those days,they believed in penances like that.Our Lord didn't seem to mind!(smile)Did your read her writings in the 2nd post? It reads like words right from Our Lord's mouth.

[JMJ333]

Many of the saints practiced extreme mortification. The reason being that they wanted to share in the agony of the passion, with the intention of bringing souls to Christ. Nuns used to flog themselves until they bled for the same reason--to participate in their own small way with Christ's suffering. They emolated this behavior because it was His suffering [and death] that brought about our salvation.

No doubt, as a mother I would have been concerned myself, but these souls have a special relationship to Christ that is difficut to understand. That is my best attempt at an explanation! Perhaps others will weigh in. =)

[JMJ333]

Lovely post. =)

[Lady In Blue]

Thank you,JMJ333.I like the way you explained NYer's question better than my effort.

[JMJ333]

You're welcome. This discussion has me thinking about St. Rita. She begged and prayed to participate in Christ's passion, and her prayer was answered by her receiving 1 thorn for Our Lord's crown of thorns. Talk about true suffering. The wound, which was in the middle of her forehead, festered, often had maggots in it, and never healed, except for one time when she left the convent to go on a religious retreat. She was disdained by the other nuns in the convent because it had a terrible odor to it. She bore all this with a humility that is foreign to most of us.

The principle is the same. Her goal was to bring souls to Christ by uniting her suffering to His.

[Salvation]

I heard Father say that she was patron saint of florists and gardeners.

[NYer]

They emolated this behavior because it was His suffering [and death] that brought about our salvation.

Thank you for the explanation. In looking at the lives of saints then vs those from more contemporary times, the personal sufferings impress me as being far greater. Perhaps, too, that is because their lives were much shorter.

[Salvation]

BTTT on 08-23-04!

[Salvation]

Saint of the Day Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Saint of the Day Ping List.

[Salvation]

Maybe this sheds some light on your concerns.....

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Rose of Lima was born in Lima, Peru in the year 1586. Her birth
name was Isabel de Oliva but she was given the nickname Rose
because of her beauty. Even though Rose was quite beautiful, she
did nothing to try to show this off. Rose preferred to save her beauty
only for Jesus. Once Rose was so disturbed by all the attention that
her beauty drew so she rubbed pepper into her face to change her
complexion from smooth and beautiful to blistered and sore.

Rose's family was poor and she was needed to help support them.
During the day, she grew flowers to sell and at night, she sewed and
made fine embroidery. When Rose earned enough extra money for
herself, she bought a silver headband, studded with nails around the
inside to wear as a personal penance.

St. Rose came into contention with her parents when they tried to get
her to marry. Rose preferred to enter the convent but her parents
forbade this. Instead, Rose lived a single life and later entered the
Third Order of St. Dominic.

St. Rose died in 1617 at the age of thirty-one and was canonized the
first saint of the New World by Pope Clement X in 1671. She is the
patroness of the Philippines, South America, Peru, florists and
gardeners.

[pascendi]

"Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: "Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven."

"When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemd to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: "Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep aprticipation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul."

"If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men."



Status as these Catholic understandings in the year of Our Lord 2004 and in the heart of the post Conciliar Church: Lost

Terms also applicable: suppressed, reinterpreted, denied, mocked, sentimentalized, downplayed, dispensed with, softened.

People now have a Catholicism of a different mind and a different heart. But Christ never changed His any.

[Salvation]

Are you saying that you don't think those words are correctly attributed to St. Rose of Lima who would have written them in the 16th century?

[Salvation]

Or are you merely trying to divert this thread to your seemingly divisive purposes? Please stick to the subject of St. Rose of Lima!

[pascendi]

No. Don't assume all kinds of things you shouldn't, and then look for assistance where none is needed.

I'm saying that St. Rose of Lima's understanding of the Catholic Faith is almost entirely dispensed with by the post Conciliar Church.

St. Rose is a Saint of doctrine and tradition.

[pascendi]

"In looking at the lives of saints then vs those from more contemporary times, the personal sufferings impress me as being far greater."

I have not found this to be the case, starting from the 19th century and moving forward.

[pascendi]

You may have seen it or read it already, but in case not, this is an excellent book.