*We highlight these Saints to inspire our students and contribute to their growth in Catholic education by fostering understanding and appreciation for Catholic values and teachings. We encourage parents to share the stories of these Saints with their children to deepen their spirituality and motivate them to live their faith with conviction, following the examples of these admired role models.*
St. Rose of Lima is a young woman who is on fire with love for the Lord. The first saint canonized in the Americas was born in 1586 as Isabel Flores de Oliva. She was nicknamed Rose as a baby, because a servant claimed to have seen her face transform into a rose! The name “Rose” also fit her great beauty. She formally took the name when she was confirmed in 1597. St. Rose of Lima is special to our community because of St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, located in Massapequa, NY.
Even as a young girl, Rose began taking on severe mortifications and penances in secret. Aware of her beauty, she cut her hair short and rubbed peppers on her face so it would blister in order to deter suitors. She fasted, abstained from meat, and even wore a painful metal crown, emulating Our Lord’s crown of thorns.
Rose desired to enter a convent, but her parents forbade it, so she became a Third Order Dominican and also became a recluse. She often deprived herself of food and sleep and focused on intense prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. When her parents fell into financial trouble, Rose worked in their garden all day and made lace and embroidery at night to sell. Rose also cared for the homeless and the sick. She died at the age of 31 after a long illness.
At first glance, the life St. Rose of Lima sounds extreme, and might even make us or our kids uncomfortable. But she was able to detach from earthly comforts and offer her sufferings to the Lord. Could you go one day (or even one hour) without checking your phone? In a world where we have reorganized our lives in order to obtain instant gratification whenever we like (drive-thrus, Amazon Prime, digital streaming), it is actually quite a challenge to deny ourselves, even in small ways. Let us remember St. Rose of Lima the next time our wifi is down, we’re sitting in traffic, or there’s a power outage.
St. Rose also wrote about the grace found while enduring suffering. She shared some words that Jesus revealed to her in a private revelation:
“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.’”
St. Rose of Lima
FAMILY ACTIVITY: St. Rose of Lima offers her sufferings for the Lord. Encourage family screen-free time (or forego something else your kids love) and instead, have family prayer time. Say a rosary together, visit the Lord in adoration, or spend time at home praying together. Additionally, St. Rose loved to serve the poor, the sick, and the elderly. Take your older kids to volunteer with a local homeless ministry, have your younger children make cards for a local senior care center, or make small care packages for patients at a local hospital. Let St. Rose’s passionate spirit spark your creativity!