For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16–17

If Jesus would never have given His life on a cross for the salvation of the world, then a cross would never have been seen in “exultation.” A cross, in and of itself, is an instrument of death, a horrific and violent death. It’s also an instrument of humiliation and torture. Yet, today, the Cross is seen as a holy and blessed object. We hang crosses in our homes, wear them around our neck, keep them in our pocket on the end of the rosary, and spend time in prayer before them. The Cross is now an exalted image by which we turn to God in prayer and surrender. But that is only the case because it was on a cross that we were saved and brought to eternal life.

If you step back and consider the amazing truth that one of the worst instruments of torture and death is now seen as one of the holiest of images on earth, it should be awe inspiring. Comprehending this fact should lead us to the realization that God can do anything and everything. God can use the worst and transform it into the best. He can use death to bring forth life.

Though our celebration today, the “Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,” is first and foremost a feast by which we give glory to the Father for what He did in the Person of His divine Son, it is also a feast by which we must humbly understand that God can “exalt” every cross we endure in life and bring forth much grace through them.

What is your heaviest cross? What is the source of your greatest suffering? Most likely, as you call this to mind, it is painful to you. Most often, our crosses and sufferings are things we seek to rid ourselves of. We easily point to crosses in life and blame them for a lack of happiness. We can easily think that if only this or that were to change or be removed, then our life would be better. So what is that cross in your life?

The truth is that whatever your heaviest cross is, there is extraordinary potential for that cross to become an actual source of grace in your life and in the world. But this is only possible if you embrace that cross in faith and hope so that our Lord can unite it to His and so that your crosses can also share in the exaltation of Christ’s Cross. Though this is a profoundly deep mystery of faith, it is also a profoundly deep truth of our faith.

Reflect, today, upon your own crosses. As you do, try not to see them as a burden. Instead, realize the potential within those crosses. Prayerfully look at your crosses as invitations to share in Christ’s Cross. Say “Yes” to your crosses. Choose them freely. Unite them to Christ’s Cross. As you do, have hope that God’s glory will come forth in your life and in the world through your free embrace of them. Know that these “burdens” will be transformed and become a source of exaltation in your life by the transforming power of God.

My exalted Lord, I turn to You in my need and with the utmost faith in Your divine power to save. Please give me the grace I need to fully embrace every cross in my life with hope and faith in You. Please transform my crosses so that You will be exalted through them and so that they will become an instrument of Your glory and grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast Day: September 12. 2024

The Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 was a pivotal naval conflict where the Holy League—a coalition of various Catholic maritime states—successfully defeated the Ottoman fleet. To give thanks for this victory, Pope Pius V instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory, later known as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Just over a century later, another critical battle took place. On September 12, 1683, the Battle of Vienna was fought. The Christian forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, under the command of Poland’s King John III Sobieski, were victorious against the significantly larger Ottoman Empire’s forces. Prior to this battle, King John III Sobieski had entrusted his troops to the Blessed Virgin Mary, visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The victory was attributed to her intercession, and in gratitude, Pope Innocent XI instituted the feast of the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the universal calendar of the Church the following year, 1684.

Of course, reverence for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary did not begin in 1684. Prior to that, this feast was celebrated in various localities throughout the Church at various times. Reverence for the name of Mary, however, goes back much further. The Council of Ephesus in 431 taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary was properly called the “Mother of God,” or “God-Bearer” (Theotokos). By the sixth century, the angelic greeting in Luke 1:28 was commonly used as a prayer, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” By the fourteenth century, the second part of the Hail Mary prayer was often used in conjunction, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” In the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent, in its catechism, formally recommended this entire prayer, as we have it today, to the faithful.

It’s also providential to note that the date of September 12 falls shortly after we celebrate the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8. When the Romans ruled Palestine, it was customary that newborn daughters were given their names at birth, or shortly afterwards. Thus, the Church celebrates Mary’s naming day four days after the celebration of her birth. Firstborn male children were traditionally named and circumcised in the Temple on the eighth day after their birth. Hence, we celebrate the Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3, shortly after the completion of the Octave of Christmas on January 1. Mary and Jesus are the only two Who have liturgical celebrations honoring their names.

Names bring with them much significance and meaning. When addressing someone formally and directly, it is common to first state their name. A name uniquely identifies and dignifies the person. For this reason, in praying to our Lord it is common practice to call on His name, “Jesus!” So also with Mary. Calling on her by name is a way of seeking her prayers in a personal and intimate way. Hence, the names of Jesus and Mary should be seen and understood as being powerful, compelling us to call upon them personally, with trust in Who they are.

Reflection

As we honor the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary today, reflect upon the depth of trust you have in her motherly intercession. Kings and armies called upon her for protection and victory. Sinners have sought her motherly help to overcome their weaknesses. Saints have entrusted themselves to her, knowing that she would elevate them and present them to her divine Son. Popes have sung her praises. Church councils have taught definitively about her role in salvation history. All who call upon her should have certainty that their prayers will be heard. Turn to her today, entrust yourself to her intercession, and have confidence that her prayers will win for you an abundance of grace and mercy from her Son.

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Saint of the Day for September 5, 2024

The Church celebrates on September 5 the feast of Mother Teresa, a universal symbol of God's merciful and preferential love for the poor and forgotten.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, the youngest of three children. She attended a youth group called Sodality, run by a Jesuit priest at her parish, and her involvement opened her to the call of service as a missionary nun.

She joined the Sisters of Loretto at age 17 and was sent to Calcutta where she taught at a high school. She contracted Tuberculosis and was sent to rest in Darjeeling. It was on the train to Darjeeling that she received her calling - what she called "an order" from God to leave the convent and work and live among the poor. At this point she did not know that she was to find an order of nuns, or even exactly where she was to serve. "I knew where I belonged, but I did not know how to get there," she said once, recalling the moment on the train.

Confirmation of the calling came when the Vatican granted her permission to leave the Sisters of Loretto and fulfill her calling under the Archbishop of Calcutta. She started working in the slums, teaching poor children, and treating the sick in their homes. She was joined a year later by some of her former students and together they took in men, women, and children who were dying in the gutters along the streets and cared for them.

In 1950 the Missionaries of Charity were born as a congregation of the Diocese of Calcutta and in 1952 the government granted them a house from which to continue their service among Calcutta's forgotten.

The congregation very quickly grew from a single house for the dying and unwanted to nearly 500 around the world. Mother Teresa set up homes for AIDS sufferers, for prostitutes, for battered women, and orphanages for poor children.

She often said that the poorest of the poor were those who had no one to care for them and no one who knew them. And she often remarked with sadness and desolation of millions of souls in the developed world whose spiritual poverty and loneliness was such an immense cause of suffering.

She was a fierce defender of the unborn saying: "If you hear of some woman who does not want to keep her child and wants to have an abortion, try to persuade her to bring him to me. I will love that child, seeing in him the sign of God's love."

Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997 and was beatified only six years later, on October 19, 2003.

Mother Teresa once said, "A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace." She also said, "give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness."

Reflection

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was one of the greatest saints in all of history. After her death, those closest to her shared many of her private letters that tell an incredible story. From the time she began her work with the poor and suffering, she started to experience an inner darkness, a complete loss of the sense of God’s presence. This interior darkness mirrors the spiritual writings of the greatest mystics, such as Saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila. God stripped her of every interior consolation so that her charity would be absolutely pure and devoid of all selfish motivation, resulting in pure selfless giving, fueled by unshakable faith, and driven by divine hope. She was truly a mystic in the deepest sense, an icon of the satiation of Christ’s Thirst.

St. Rosalia

Saint of the Day for 4th September, 2024

St. Rosalia was a Christian hermit and mystic who lived in the 12th century in Sicily, Italy. She is the patron saint of Palermo, and her cult has been widespread in the island since the Middle Ages. According to tradition, Rosalia was born into a wealthy and noble family in Palermo, and from a young age, she felt called to a life of solitude and contemplation.

In order to live out this calling, Rosalia renounced her family’s wealth and status and retreated to a cave in the mountains, where she lived as a hermit. There she devoted herself to prayer, fasting, and penance, and was known to have had a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. According to legend, Mary appeared to Rosalia in a dream and revealed to her the location of the cave where she would spend her hermitage years.

While living in the cave, St. Rosalia is said to have performed many miracles, and many people would come to seek her counsel and pray for her intercession. She was known for her wisdom, and many people sought her out to ask her advice on various spiritual and personal matters.

Rosalia’s solitude lasted over 30 years, until her death in 1166. According to legend, after her death, a hunter discovered her remains in the cave and was overcome with a sense of holiness. He reported this to the people of Palermo and they took her remains and placed them in the crypt of the church of Santa Maria della Catena.

In 1624, a severe plague broke out in Palermo, and the people of the city turned to St. Rosalia for help. According to tradition, Rosalia appeared to a young girl in a dream and told her where to find her remains, which were then brought to Palermo and displayed in the Cathedral of Palermo. The plague subsided shortly after, and the people of Palermo attributed this to the intercession of St. Rosalia.

After this event, the cult of St. Rosalia grew rapidly in Palermo and all over Sicily, and her remains were held in high honor. She is the patron saint of Palermo and is celebrated annually in a festival, La Fiera di Santa Rosalia, which takes place each year in mid-July.

St. Rosalia’s feast day is celebrated on September 4th. She was canonized by the Catholic Church, although her cult started much before the official process of canonization. She is considered a Saint by popular devotion. Many churches, chapels and shrines have been built throughout Sicily in her honor, and she is venerated as one of the most beloved saints of the island.

Reflection

St. Rosalia’s life serves as an inspiration to those who seek to live a simple, contemplative life and her devotion to the Virgin Mary is an example of deep spiritual devotion. Her legend is intertwined with the history of the city of Palermo, where her cult has continued to flourish for centuries.

What stands out when analysing St. Rosalia’s life is the radicalness with which she corresponds to each invitation of grace. The relationship with the supernatural dominated her entire being, relegating material things to a secondary plane. This is how truly Catholic souls follow their vocation!

And if today’s world seems to have forgotten the heavenly reality – the highest and most authentic of all realities – is it not because it has sinfully turned to what is vain and fleeting?

May St. Rosalia help us, so that by her example and intercession, “already here on earth” we participate “in the blessed company of Angels and men united in God.”
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Saint Augustine of Hippo

Saint of the Day for August 28

Augustine was born and lived much of his life in Hippo, a seaport city in North Africa, part of present-day Algeria. He served as a church priest, a bishop, and a theologian during the early 400s. In the centuries since his death, he has remained an important figure in Christianity, serving as an inspiration for those who struggle with their faith and with temptation.

Augustine did not begin his life as a follower of Christ. During his youth, he struggled with morality and the seemingly impossible prospect of living according to the Christian ideal. To his mother's dismay, Monica (later venerated as Saint Monica), Augustine experimented with non-Christian faiths and philosophies during his early adult years.

Then one day, in a fit of intense frustration over his inability to reconcile godly living with the desires of the flesh, he cried out to God for help and understanding. He heard a voice saying, "Tolle, lege," which means "pick up and read" in Latin. He picked up the Bible and it opened to the letters of St. Paul, who had overcome similar struggles in his own life. Taking comfort in the words of the epistle writer, Augustine repented for his hedonistic habits and devoted his life to serving God.

After his baptism and conversion to Christianity in 387, Augustine practiced poverty and charity. Drawing upon both his personal experiences and his considerable education in rhetoric, he wrote powerful works including Confessions and The City of God, which many consider foundational to Christian theology. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on August 28, the anniversary of his death in 430.

Augustine's writings are viewed by many as a crucial turning point in human consciousness from classical to modern ways of thinking. According to historian Thomas Cahill, Augustine's Confessions is the first example in world literature of a deeply personal account of a life, and as such is the forerunner of the modern novel. In his book entitled How The Irish Saved Civilization, Cahill describes Augustine as "almost the last great classical man — and very nearly the first medieval man."

Augustine of Hippo was canonized in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII. He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, and theologians.

Reflection

As we honor this pillar of wisdom, consider especially Augustine’s personal journey towards Christ. In many ways, Saint Augustine lived two lives. At first, he was a weak, confused, and sinful man. After that, he became a sinner who was redeemed and transformed by grace. His struggle led him to the truth and when that happened, God used him in extraordinary ways. His life can be summed up in one of his most famous quotes, “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.” Ponder your own story of conversion, and especially any ways that you are restless. Follow this saint’s example and seek the Truth with all your heart, knowing that God will reveal Himself to you when you are ready, so that you can rest in Him.

Saint Monica

Saint of the Day for August 27

St. Monica was born in 331 AD in Thagaste, known today as Souk Ahras, in Algeria, North Africa. At a very young age, her parents married her off to a Roman pagan called Patricius, despite Monica being a devout Christian.

Monica was in between a pagan husband and a cantankerous mother-in-law. They both had violent tempers. Patricius’s mother lived with the young couple, which didn’t make Monica’s life any easier.

Monica had three children who survived infancy: two sons and a daughter. Augustine being the eldest, Navigus and Perpetual Monica carried the burden of not being able to baptize their children as their father was pagan.

St. Monica had a very troubled marriage. Patricius, her husband, was unfaithful to the union and verbally abused her with an easily flared temper. He disliked Monica for her prayers, charity, and piety, but he still respected her.

Nevertheless, Monica prayed continuously for her husband’s and mother-in-law’s conversion.

Perhaps Monica’s greatest trial as a married woman was to come with her son Augustine. He lived a lustful, adulterous life, stealing and telling lies. Patricius wasn’t much help in raising Augustine on the right path since he isn’t much different.

St. Monica lost her husband, Patricius, when her son Augustine was 17 and more carefree. Fortunately, Patricius and his mother converted to Christianity a year before his death and got baptized. Their conversion gave Monica some consolation.

Monica was deeply in sorrow when she learned her son had continued to deviate from the Christian faith and had fallen deeply into sin. Later,when Augustine returned home to Thagaste in grief, she denied him sharing her table with her for a while.

As a distressed mother who never sleeps, Monica wept at night for her son’s conversion. One day, she had a vision in which a voice told her to reconcile with her stray son, so she took Augustine back and kept praying for him.

Monica met a bishop who told her that the child of those tears should never perish. The bishop’s word helped strengthen her persistence in prayer.

Augustine secretly traveled to Rome, Italy, and St. Monica followed after her son. On arriving in Rome, she learned that he had moved to Milan. Not discouraged, she followed him to Milan.

While in Milan, Monica came across St. Ambrose. He helped convert Augustine to Christianity, and months later, Augustine got baptized at St. John the Baptist Milan by St. Ambrose.

Long years of persistence and prayer have finally paid off, and St. Monica was the happiest and most fulfilled woman on earth.

St. Monica and her son, later St. Augustine, were divinely inspired to go back to Africa to preach the gospel. On their journey back home, St. Monica died. She was 56 years old. In modern times, she has become the inspiration for the St. Monica Sodality, which encourages prayer and penance among Catholics whose children have left the faith.

Reflection

Saint Monica endured a difficult life, but she persevered, overcame her difficulties, and devoted herself to a life of prayer and virtuous living. Her prayers and virtues first won over her husband and mother-in-law, then all three of her children. Though Saint Augustine is the most well known, this mother, daughter-in-law, and wife made a difference in the lives of her entire family. Saint Monica is seen by many as a model of hope for those whose family members have gone astray. As we honor her today, ponder the power of her prayers. As you do, be reminded that your prayers for your family are also powerful. If you have someone in your family who has gone astray, allow Saint Monica to inspire you and devote yourself to praying for them, so that each member of your family will share, one day, the glories of Heaven with you.

Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars

Saint of the Day for August 26, 2024

Teresa Jornet Ibars was born January 9th, 1843 in the Catalan region of Spain. She was the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Aged, better known as the Little Sisters of the Poor. This is not to be confused with the Congregation also called this founded by St. Jeanne Jugan.

From a young age, Teresa had a strong concern for the poor, often bringing them to the home of an aunt, where they were sure to receive assistance. Later she moved to Lerida, and lived with another aunt as she pursued her education. She became a teacher in Barcelona. During this time, she felt drawn to the monastic life and applied for admission to the Poor Clares, but she was not accepted. For this reason she devoted herself to her teaching and became a Carmelite tertiary to help in the development of her Spiritual life. She was encouraged by her Spiritual Director to undertake caring for the many elderly people of the area who were living alone and in poverty. She accepted this challenge.

In 1872, she opened the first house in Barbastro. Her sister Maria helped her, and the following year the small group took the habit and became a religious Congregation. Since Teresa had previously been with the Carmelite Order, she took the name of their great foundress, Teresa of Jesus. She was elected the first superior of the new community. They were totally dedicated to the care of the aged. Mother Teresa of Jesus taught her Sisters to sacrifice their own personal comforts for that of the men and women that they cared for. In addition for her intense commitment, she was noted for her overwhelming peace, and that drew in many young women to join her.

An outbreak of cholera hit Spain in 1897, and she joined the other members of the Congregation in their care of the victims of this plague. By the time it ended, 24 Sister, and seventy of their patients had died from the disease. She was physically overwhelmed and retired to the house in Liria. This is where she died, on August 26, 1897. At the time of her death, her Congregation had fifty houses. She was beatified in 1958 by Pope Pius XII, and canonized in 1974 by Pope Paul VI.

Reflection

Saint Teresa had a dream and followed it--but, initially, she failed. Many of us have dreams and spend considerable time trying to make them a reality. However, though we often fail to achieve our dreams, it is important to remember that, often, the failure of one dream means that a greater and ultimately more fulfilling path awaits us. Saint Teresa's failure to achieve her initial dream, only to achieve a greater and more meaningful dream, is a testament to the importance of maintaining optimism and trust in God.

The life of St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars shows us that one person can make a difference, as well as many other things. The fact that she had fifty houses, all caring for the sick at the time of her death, was all made possible because she said “yes” to Jesus. She had a desire to help the poor and abandoned, and helped them one by one, by taking them to her aunt’s house. This little act of compassion would grow into a Congregation of fifty houses in her life’s time. If we call upon her intercession, we can get her help, and we can make a difference in the lives of others as well.

Saint Louis of France

Saint of the Day for August 25

During the Middle Ages, many European kings believed that they had a divine right to rule, so they did whatever they wanted. They treated people unfairly. They were taxed heavily. They did not worry about justice. Louis IX of France was not like that. He believed that good kings served others.

Louis was born in 1214. He was only 12 years old when he became king. So he took his mother’s advice until he was old enough to rule wisely and well.

During that time, many Christian knights went on Crusades to the Holy Land to win it back from Muslim rule. Twice Louis led a Crusade, but both times he suffered defeat. Clearly his work was back in France, helping his people.

Louis built orphanages, libraries, and hospitals for the people of France. He built Sainte-Chapelle in Paris as a home for Jesus’ crown of thorns. He supported the building of the Sorbonne, a college in Paris.

But more important than any building was the work Louis did for the poor. He brought peace to his people. How did he do this? By seeking justice for all.

Louis simplified court bureaucracy, established fair laws and courtrooms, and changed the tax system. He kept a list of the needy throughout his realm and used his own money and tax money to feed them. Because justice reigned in France, peace followed.

Louis died in 1270, when he was 56. Throughout his kingdom, people mourned his death. His holiness had been a blessing to them. He is the only king of France who is a saint. Pope Boniface VIII canonized Saint Louis on account of his deep personal piety, his efforts to reform and improve justice, and his leadership in two Crusades.

Reflection

The life of a king in the High Middle Ages, with its riches and unchecked power, brought with it numerous temptations. Saint Louis was one of those rare souls who remained simple, humble, devout, just, thoughtful, morally upright, and prayerful throughout his reign. He is the only King of France to receive the sacred title “Saint.” As we honor this holy and just ruler, ponder the temptations he would have had to overcome in order to become universally recognized as a Catholic saint. As you do, ponder the qualities you most need in your life to overcome any of the snares that tempt you, so that you will fulfill your duties in accord with the mind and heart of Christ.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:45–46

Nathanael, who also goes by the name Bartholomew, reacted strongly to the news from his friend Philip that they had found the promised Messiah. Why did Nathanael react this way? Most likely because it was common knowledge among the Jews that the promised Messiah would come from Bethlehem, not from Nazareth. So Nathanael immediately raises this doubt because of Jesus’ supposed origin. Of course, Jesus actually was born in Bethlehem and only later moved to Nazareth, but Nathanael did not immediately realize this.

The first lesson to ponder today is that, just like Nathanael, we can easily doubt matters of faith because we do not fully understand. Perhaps if Philip had come and said that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth, then Nathanael may have been more immediately open. But this encounter most likely unfolded as it did, with Nathanael’s initial doubt, because the Holy Spirit, Who inspired these Scriptures, wanted us to learn an important lesson. The lesson we must learn is that we must not close the door on the Truth just because something doesn’t immediately make sense to us. Doubts are never from God. The good news in this Gospel passage is that, even though Nathanael did immediately express a certain doubt, he remained open to what Philip was saying. Philip, in answer to this doubt, said the best thing he could have said. He said, “Come and see.”

What is it in your life that seems confusing to you in regard to your life or in regard to the many truths of our faith? If there is something that you struggle with in this way, then listen to the words of Philip and allow them to be spoken to you: “Come and see.”

Once Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, Nathanael quickly professed his full faith in Jesus as the “Son of God” and the “King of Israel.” Jesus said very little to Nathanael to convince him of these truths. Jesus simply told Nathanael that he had seen him sitting under the fig tree and that He knew that Nathanael was a man without guile. To be without guile means that you are not two-faced; rather, you are a very honest and straightforward person. Nathanael’s immediate realization of the greatness of Jesus could have only come by the gift of grace working in his soul. He came to see Jesus and believed through the interior gift of faith.

The lesson of Nathanael tells us that if we bring our confusion to our Lord in faith and openness, all will be made clear. We will have our temptations to doubt removed, and we will be able to have faith that goes far beyond human reason alone.

Reflect, today, upon the genuineness and openness of the heart of Nathanael. Bring to our Lord any and every question you have with the expectation that you will receive what you need. Faith does not usually come through convincing arguments or detailed deductive reasoning. It normally comes through a pure and simple openness to the Voice of God speaking within our soul. But when the gift of faith is given, it brings with it a holy certainty that cannot be doubted.

My loving Lord, You invite all of us to come to You, to see You and to have faith in You. You truly are the Son of God and the King of all. Please open my mind to all that You wish to say to me so that I may shed my doubts and come to a transforming faith in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.

Saint Rose of Lima

Saint of the Day for August 23

Born Isabel Flores y de Oliva in Lima Peru in 1586, her father was a cavalryman in the Spanish army (born in Puerto Rico) and her mother, Maria de Oliva, was a native of Lima.

Isabel's nickname "Rose" was a testament to her holiness. When just a baby, a servant claimed to have seen her face transformed into a rose. At 13, when confirmed by the Archbishop of Lima (Turibius de Mongrovejo who was later proclaimed a saint) Isabel formally took the name of Rose.

As a young person, and in imitation of Saint Catherine of Siena, Rose began fasting three times a week and performed severe penances in secret. She spent hours contemplating the Blessed Sacrament, which she received daily, rare in those days. She regularly abstained from meat and spent her days making lace, fine embroidery and performing acts of charity. The lace and refined embroidery she sold to support her family and the poor. The fame of her holiness spread far and wide attracting the attention of the Dominican monks who invited her to become a nun. Her father refused and she instead entered the Third Order of St Dominic (wear the habit of a nun but live in the home of her family). She wore a crown of silver, with thorns on the inside in imitation of the crown of thorns worn by Christ, hidden by roses. She was a contemporary and friend of the Dominican monk Martin de Porres, who is also a saint.

Rose was a friend of the poor and frequently gave away everything she had to help a poor or sick person at her door. Renowned for her generosity and her great holiness, she also experienced feelings of great sadness as if God were far away and hours of ecstasy where she would rejoice in God's unending love. She cheerfully offered all these troubles to God. She endured these penances until her death as expiation for the sins of idolatry of her country (pagan and Incan), for the conversion of sinners and for the respose of the souls in purgatory.

Rose prophesized her death exactly, age 31, on August 24, 1617. Her funeral was conducted by the Archbishop and attended by all of the public authorities in Lima. Beatified in 1667, she was canonized in 1671 as the first saint from the Americas. She is the patron saint of the Philippines, embroiderers, gardeners, South America, and the patron saint of our parish. Her feast day is August 23.


Reflection

The life of Saint Rose of Lima reveals many things to us. Penance is good, but it takes great holiness to discover this mysterious and deep truth. The “good life” is not one that is filled with worldly successes, riches, or honors, but is discovered only in an act of divine union. Furthermore, those who make the biggest difference in this world for the good are those who radically and completely give themselves over to the service of God, holding nothing back, so that God can take to Himself all that they are. As we honor this great saint of Peru, ponder her simple and hidden life. Everyone can imitate her life and virtues, even though her depth of prayer and commitment to penance can, at first, be intimidating. Try to discover the truths that she discovered, and seek to imitate her by making at least one small choice each day to live a deeper life of prayer and penance. From Heaven, you will never regret such a decision.