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Rose of Lima

Gracious God

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Gracious God,
you filled the heart of St Rose
with charity and missionary zeal,
and gave her the desire
to make you known among all peoples.
Fill us who honour her memory today,
with that same love and zeal
to extend your kingdom to the ends of the earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever. Amen.

Flower of Sanctity

Image of St Rose of Lima being crowned with a ring of flowers.

O St. Rose, first flower of sanctity in the New World, let the fragrance of thy virtues diffuse itself in our lives.
Grant that we may imitate thy holy purity; obtain for us courage in the practice of penance.
Teach us, O St. Rose, to love Christ Crucified and Mary His Mother.
Beseech Thy Divine Spouse, to bless all the Americas, which give thanks for thy glory to him, the Giver of all good gifts. Amen.

Love of God

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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

Glorious St Rose

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Glorious St. Rose of Lima, you who knew what it was to love Jesus with such a fine and generous heart.
You, whom since infancy, despised the world’s vanities in order to embrace His Cross.
You who loved, with unfailing devotion, our Heavenly Mother and professed a great tender dedication to the destitute, serving them the same way Jesus did.
Teach us to imitate your greatest virtues, so that we, following your example, can enjoy your glorious protection in Heaven.
For Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever. Amen

Admirable St. Rose

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Admirable Saint Rose, you were truly a sweet flower blooming on a rugged soil; you were indeed a rose among thorns, bearing with meekness and patience the stings of envious tongues, and preserving perfect purity and modesty amid the alluring blandishments of a deceitful world. To the sufferings inflicted on you by others, you added the voluntary tortures of fasting and watching, of the discipline, of the crown of thorns and of the hair shirt, to subdue the flesh and to make yourself like to your heavenly Spouse. By the merits which you have thus gained with your divine Bridegroom, obtain for me the grace to bear my afflictions with patience, to remain pure and modest, to be meek and humble, to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and so to mortify my passions that I may be ever more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of my dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Mother’s Prayer to St Rose

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Saint Rose, devout Virgin, fragrant rose in the garden of God, sweetly blooming amid the thorns of distressing tribulation and severe mortification, white as snow in the immaculate innocence of your heart, glowing in the love of God that consumed you. Your devotedness to your parents was so great that you laboured night and day to relieve their poverty, and most tenderly cared for them in their sickness.

Most grateful, most humble daughter, have pity on me and my children. Teach me, by conduct truly Christian, to deserve the warmhearted gratitude of my children. Teach my children to appreciate my love and the numerous sacrifices that I cheerfully make for their sake; teach them to repay the same by filial love and obedience, and chiefly by fervent prayers for me. Bless me and my entire family. May our hearts be intimately united even in adversity. Let us not place our happiness in temporal prosperity, but rather in the hope of a future, eternal blessedness. Pray, likewise, O sainted patroness of America, for all Christian mothers in particular, that Christian life and sentiments may everywhere be awakened among them. May these sentiments spread far and wide, uniting all families into the one great family of God, in which Jesus Christ may live and rule with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Patron Saint

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Saint Rose, whom I have chosen as my special patron, pray for me that I too, may one day, glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven. Obtain for me your lively faith, that I may consider all persons, things, and events in the light of Almighty God. Pray, that I may be generous in making sacrifices of temporal things to promote my eternal interests, as you so wisely did.

Set me on fire with a love for Jesus, that I may thirst for His sacraments and burn with zeal for the spread of His kingdom. By your powerful intercession, help me in the performance of my duties to God, myself and all the world.

Win for me the virtue of purity and a great confidence in the Blessed Virgin. Protect me this day, and every day of my life. Keep me from mortal sin. Obtain for me the grace of a happy death. Amen

… St Rose of Lima, Pray for Us …

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St Rose Philippine Duchesne

Featured Saint: St Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769 – 1852)

St Rose was born the second of seven daughters and one son, into a wealthy family at Grenoble in France. She contacted smallpox in childhood which left her partially scarred. She was educated in a local monastery and then privately, in the family Chateau.

At 19, St Rose secretly joined a Religious Order, against her family’s wishes. She remained there for four years until the monastery was closed, due to the French Revolution, and then returned home.

St Rose yearned to return to monastic life but had to wait 7-8yrs before the Catholic Church was allowed to reopen its buildings. Overjoyed, she returned, with other community members, to the badly destroyed monastery and tried to rebuild it. In 1815, St Rose established a new convent in Paris and opened a school. It was there that an opportunity to fulfill another of her dreams arose, to be a missionary. She traveled to Missouri, with a small group of Sisters, and established a new community among the poor and hungry immigrants. Her work and that of her Order flourished. Much of St Rose’s last decade was spent in quiet prayer. She died, aged 86yrs.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

St Rose Philippine DuchesneShort Quote: Jesus often went to the temple to pray and preach.

Once when he found that its courts were being used as a market place, he drove everyone out saying, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of robbers”. (Luke 19:46)

Thoughts:  When we love someone, we take care of them and their home.

May others find love, happiness and solace in our designated Homes of Prayer,

Private Reflection:  “We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for oneself…. The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves…. He who has Jesus has everything”. (St. Rose Philippine Duchesne)

Prayer: Jesus Our True Love ~ by Hildegard of Bingen
Jesus Christ, the love that gives love,
You are higher than the highest star;
You are deeper than the deepest sea;
You cherish us as your own family;
You embrace us as your own spouse;
You rule over us as your own subjects;
You welcome us as your dearest friend.
Let all the world worship you.

St Rose Philippine Duchesne: Pray for Us

Today’s Music Suggestion: Be Thou My Vision

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

[To view and enjoy the full Readings for today TAP HERE – Opens in a new Window]
(20th November 2015 ~ Luke 19:45-48)
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St Rose of Lima

Featured Saint: St Rose of Lima (1586 – 1617)

St Rose was born Isabel Flores in Lima, Peru; her country was then a Spanish colony. She chose the name Rose at her Confirmation.

St Rose emulated the life of St Catherine of Siena. She fasted three times a week, abstained from meat, performed many physical penances in secret and spent many hours in devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She rejected all marriage suitors, despite her parent’s best efforts, and planned to become a nun but, her father disallowed it so she joined the Third Order of Dominicans while living in her family home. She also took a vow of chastity, wore a habit and used the money she earned, from the sale of flowers and fine embroidery, to care for the poor.

St Rose died aged 31yrs. She was so well known for her piety and support for the poor that her Requium was held in Lima Cathedral. Her shrine is in the Lima Convent of St Dominic beside that of St Martin de Porres and St John Macias. She was the first person from the Americas to be canonised a Saint. She is the Patroness of Peru and the indigenous people of Latin America.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

St Rose of LimaShort Quote: At one point in Jesus’ ministry, not all who heard his teachings believed, so they left.

When Jesus challenged his chosen Apostles saying, “You don’t want to go away too”, Simon Peter said, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life”. (John 6:68)

Thoughts: So where would I go, without the Word of God!

How lucky are those who have heard and believe!

Reflection: Simon Peter firmly believed in Jesus. Yes, he made mistakes as many of us do, but it was his great ticket to eternal life.

Prayer: Let Nothing Disturb You ~ by St Teresa:
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing make you afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Patience gains all things.
If you have God you will want for nothing.
God alone suffices.

St Rose of Lima: Pray for Us

Today’s Music Suggestion: Rock of Ages

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

[To view and enjoy the full Readings for today TAP HERE – Opens in a new Window]
(23rd August 2015 ~ John 6:60-69)
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Prayer 20th Nov. – St Rose

Featured Saint: St Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769 – 1852)

St Rose was born the second of seven daughters and one son into a wealthy family at Grenoble, France. She contacted smallpox in childhood which left her partially scarred. She was educated in a local monastery and then privately in the family Chateau. At 19, St Rose secretly joined a religious order against her family’s wishes. She remained there for 4yrs until the monastery was closed, due to the French Revolution, and returned home. St Rose yearned to return to monastic life so when the Catholic Church was allowed to reopen its buildings in 1801 she went back to her badly destroyed monastery and tried to rebuild it along with other community members. In 1815 she established a new convent in Paris and opened a school. While in Paris an opportunity to fulfil her lifelong missionary dream arose. She travelled to Missouri, with a small group of other Sisters, to establish a new community among the poor and hungry immigrants. The work of her Order flourished. Much of the last decade of her life was spent in quiet prayer. She died aged 86yrs.

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen+

St Rose Philippine DuchesneShort Quote: “When Jesus approached and saw the city [Jerusalem] he wept over it”. (Luke 19:41)

Thoughts: Jerusalem was Jesus’ home city. It was close to his heart. He knew that a great opportunity of salvation was being refused by its people. Indeed, the people were planning to kill him!

Private Reflection: “We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for oneself…. The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves…. He who has Jesus has everything”. (St. Rose Philippine Duchesne)

Prayers: Select your own personal prayers from our website.

St Rose Philippine Duchesne: Pray for Us

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen+

[To view and enjoy the full Readings for today TAP HERE]