St. Rose of Lima

St. Rose of Lima gave up a comfortable life to live for Jesus. Instead of living for herself, she denied worldly pleasures to discipline her flesh. What a contrast to me! When I enjoy my excellent food, soft bed, or brightly decorated room, I end up thinking about St. Rose. She could have had these luxuries by marrying, but chose to remain single. Because she did not want to focus on her outward appearance, she devoted her time to glorifying God. This special girl deserves credit for obeying God’s will instead of her own.

Born in 1586, Isabel de Flores was an extremely attractive girl. In fact, people called her Rose because her appearance reminded them of the flower. Some began to compliment her looks while she matured and grew into her beauty. Afraid her physical appearance might cause someone to sin, Rose took handfuls of pepper and fiercely rubbed it against her smooth cheeks. One woman mentioned that her hands were extremely delicate and fine. This comment made Rose scrub her hands with lime juice. Because of this action, she was not able to use her hands for several days. Being a very obedient girl, she only disagreed with her parents on the subject of marriage. Rose told them again and again that the Lord did not want her to marry. To reinforce this decision, she took a vow of virginity.

St. Rose’s craving to please God touched me. She realized that beauty is a gift from Him – not hers to use for her own good. To make sure this special gift did not cause anyone to stumble or tempt her to become proud, she forced her body into submission. I admire this action as it shows self-discipline. I also love this prayer Rose often prayed: “Lord, increase my sufferings and with them increase Thy love in my heart.” I pray that He will give me that desire.