The virtues of Santa Rosa de Lima Are considered, in many cases, examples of the delivery to the faith and to the most disadvantaged. Humility, charity, prayer and excessive penance are four of its most salient aspects.
Santa Rosa de Lima was born in Peru on April 20, 1586, and died on August 24, 1617, at the age of 31. She was baptized by the name of Isabel, and called Rosa by her mother, who perceived her face as a rose.
In his confirmation, at age 12, Archbishop Toribio de Mogrovejo reaffirmed for her the name of Rosa, leaving Isabel forever forgotten.
From a young age he admired St. Catherine of Siena, whom he took as a model. He did not live in a convent, but he was part of the Order of the Dominicans.
Main virtues of Santa Rosa de Lima
Charity
Santa Rosa de Lima was characterized as an advocate for the poor and the sick. He asked for alms to attend to the disadvantaged, visited the sick in their homes, healed, bathed, dressed and comforted, without giving importance to contagion risks.
In his last years of life he made a space in his own house, where he received sick people, elderly and homeless children, who lived in the streets.
It is thought that these actions of Santa Rosa de Lima were the antecedents of the charitable work in Lima.
Humility
Among the virtues of Santa Rosa de Lima are its simplicity and modesty. It is said that she was a very beautiful woman. However, it was not presumptuous or presumed, on the contrary, even went so far as to despise its own beauty.
He was willing to approach the most destitute, those with infectious diseases isolated from society, or indigent people, and he attended them with great humility.
He lived a precarious life, without any luxury, and dedicated what little he had to help the needy people he saw around him. He was able to give away his own clothes and food to offer them to the most needy people.
Fast
In the Christian tradition, fasting is considered a virtue in that it involves sacrifice, acting in moderation and giving up pleasures.
According to Christian precepts, the earthly sacrifice will result in eternal happiness after death.
It is said that Santa Rosa de Lima, as a child, refrained from eating tasty fruits. At the age of five he began to fast three times a week, and ate only bread and water.
In his adolescence, at age 15, he decided to stop eating meat. And when she was obliged to eat other foods, because of the concern of her mother or her doctors, Santa Rosa de Lima wanted these foods to be bitter and very unpleasant to the palate.
Sentence
Santa Rosa de Lima used prayer as an element that gave her strength to withstand the sacrifices and floggings to which she herself submitted.
He began to pray from a very young age, dedicating many hours and renouncing the common activities of people his age.
It is said that one of the most intense petitions in Santa Rosa de Lima was in relation to those who considered that they were in"mortal sin". She thought that through her sacrifices she could achieve the redemption of those who, for her, were sinners.
Work
As a result of economic problems generated in his family, Santa Rosa de Lima was dedicated to work vehemently.
He carried out tasks in the garden of his home, made many sewing arrangements (which included beautiful elaborate embroidery) and carried the household chores.
In addition to these tasks intended to help his parents, Santa Rosa de Lima also visited patients in hospital centers, where he cared for and comforted them.
It is said that Santa Rosa de Lima rested barely two hours a day, prayed for twelve hours and spent ten hours for her work.
Evangelizing
Although many of his actions were developed in isolation, such as prayer and penance, Santa Rosa de Lima was also characterized as a fervent evangelizer of Christian precepts.
He gave more importance to preaching than to Study of theology , Because he said that the main and ultimate goal of Christian doctrine was to convey these teachings.
At that time, Santa Rosa de Lima preached in the communities and sought to dissuade those he considered heretics or removed from Christian practices.
Penance
According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, penance refers to the act of contrition that makes a person considered a sinner. Through penance, people recognize their faults and show repentance.
Santa Rosa de Lima is known for his sometimes excessive practices of physical penitence and mortification. This is one of the most controversial facets of the life of this saint.
She wore instruments made of chains, some of which she had built herself, with which she whipped herself every day, until she was injured so strongly that even her confessors worried and told her to reduce the intensity of her acts of penance.
Santa Rosa de Lima built a kind of cell in the garden of his house, where he shut himself up and dedicated himself to prayer and self-flagellation, sometimes depriving himself of food and water for whole days.
On some occasions, her penances were so excessively hard that they even carried her to the brink of death.
Faith
Santa Rosa de Lima professed an unconditional faith toward God, and in the name of that faith she even forgot about herself and the interests of her neighbors before her own.
This saint believed fervently in the doctrine of the Church, and also believed in the redemption of sins through sacrifice and total surrender to those most in need.
Santa Rosa de Lima recognized herself as a Christian and maintained a blind faith in God, despite the strong battles she was subjected to, and the situation of helplessness of the people around her.
References
- "Saint Rose of Lima"in Franciscan Media. Retrieved on August 16, 2017 from Franciscan Media: franciscanmedia.org.
- Faber, F."The life of Saint Rose of Lima"in Catholic Apologetics Information. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 from Catholic Apologetics Information: catholicapologetics.info.
- "Catholic Essentials"in Parish Cluster of St. Rose of Lima, St. Anthony of Padua, & Immaculate Conception. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 from Parish Cluster of St. Rose of Lima, St. Anthony of Padua, & Immaculate Conception: st-rose.org.
- "Patron Saints for Girls - The Life of Saint Rose of Lima"in Catholic Saints. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 from Catholic Saints: catholicsaints.info.
- "Studies on the life of Santa Rosa de Lima"in Francisco Bilbao. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 by Francisco Bilbao: franciscobilbao.cl.
- "Santa Rosa de Lima. Biography, Miracles, History, Life, Image, Virtues"in Traditional Catholic. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 from Traditional Catholic: traditionalcatholic.info
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- "Santa Rosa de Lima is an example of humility and true charity"(31 August 2012) in El Impulso. Retrieved on 16 August 2017 by El Impulso: elimpulso.com.