January 30

Our Lady of the Rose

Church of St. Peter and Paul, Lucca Italy

Nuestra Señora de la Rosa

‘Like a rose among thorns, so is my darling among the maidens’

(Song of Songs 2:2).

 

This feast of 'Rosa Mystica'

This claim was supported by Jesuit historian Fr. Pedro Murillo in his Historia de la Provincia de Filipinas de la Compania de Jesus: “Your most holy image of the Nuestra Señora de la Rosa has on her breast a most precious treasure, greater than those which Tharsis had in is opulence, or Ophir with his most valuable metals can offer. This is the strand of hair of her most holy head, whose authenticity I read with great admiration.

Unfortunately, the reliquary together with the ivory hands and head of the image were collateral damages of the Revolution of 1899. An oval cavity in the breast remains empty where the reliquary must have been placed while the hand and head have been replaced with wooden replicas.


The Virgen de la Rosa was brought to the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul by the Jesuit Fr. Juan Delgado from Acapulco. The image depicts the Lady holding the infant Jesus in one arm and holding three roses on the other hand.
Lourdes Policarpio explains that the Virgin’s title was derived from the Our Lady as the Mystical Rose or “Rosa Mystica.” In Lucca, Italy, the feast of the Our Lady of the Rose is celebrated on January 30. It is believed that three roses were found in the arms of Our Lady on January. http://traveleronfoot.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/sampiro-de-makati/


Three roses were found in the month of January, in the arms of the Lady statue there, according to a Latin chronicle.

***

"Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all. Mary was a rose, white for maidenhood, red for love; white in body, red in soul; white in her seeking after virtue, red in treading down vice; white in cleansing her affections, red in mortifying her flesh; white in her love of God, red in compassion for her neighbor" Saint Bernard of Clairvaux 

The Name of Mary (II)

If the winds of temptations surge, if you run aground on the shoal of troubles, look to this star, call upon Mary!

If you are tossed by the winds of pride or ambition or detraction or jealousy, look to this star, call upon Mary!

If anger or greed or the allurements of the flesh dash against the boat of your mind, look to Mary!

And if you are troubled by the enormity of your sins, confused by the foulness of your conscience, terrified by the horror of the Judgment, so that you begin to be swallowed up by the pit of sadness, the abyss of despair, think of Mary!

In dangers, in straits, in perplexity, think of Mary, call upon Mary.

Let her name be always in your mouth and in your heart, and, if you would ask for and obtain help of her prayers, do not forget the example of how she lived.

If you follow her, you will not go astray.
If you pray to her, you will not despair.
If you think of her, you will not be lost.
If you cling to her, you will not fall.
If she protects you, you will not fear;
if she is your guide, you will not tire;
if she is favorable to you, you will reach your goal.
Thus you will experience personally how rightly it was spoken: "And the virgin's name was Mary."
Excerpt from Bernard of Clairvaux, Super missus est 2, 17; PL 183, 70-71


Hail Mary,  full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary,  Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

Ave Maria!