MEMORIAL OF SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, VIRGIN AND SAINT PHILIP BENIZI, PHYSICIAN AND SERVITE PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY ~ AUGUST 23RD: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin and Saint Philip Benizi, Physician and Servite Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Philip Benizi on this feast day, we humbly pray for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and we pray for those who mourn. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We also pray for the poor and needy and for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏
SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, VIRGIN: The church celebrates the first saint of the New World, St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617). She was called Rose by her mother because of her red cheeks and confirmed with that name by St. Toribio de Mogrovejo. She was the “first blossom of sanctity that South America gave to the world.” Born Isabel Flores de Oliva in Lima, Peru on April 30, 1586, one of ten children belonging to a Spanish immigrant and his wife, a descendant of the Incas, Gaspar Flores and Maria de Oliva. St. Rose was baptized in the parish of San Sebastián in Lima by the priest, Fr. Antonio Polanco. She was confirmed in the village of Quives de Manos by the then Archbishop of Lima, St. Toribius de Mogrovejo. At a very young age, she chose to consecrate her life to God. St. Rose was beautiful and very pious. She was so sensitive to compliments on her physical appearance that, to combat vanity, she disfigured her face with pepper and lime. She practiced very intense prayer and penance daily, sometimes depriving herself of food and sleep.
When St. Rose father’s finances deteriorated, she used her skill at needlework to help support her family, growing flowers and doing embroidery and other needlework. Her parents desired that she marry, but she refused, and lived as a recluse in a hut in her parent’s garden. Inspired by the example of St. Catherine of Siena, Rose joined the Third Order Dominicans, dedicated her life to chastity and assisting the sick and poor, and inflicted severe penances on herself daily. For this extreme behavior she endured disapproval and persecution from her family, especially when she began to have visions and other mystical experiences. An evaluation by priests and physicians proved St. Rose’s experiences to be authentically supernatural. She also spoke out against the corruption of her day, as the Spanish grew rich from Peru’s natural resources while Peruvians became impoverished. St. Rose bore her many and great adversities with heroic patience and consoled the sick and suffering among the poor, Indians, and slaves. Consequently, she is regarded as the originator of social service in Peru.
St. Rose was ill for the last three years of her life, and was cared for by a government official and his wife. She died at the age of 31 on August 24, 1617, feast of St. Bartholomew, as she herself prophesied. She was greatly revered by the people, and at the time of her death. Her body could not be buried for several days due to the large crowds. After her death many miracles were attributed to her intercession. St. Rose was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671, and was the first native-born saint from the Americas to be canonized. Her shrine, alongside those of her friends, St. Martin de Porres and St. John Masias, is located inside the convent of St. Dominic in Lima. She’s the Patron Saint Against vanity; Americas; Central America; South America; embroiderers; florists; gardeners; India; Latin America; needle workers; New World; people ridiculed for their piety; Peru; Phillipines; diocese of Santa Rosa, California; South America; vanity; Villareal Samar, Phillipines; West Indies. Her feast day is August 23rd.
Quote of Saint Rose of Lima: “The gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase.”
PRAYER: God, You filled St. Rose with love for You and enabled her to leave the world and be free for You through the austerity of penance. Through her intercession, help us to follow her footsteps on earth and enjoy the torrent of Your delights in heaven. Amen 🙏
SAINT PHILIP BENIZI (OR BENOZZI), PHYSICIAN AND SERVITE PRIEST: St. Philip Benizi (1233-1285) sometimes St Philip Benitius, Benozzi and in Italian Filippo Benizzi was a general superior of the Order of the Servites, and credited with reviving the order. St. Philip was born on August 15, 1233 in Florence of the noble Benizi family on the feast of the Assumption and died on the octave of the Assumption in Todi, Italy on August 22, 1285. That same day St. Philip Benizi was born, the Order of Servites was founded. As an infant at the breast, St. Philip broke out into speech at the sight of these new religious, and begged his mother to give them alms. Amidst all the temptations of his youth, he longed to become himself a servant of Mary, and it was only the fear of his own unworthiness which made him yield to his father’s wish and begin to practice medicine. A man of unusual ability, he took a medical course in Padua and practiced medicine in Florence. But the medical profession left him dissatisfied. After long and weary waiting, his doubts were solved by Our Lady herself, who in a vision bade him enter her Order. Still St. Philip dared only offer himself as a lay brother, and in this humble state he strove to do penance for his sins. He joined the Servite Order as a lay brother, performing the most humble tasks in the monastery. He was ordained a priest out of obedience, he became master of novices and finally general of the Order. He restored peace in the civil wars of Italy and assisted at the Ecumenical Council of Lyons. Amid all these honors, he lived a life of great humility always considering himself as the worst of sinners and deserving the punishment of hell.
St. Philip had special talents for leadership and organization; he was the second founder of the Servites and a great missioner. Of him the Breviary says: “His love and sympathetic consideration for the poor was truly remarkable. On one occasion he gave his own clothing to a destitute leper at Camiliano, a village near Siena, and immediately the poor, sick beggar was healed. The report of the miracle spread far and wide, and many of the cardinals who had assembled at Viterbo after the death of Clement IV (1268) for the election of Christendom’s chief shepherd were minded to choose Philip, whose angelic life and mature wisdom were universally acknowledged. But as soon as the saint became aware of this, he went into hiding upon a hill until Gregory X (1271-1276) had been elected; for he sought to be spared that burdensome dignity.” St. Philip died at Todi in Tuscany on August 22, 1285 at age 52. Pope Leo X recognised his cult 24 January 1516 essentially beatifying him (although this was not a formal category at the time); and Pope Clement X canonized him as a saint April 12, 1671. During his last hours he requested the attending Brother to bring him his book. The Brother did not understand what he meant. “The crucifix,” the saint added. That was the book the saint had studied all the days of his life. St. Philip Benize is the Patron Saint of Sergio Osmena, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.
Saint Philip Benizi Physician and Servite Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏