Vigils Reading – St Rose of Lima

HER GARDEN-CELL

From the life of St Rose of Lima 4

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Rose had always loved solitude: it was a natural and supernatural attraction to her; and even in her childish days she had persuaded her favourite brother Ferdinand… to help her in building a sort of little arbour in the garden where she could go and hide when she wanted to pray unseen… This little hermitage, as she called it, was built only of light branches, with interwoven palm-leaves, and leant against the garden wall… probably a mere boy’s construction, though used by the Saint for many years as her oratory…

But when the days of more serious usefulness in the household came… the childish resort had to be deserted… It proved, however, to have been only a forestalling… When the great question of her following the call of God to a single life, and giving up the world, was settled… the thought of her old hermitage revived in her, and she began to conceive a strong wish for a refuge of the same kind more suited to her present years and circumstances…

She told her mother how earnestly she desired leave and opportunity to be more alone, and begged to be allowed to build a regular little cell for herself at the bottom of the garden, where she might spend her days with her prayers… Marie de Flores at first flatly refused to listen to such a request, and to allow her daughter to bury herself alive, as she expressed it. Rose, however, did not despair; but… had recourse to Our Lady… in her favourite Rosary Chapel; and this time she was bold enough to beg Our Lord to give her some special sign…

She obtained it in a wonderful way: for a favourite coral Rosary of hers, which she had begged the sacristan of the Chapel to hang round the Madonna’s neck, and which he had placed there with great trouble, the statue being so high up that he had to climb a ladder to reach it, was found, after being there two days, miraculously moved from the Mother’s neck and placed on the hand of her Divine Infant. This of course showed the holy girl at once that her wish was pleasing to God… and accordingly she went and asked her confessor… to go and intercede for her with her mother. This time Marie de Flores gave in at once; and Rose began the construction of her cell the very next morning… It was finished in a day or two, was made of wood, and was five feet long and four wide; it had one little window… When <her confessor> saw the cell he remarked on its smallness with some wonder. “It is large enough”, said Rose, “for the Beloved of my soul and me”.

Within these narrow walls, then, till within about three years of her death, we must picture Rose of St. Mary as leading the chief part of her daily life… Rose left her cell… for three objects only: to go to church, to help sick friends or relations, and to visit or find out poor and miserable women, whom she made it one of her duties and pleasures to nurse or relieve.

When, at sunrise, she crossed the garden to get to her hermitage, she would call upon all Nature to glorify the Maker of all things with her. Then might the trees be seen bowing over her path, shaking off the dewdrops, and rustling their leaves so as to send forth harmonious sounds. Then would the flowers sway gracefully on their stalks, half opening their petals to give out their sweetest fragrance, and so in their own way celebrate the praises of God… A friend, taken by Rose one day across the garden with her at dawn . . . was witness of this extraordinary sight, and of what was to her still more astonishing, the quiet way in which her companion took it. The Saint saw her bewilderment, but simply said, “Do you think, Sister, that anyone can honour the Maker of the world enough?