A Rose for Today

One of my greatest pleasures is sitting in the quiet of the morning, when everyone is still asleep except the cat, the hamster and me, and doing my morning reading.

I must admit to being less than disciplined when it comes to this practice, but on those days when the stars align and I make the time, pearls of wisdom found in the daily scriptures and the other books I read give me food for the journey.

One of my favorite "daily books" is my Daddy's 1975 Illustrated Lives of the Saints book, which carries a beautiful inscription to him from his lovely wife, referencing 1975 as "One of the Best Years of Our Life!". I'm not sure when I stole that book from him, but I hope that the graces I receive from reading and praying with it overcome the fact that I snatched it! Holding that book, reading about the lives of the great men and women featured in its pages, and seeing my daddy's underlines in just the right places make me feel close to him, even though he's sitting 2,000 miles away! Conveniently for me, he's already underlined all of the most important passages - a fact not surprising, since he and I tend to think a lot alike!

Today's Saint, Rose of Lima, is a fascinating character. Although I could never withstand the mortifications she practiced, she appears to have been loved in her community for her emphasis on caring for the poor and needy. She is credited with having started Social Services in her native Peru - proof to me that the work of one humble soul can change the world around her.

Here's an interesting quote, attributed to St. Rose of Lima:

Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: "Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven."

God, grant each of us your strength and grace to continue our way along that climb to heaven...