St. Elizabeth of Hungary & St. Rose Philipine Duchesne

November 18, 2014

We have saints and roses this week!

We remembered St. Elizabeth of Hungary on November 17th; she is patron of rose gardeners! That’s how I first met her. Known for her acts of charity, one day she was secretly taking bread to the poor when her husband stopped her. He asked her what she was hiding under her cloak. At that moment her cloak fell open, and there was a vision of red and white roses! Hers is the first of miracles associating saints with roses. Another well-known story about her tells of her nursing a leper, putting him in the bed she shared with her husband. Her mother-in-law told her husband on her! He was furious– as most of us would be! He raced to the bedroom and pulled back the covers, but instead of the leper, he saw a vision of Christ crucified.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, telling her, “You think that I obtained grace and virtues without effort. Know that I received no graces from God without great labor, constant prayer, ardent desires, and many tears and mortifications.” Something to ponder in our hearts.

Tuesday, November 18th is the Feast of St. Rose Philipine Duchesne. Born in France, Philipine felt called to religious life. She was about to enter a convent when the French Revolution began. For eleven years, she lived the rule on her own, then was able to join the Society of the Sacred Heart. She longed to come to America to work with Native Americans as a missionary. Finally given permission by her superior to leave France, she traveled to St. Charles, Missouri. But her bishop wanted her to establish a school in St. Charles. She ended up laying the foundation for Catholic schools in the United States.

Finally, when Philipine was 72, she was sent to work among the Potawotami to build a school for girls. She was too frail to help with physical labor and she couldn’t learn the language, so she prayed. The Potawotami called her “Woman Who Prays Always.” A contemporary Potawotami Catholic that I’m sure you know about is Archbishop Charles Chaput.

St. Rose Philipine Duchesne wrote: “We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self…The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves… He who has Jesus has everything.”

May God give us hearts that hold back nothing for ourselves.

God bless,
Susan

Susan Platt
Prayer, Civic Action & Outreach Director
Catholic Pro-Life Committee of North Texas
Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas
Devoted to ending abortion and restoring respect for life