Aug. 23: St. Rose of Lima, Virgin The virgin Rose was the first flower of holiness in South America. Born in Lima of Christian parents, she showed, from the cradle, signs of her future holiness. For the infant's face, being marvelously transformed into the likeness of a rose, was the reason why she was given this name. Later the Virgin Mother of God added a further name to it and ordered that from then onwards she be called Rose of the Blessed Mary. At 15 she took a vow of perpetual virginity. When she was older she secretly cut off her lovely hair that she might not be forced by her parents to marry. Given to extraordinary fasting, she abstained from bread for the whole of Lent, and live on a diet of five grains & citrus fruit. On taking the habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic, she redoubled the austerities of her earlier life. She fixed sharp needles on her hair shirt. Under her veil, she wore a crown provided with thickly woven thorns. Following in the arduous path of St. Cath...