NOVEMBER 18 SAINT ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE, VIRGIN

[In the Dioceses of the United States]

679A  

From the Common of Virgins, or the Common of Holy Men and Women, For Religious (Texts selected by the author) [1]

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne,
artist and date are unknown

Biographical information about St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.
 
Readings and Commentary: [2]
 
Reading 1: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women, 6. For Religious)

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21

The LORD said to Elijah: “You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you.” Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and I will follow you.” Elijah answered, “Go back! Have I done anything to you?” Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21

Elijah’s time is coming to an end, and God instructs him to select his successor, Elisha. In response to God’s instruction, Elijah travels to a region near Damascus, and finds Elisha plowing a field using the symbolic twelve oxen (for the twelve tribes of Israel). “Elijah's act of throwing his mantle over the shoulders of Elisha expressed the divine call to share the prophetic mission. Elisha's prompt response through destruction of his plow and the oxen is an example of total obedience and detachment from his former manner of living in order to promote the glory of God.” [3]

"Elisha's response to Elijah's call is quite exemplary: he leaves everything behind and puts himself at the disposal of the prophet. That will be how the apostles respond to Christ (cf. Matthew 4:20, 22; etc.), and it should be how anyone responds when the Lord calls him or her to a mission which involves leaving everything. But the call issued by Jesus is more pressing than Elijah's, as can be seen from the Gospel passage where Jesus, in response to someone who says, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home,' replies, 'No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:61-62)." [4]

CCC: 1 Kgs 19:16 436
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Responsorial Psalm: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women, 8.)
Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Psalm 128 is a song of thanksgiving. It begins here with the typical blessings given to those following and having faith in the Lord. This selection uses the analogy of the family and the blessing it brings to the faithful, using the symbolism of vines and olives, imagery commonly used in Sacred Scripture.

It also supports the creation of woman and the marriage theme in Genesis 2:18-25. It is the logical extension of the two becoming one flesh and the children flowing from that union.
 
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Gospel: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women, 19. For Religious)

Luke 9:57-62
 
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey,
someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "1 will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus said to him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
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Commentary on Lk 9:57-62
 
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel gives us three sayings of Jesus about the requirement to place the values of Christian discipleship above all other requirements of life. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God must come before even family obligations.

In the first, “Foxes have dens,” Jesus does not deceive anyone – he lives in poverty, dedicated to his mission.

The second, “Let the dead bury their dead,” is a play on words: let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Jesus' message is the message of life. This saying was never intended to be taken literally as filial piety is deeply ingrained in Jewish life.

In the third saying; “No one who…looks to what was left behind,” Jesus demands more than Elisha (see 1 Kings 19:19-21). “Plowing for the Kingdom demands sacrifice.” [5]

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Reflection:
 
Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769 –1852): St. Rose was born in Grenoble France during one of the darker times in the history of that country.  She was the second of seven daughters of a prominent lawyer.  During her early years her family was well off and when she was twelve she was sent to the Monastery of Sainte-Marie-d'en-Haut (known for the social status of its members).  However, she began to express an interest in monastic life and her parents left her there only for a year and then had her tutored at home.  True vocations have a way of expressing themselves, and when St. Rose was 19 (1788) she convinced an aunt to take her to see the monastery run by the Visitation of Holy Mary religious order.  When they arrived, however, she petitioned admittance and sent her aunt home alone to explain her decision to her parents.
 
Just four years later (1792) revolutionaries shut down the monastery during the French Revolution.  Sister Rose returned home to live with her family. She attempted to continue living the Rule of Life of her Order while serving her family and those suffering from the Reign of Terror, including those imprisoned at the former monastery.
 
In 1801, when the Catholic Church was allowed to function openly again, St. Rose attempted to revitalize and renew the Order of Visitandine Sisters, purchasing the previous monastery.  It was too difficult and the order was floundering.  It was there, like in so many other instances that St. Rose encountered another sister destined for sainthood, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, Virgin, Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart (feast day May 25^th). The two became close friends and combined their efforts, merging the Visitation community into the Order of the Sacred Heart with the mission of educating young women. In 1815, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, St. Rose followed St. Madeleine's instructions and established a Convent of the Sacred Heart in Paris, where she both opened a school and became the mistress of novices.
 
Inspired by stories of missionaries to the French colonies in the American South during her youth, St. Rose started her next chapter of service to the Lord (we are mindful of our Gospel: "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."). In 1818, accompanied by four sisters, St. Rose left for New Orleans, Louisiana.  Her missionary work the South and Central plans (ending in Missouri and Kansas) was full of hardships and difficult living conditions as she ministered to the poor and Native American populations.  In 1842, after a year among the Potawatomi, it was clear she could no longer tolerate the harsh living conditions and was forced to retire to a monastery in St. Charles, Missouri.  She remained there, praying constantly in her small cell until her death in 1852.
 
St. Rose’s example of tireless faith and fidelity is an example to all.  She followed the convictions or her heart and bound herself to the Lord’s mission.  Her call could not be overcome by hardship, war, and toil.  She has earned the crown reserved for the brides of Christ.
 
We ask for her intercession today.  May we too be excellent teachers of the faith by our words and examples.  May we, through her prayers, be effective witnesses to Christ in the world and one day share her in her victory before the heavenly throne.
 
Pax
 
 

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[1] The picture is St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, artist and date are unknown.
[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[3] NAB footnote on 1 Kings 19:16ff.
[4] The Navarre Bible Joshua-Kings (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003),500.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 44:97 p. 143.