Dear Kuti,
I went though many books of Saints and baby names and came up with a list of names that I liked. I then narrowed it down to names that I REALLY liked. Then your daddy went through them to decide which one he liked. We were hoping to find the name of a saint that we liked because Ammachi had hoped we would find a good saint name. I looked through normal baby name books also. We have your name chosen!
Your name will be Rose Kreiser Madathil (unless you look like your name should be a bit different, we have two back-up names :)). Our back-up names are Dorothy (we would call you Dottie) for my grandma. Our other back-up name is Aria. Your dad says we can only call you Aria if you look mean! So, most likely your name will be Rose.
Love,
Mommy
Here is a bit of information about St. Rose of Lima from
here:
Virgin,
patroness of America, born at
Lima,
Peru 20 April, 1586; died there 30 August, 1617.
At her
confirmation in 1597, she took the
name of Rose, because, when an infant, her face had been seen transformed by a
mystical rose. As a child she was remarkable for a great reverence, and pronounced
love, for all things relating to
God. This so took possession of her that thenceforth her life was given up to
prayer and
mortification. She had an intense devotion to the Infant
Jesus and
His Blessed Mother, before whose
altar she spent hours. She was scrupulously
obedient and of untiring industry, making rapid progress by earnest attention to her
parents' instruction, to her studies, and to her domestic work, especially with her needle.
After reading of
St. Catherine she determined to take that
saint as her model. She began by
fasting three times a week, adding secret severe
penances, and when her vanity was assailed, cutting off her beautiful hair, wearing coarse clothing, and roughening her hands with toil. All this
time she had to struggle against the objections of her friends, the ridicule of her
family, and the censure of her
parents. Many hours were spent before the
Blessed Sacrament, which she
received daily.
Finally she determined to take a
vow of
virginity, and inspired by
supernatural love, adopted extraordinary means to fulfill it. At the outset she had to combat the opposition of her
parents, who wished her to
marry. For ten years the struggle continued before she won, by patience and
prayer, their
consent to continue her mission.
At the same time great
temptations assailed her
purity,
faith, and constance, causing her excruciating agony of
mind and desolation of
spirit, urging her to more frequent
mortifications; but daily, also,
Our Lord manifested Himself, fortifying her with the
knowledge of His
presence and consoling her
mind with evidence of His Divine
love.
Fasting daily was soon followed by perpetual
abstinence from meat, and that, in turn, by use of only the coarsest food and just sufficient to support
life.
Her days were filled with acts of charity and industry, her exquisite
lace and
embroidery helping to support her home, while her nights were devoted to
prayer and
penance. When her work permitted, she retired to a little grotto which she had built, with her brother's aid, in their small garden, and there passed her nights in solitude and
prayer. Overcoming the opposition of her
parents, and with the
consent of her confessor, she was allowed later to become practically a
recluse in this cell, save for her visits to the
Blessed Sacrament.
In her twentieth year she received the habit of
St. Dominic. Thereafter she redoubled the severity and variety of her
penances to a
heroic degree, wearing constantly a metal spiked crown, concealed by roses, and an iron chain about her waist. Days passed without food, save a draught of gall mixed with bitter herbs. When she could no longer stand, she sought repose on a bed constructed by herself, of broken glass, stone, potsherds, and thorns. She admitted that the thought of lying down on it made her tremble with dread. Fourteen years this
martyrdom of her body continued without relaxation, but not without consolation.
Our Lord revealed Himself to her frequently, flooding her
soul with such inexpressible peace and
joy as to leave her in
ecstasy for hours. At these times she offered to Him all her
mortifications and
penances in expiation for offences against His Divine Majesty, for the
idolatry of
her country, for the
conversion of
sinners, and for the
souls in
Purgatory.
Many
miracles followed her death. She was
beatified by
Clement IX, in 1667, and
canonized in 1671 by
Clement X, the first
American to be so
honoured. Her
feastis celebrated 30 August. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.
Image from
here,
here, and
here.
