Rose of Lima

Rose of Lima

Gaspar, Maria, Rose, Servant, suitor, poor (3), sick (2), people (3)

(Enter Gaspar, Maria)

There once was a man named Gaspar, who was a soldier that rode his horse in Peru.  He was married to a local woman named Maria. They held hands, and were very much in love.

(Enter Rose, Sevant)

Together they had a beautiful baby girl, whom they called Rose. They named her Rose because one day a servant was holding Rose, and saying “Look at you, you’re so cute, yes you are, yes you are.”  When suddenly the servant screamed and said “It’s a miracle!  While I was looking at the baby her face transformed into a rose!”

Her dad said “Freaky! Please don’t hold my child anymore.”

But her mom said “Rose-  what a beautiful name!”

(Exit servant)

Rose grew to be a very beautiful lady. Whenever she walked by, all the boys in the audience would whistle their admiration.  Maria would put flowers in Rose’s hair to make her even more beautiful.  But Rose said “I don’t want to be so admired by everyone!  Please mom, no flowers.”

Maria said “Nonsense.  Obey your mom.”

So Rose would secretly put pins through the flowers so that instead of being proud of her beauty she would be distracted by her pain.

(Enter Suitor)

Because she was so pretty, men wanted to marry her.  One day a suitor came, and took her by the hand, went down on one knee, and said “Rose, my sweet, sweet rose.  You are so lovely.  Your eyes are like doves.  Your hair is like a flock of goats.  Your teeth are like naked pregnant sheep.  Your lips are lovely, and how I long for their kisses!  Rose… will you marry me?”

But Rose said “Alas, I cannot.  For my heart belongs to another. I have given my heart to God.”

The suitor wept bitterly, saying “But I already used all my best lines on you!  I’ll have to compare the skin of the next girl to the stretched hide of an orangutan…”  And he walked away, dejected.

(Exit suitor)

Rose said “I hate breaking men’s hearts on account of my extraordinary beauty!”  So to make herself less beautiful, she cut off her hair, and smashed pepper into her face.

She said to her dad “Father, I want to become a nun!”

But Gaspar grew angry and said “I forbid it!”

(Enter the poor)

So Rose lived in a room in her father’s house, and dressed like a nun.  She took care of the garden, and made lace, which she sold and gave the money she made to the poor.  Besides that, she lived alone in the room, and only left to go to Church.

(Exit mother and father and poor. Enter sick)

When disease broke out, she went to the hospital to help look after the sick.  One day she walked into the room of a sick woman.  The woman was covered by sores, and was oozing puss, and smelled terrible.  Rose gagged at the smell, and said “I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.”

But the woman noticed, and was sad.  So to punish herself, Rose took care of the woman, dressing her wounds, and she gathered the woman’s puss in a cup, and drank it.

(Exit the sick, enter people)

Rose would often go into ecstasy in prayers.  She would stand with her hands in the air, looking heavenward, and with an extremely happy face.  She had such extreme joy that nobody could distract her.  People would try all kinds of silly things to distract her, making faces, sound effects, tickling her-  but Rose would just keep staring into heaven with a beautiful look of peace and joy on her face.  

(Exit people)

One day Rose said “I’m going to die now!”  And she did.

St Rose of Lima-  Pray for us!