Sunday, December 12, 2010

The color rose... the color of the dawn... and Our Lady.


Gaudete Sunday.
.
The liturgical colors for today are rose vestments - the same color most men usually refer to as pink.  Only women, priests, and artsy people know the difference.  I always think it is funny when priests bend over backwards to make excuses, attempting to explain that the color is rose and signals rejoicing...
.
In reality, it can be a masculine color in Spain - matadors wear rose/pink tights, images of the boy Jesus show him dressed in pink - I believe it is mostly Americans who object to the color.  That said, it is also a color of the Blessed Virgin... "coming forth as the dawn".  Sometime watch the horizon as dawn nears and notice the pink, rose colors, turning peach and soft yellow against the white, changing to various stages of blue, sky.  I believe Catherine of Laboure described Our Lady's gown something like that.  And of course, these were the colors worn by Our Lady of Guadalupe as well.  Therefore, what a perfect color for Gaudete - just two weeks before Christmas.
.
Mary, the dawn.

.

4 comments:

  1. I wore rose/rosacea (not pink) vestment today Terry!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Until the early 1900's, pink was the boy color and pastel blue was for girls.

    ReplyDelete
  3. elisabeta3:57 PM

    Our priest spoke on the virtue of hope today which he connected with Our Lady and Gaudete Sunday. We renewed the St. Louis de Montfort consecration which we did five years ago, and though it is usually done on a feast of Our Lady, it was nice having done it on this day as a group. I was happy to have dug myself out of the snow in order to get there for it. BTW, traditionally, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are Ember Days this week. Happy fasting! And thanks for prayers for those of us who had to travel a distance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. elisabeta5:17 PM

    Found this prayer...

    Our Lady of Guadalupe,
    Mystical Rose,
    make intercession for the holy Church,
    protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
    help all those who invoke thee in their necessities,
    and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary
    and Mother of the true God,
    obtain for us from thy most holy Son
    the grace of keeping our faith,
    sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life,
    burning charity
    and the precious gift of final perseverance.
    Amen

    Pope Saint Pius X's Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

    Raccolta number 389,500 days Indulgence, Pope Saint Pius X audience, August 15, 1908

    ReplyDelete


Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.