Mystical rose

In antiquity the rose was considered a symbol of mystery. For Christians it became a symbol of martyrdom (Cyprian, Ep. 10) and of paradise (Catacombs of Callixtus, III C). Tertullian (Adv. Judaeos, 9) and Ambrosius (Exp. Gr. Luc. II, 24) used the rose as a reference to the Davidic genealogy. The sprout (virga, bush) is Mary and Christ is its flower (rose).

The explicitly Marian interpretation of this symbol dates to the fifth century. Sedulius Caelius is the first known to call Mary a "rose among thorns" (Carmen paschale II, 28-31). Theophanes Graptos (Monk and metropolite of Nikaia, +845) uses the same symbolism to express Mary's purity and the fragrance of her grace (Oktoechos, Friday of the sixth week).

Saint Bernard, Father of the Church: "Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all. Mary was a rose, white for maidenhood, red for love; white in body, red in soul; white in her seeking after virtue, red in treading down vice; white in cleansing her affections, red in mortifying her flesh; white in her love of God, red in compassion for her neighbor"

During medieval times frequent Marian references were made to rose and rosebush inspired by Isaiah 11:1 ("...a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom.") and Sir. 24, 14 ("like a rosebush in Jericho"). Both passages refer to God-graced fertility and growth, which Christians apply to the mysterious generation of Christ from the womb of Mary. Based on these two traditions the expression mystical rose was coined by the author of the Litanies of Loreto, and subsequently was used in hymns ("Es ist ein Ros...") and art (center of the labyrinth of the Cathedral of Chartres, France).

Mary herself has shown us her predilection for roses. In her apparition at Guadalupe, she had roses miraculously appear in the winter, to be taken by S. Juan Diego to the bishop as a proof authenticity of her apparitions to him. Mary even arranged them with her own beautiful hands in the tilma of S. Juan Diego.

A miraculous image of the Mystical Rose is venerated since 1739 at the sanctuary of Rosenberg, in the dioceses of Speyer, Germany. Three roses are painted on her pedestal, one white, one red and one gold.

At La Sallette, France, Mary appeared wearing rose garlands and roses on her slippers. Also at other approved apparitions: Lourdes, Pontmain, Pellevoisin, Beauraing and Banneaux, the Blessed Mother in various ways had beautiful roses.

Pope John XXIII, in 1962, asked that all pray to the Mother of God under the title of "Mystical Rose" to obtain the success of the II Vatican Council (Ancilla Domini Magazine, May 6-1962).

Pope Paul VI, 5 May, 1969, asked that the Holy Rosary be prayed and that the Mary be honored with the title of "Mystical Rose"