Not many saints are directly quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
When St. John Paul II commissioned the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he did so in hopes that it would be able to faithfully summarize the central truths of the Catholic faith.
It was a weighty task, one that he assigned to "a commission of 12 Cardinals and Bishops, chaired by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger...[assisted by] An editorial committee of seven diocesan Bishops, experts in theology and catechesis."
He explained that the Catechism "should faithfully and systematically present the teaching of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers and the Church's saints, to allow for a better knowledge of the Christian mystery and for enlivening the faith of the People of God."
What this all means is that there was much thought and prayer that went into every word of the Catechism. Every quotation of a saint is worthy of notice and signals to us a saint we all should strive to imitate.
St. Rose of Lima in the Catechism
It's interesting to see someone like St. Rose of Lima being quoted in the Catechism, as she was no theologian. In fact, she was simply a Third Order Dominican, living in her parents' home.
Yet, this did not prevent an outpouring of God's grace upon her, inspiring her to live a life of charity for others.
In particular, St. Rose of Lima had a affection for those who were poor, and it should come as no surprise that she is quoted in the section of the Catechism entitled, "Love for the poor."
This section summarizes the Church's teaching regarding love of the poor, going through scripture and the witness of the saints to help illustrate it.
The final paragraph of this section, acting as a summary of what came before it, is where we find St. Rose of Lima:
When her mother reproached her for caring for the poor and the sick at home, St. Rose of Lima said to her: "When we serve the poor and the sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus." (CCC 2449)
St. Rose of Lima reminds us that whenever we serve the poor and sick, we serve Jesus himself through them. This is why we should love the poor, as by loving the poor, we are loving Jesus Christ.
It's a great honor to be quoted in the "textbook" of the Catholic Church, and should alert us that St. Rose of Lima is a saint we should all become more familiar with.
