[Magdalen] Rose is a Rose.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

It's mid-Lenten Sunday, and I'll ask my usual question:  How many  parishes
used rose vestments today?  Mine did, although they do not have the  nice,
subtle rose some parishes own.  The local ones today were a sort  of 
prom-pink.
There were flowers, but, then, the parish does not observe the flower  free
high altar custom, and the worshipper is likely to encounter floral  
displays
throughout Lent.
 
Overheard new Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire:
"You'll never catch me in pink!"
 
For that matter, I've told of my shock in the past of encountering floral 
displays at the side altars of the rigidly conservative Latin Riters.   It
was then I learned that the flower proscription during Lent only  applies
to the high altar.
 
Back in my fussy liturgical days, I was pleased with the custom of
including a few roses painted gold in with the other red roses for  the
altar bouquets on this day.  This was the custom at the time at  the
Cathedral in Eau Claire.  That was a bit much, in retrospect since  it
was secondary to a Papal custom of sending a gilded rose on this 
day to the Catholic rulers of Europe.  
 
The customs for this Rose Sunday all derive ultimately from the  Proper
anthem for this Sunday:  The plainsong is especially lovely on this  day.
 
 
The  full _Introit_ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introit)  reads: 
«Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui  diligitis eam: gaudete 
cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut  exsultetis,et satiemini ab 
uberibus consolationis vestrae. Psalm: Laetatus sum in his  quae dicta sunt mihi: 
in domum Domini ibimus.»

«Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you  that love her: rejoice 
with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may  exult, and be filled 
from the breasts of your consolation. Psalm: I rejoiced when they  said to me: 
"we shall go into God's House!" 
David  Strang.