Mary Garden of Virginal Consecration
4 Photos
9 Drawings
3 Poems
2 Song Lyrics
4 Articles
"An Enclosed Mary Garden"
"Word and Witness -
The Consecrated Virgin"
"A Consecrated Virgin's Bouquet -
Gathered from the Immaculate
Heart of Mary"
Diane C. Farr
Elmira, N.Y. USA
06 Jun 1988, Diane Farr to QUEEN Magazine
I just received the May-June issue of Queen magazine and I am
enjoying it very much, You have a fine magazine. I always look
forward to its arrival.
I especially have enjoyed the article entitled "Paradise of Our
Lady" by John S. Stokes, Jr. However, I wonder why a list of
plants with both their religious and botanical names wasn't given
for the article.
As the magazine stated this would be a wonderful project for the
Marian year. I am very interested in Mary gardens, but I don't
have a complete list of plants.
I am enclosing a self addressed stamped envelope in hopes that you
will be able to send me the address of the church that has this
special Mary garden. The article did not give a complete address.
Thank You
23 Jun 1988, John Stokes to Diane Farr
This is in reply to your letter of June 6 to "Queen of All Hearts"
magazine, forwarded to me, requesting further information about the
Garden of Our Lady at the Angelus tower of St. Joseph's Church,
Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 as described in my article,
"Paradise Of Our Lady", in the May-June issue of QUEEN.
I enclose a copy of the actual plant list and planting plan
at the Garden. This planting was developed for the Garden from 1932
through 1937 by its founder, Frances C. Lillie, of Chicago, and
landscape architect, Dorothea K. Harrison, of Boston, and was
restored for the golden jubilee of the Garden in 1982 through the
initiative of Jane A. McLaughlin of St. Joseph's Parish. Also
enclosed is a copy of Mrs. Lillie's fuller plant list of 1937,
which includes a number of her favorite Flowers of Our Lady not
then in the planting.
In 1946 1 learned of the Garden through the article, "Lillie
Tower", by Rev. James J. Galvin, CSSR., which appeared in
"Perpetual Help" and "Our Lady's Digest" (copy enclosed),
describing his 1942 visit. After my own first visit in 1950, the
late Edward A. 6. McTague and I founded the spare time, non-profit,
labor of love, "Mary's Gardens" of Philadelphia in 1951, with the
blessing Of Mrs. Lillie, to inspire and assist in the growing of
Mary Gardens elsewhere in the United States and throughout the
world.
The enclosed copy of a 1983 article, "Flowers of the Virgin Mary",
published in the magazine "AVE", of the (Anglican) Society of Mary
places all this in historical perspective. A major Mary Garden was
planted at Our Lady's Shrine at Knock, Ireland, in 1983 and is
described in detail in the 40 page booklet published by the Shrine,
"The Knock Mary Garden", written by our Irish co-worker, Br. Sean
MacNamara, of which we have a few extra copies ($3.00).
During the period from 1968 to her death in 1983, the primary work
of Mary's Gardens was carried forward by Bonnie Roberson from
Hagerman, Idaho. At present it is being conducted by Br. Sean,
Jane McLaughlin and myself, in informal association. We are all in
our 60's and are ever hopeful that a third and succeeding
generations of inspired, committed persons will come forth, and
keep coming forth to continue this initiative until the end of the
world. Pray for this.
As we started our work we undertook extensive research into the
writings of European and Latin American botanists and folklorists
to discover additional flowers named for and associated with Our
Lady as passed down by word of mouth from the medieval Age of
Faith. In the course of this we discovered such names and
associations for a number of additional flowers commonly grown and
available today, which were not included in Mrs. Lillie's research.
From this we prepared our own suggested list of 100 basic Mary
Garden flowers. A copy of this list is enclosed for your
consideration, together with a plan of a small parish Mary Garden
based on it.
In simplest terms, we suggest the use of border plantings made in
April of pansies (Our Lady's Delight, Trinity Flower) and English
daisies (Mary-Loves), to be replaced in late June with marigolds
(Mary's Gold), petunias (Our Lady's Praises), alyssum (Mary's
Little Cross) and impatience (Mother-Love) - for continuity of
bloom throughout the growing season. Shorter blooming and taller
plants and shrubs Of Our Lady are then planted in small groups (so
their symbolism as individual plants is clearly perceivable) to
fill out the garden, as desired and as suited to the overall garden
proportions and site.
The essence of the Mary Garden is in its silent appeal to us to
rediscover the deep faith in Our Lady from medieval times - from
before the days of printing, TV and urban living. The same faith
which inspired the building of the medieval cathedrals, dedicated
to Mary, with their beautiful sculptured typnanni of the Madonna
Enthroned in Majesty surrounded by tableaus and symbols, and their
beautiful rose windows, "gardens of glass", was equally found in
the ordinary and the common place, such as the religious perception
of flowers and of animals.
Since the Mary Garden is to be a pure and holy place of religious
thought, prayer, prayerful work, and meditation, it should of
course be religiously blest.
As actually worked and lived in, the Mary Garden is first of all a
place and act of praise, veneration, devotion, love and prayerfully
offered work for Mary. With time, and with growth in intimate
familiarity with, and spiritual attunement to, the plant symbols of
Mary, it becomes, as well, a beautiful inducement, quickener and
support for meditation on and contemplation of Our Lady's life,
mysteries and prerogatives. Finally, through the grace and light
of the blest flower symbols we come increasing to sense the
presence of Mary herself in her Garden, who, as Mediatrix of All
Grace, is present by her action wherever grace is distributed - as
with blest crucifixes, rosary beads, scapulars, medals, images and
holy cards, etc.; and at Nazareth and her apparition shrines. Mrs.
Lillie titled her leaflet for visitors to the Woods Hole garden,
"Our Lady in Her Garden."
With this heightened sense of Mary's presence with us, of which we
are reminded wherever we see flowers, we find that we turn to her
spontaneously throughout the day, in recourse to her divinely
blessed mediation, intercession, good counsel and consolation, as
we undertake the tasks of our state of life and our works of love,
stewardship, nurturing, creativity, justice, mercy, reparation,
salvation, Kingdom and the greater glory of God.
o O o
If we can be of further assistance, from our religious or practical
experience with the Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens, please
let us know and we will be pleased to oblige. We have written
numerous articles through the years on various aspects of this work
- a number of which have been published in QUEEN, which has been
supportive of our work since shortly after its founding
With thanks for your appreciation of the article, and with
prayerful best wishes,
I remain,
Sincerely yours in Our Lady,
John S. Stokes Jr. for Mary's Gardens
Copy to Fr. Charest, QUEEN magazine
4 Aug 1988, Diane
Thank you very much for the wonderful information that you sent to
me on the flowers of Our Lady and the Mary Gardens, I enjoyed
reading the different articles and I learned some flower symbols
that I didn't know before. I think it's great that you are
spreading the idea of a Mary Garden around to different churches
and lay people.
I have been fascinated by the idea since I heard about it a few
years ago in an Ideals magazine. We have a rose garden in our
backyard with a statue of Our Lady in the center. We have flower
beds around it where I have planted Mary's flowers. I enjoy
telling others about Mary Gardens. I find they are delighted with
the thought of a Mary Garden.
I am quite interested in the old English association of wild
flowers with Mary. I have a few English wild flowers books that
list a few common Lady flowers. I have read that a book called
"The Englishman's Flora" lists over seventy Lady flowers, but I
have not been able to locate it. With all the beautiful books on
gardening available today, someone should publish one on the Mary
Garden.
If you know how I can get more information on some of the lesser
known wild flowers of Our Lady, please let me know. I am
enclosing a three dollar check for the booklet on the Knock Mary
Garden. I will gladly pay for anything else you are able to send.
Thank you again for all your help and information. If there is
anything I can do, let me know. I will keep you in my prayers.
Sincerely in Our Lady,
15 Aug 1988, John
Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady
Thank you for your letter of August 4th, which I picked up from the
post office today, telling of your backyard Mary Garden and
requesting additional information.
I enclose the copy of Brother Sean MacNamara's "The Knock Mary
Garden" you ordered. (You will note he mentions on page 10 "The
Englishman's Flora" by Geoffrey Grigson, about which you inquire. A
copy of this would probably have to be sought through mail order
second hand book sellers, some of whom specialize in gardening
books - although I don't have the name of one at hand. The late
Bonnie Roberson, R.I.P., was our collector of books relative to
Mary Gardening. I have a copy of Grigson's book in Woods Hole, and
I recall it was published in the late SO's or early 60's.)
I enclose a larger list of 200 of the more horticulturally suitable
flowers for Mary Gardens. There is a longer published list,
"Mariana I", copies also in Woods Hole,
I enclose some additional article reprints. Please disregard the
earlier addresses and the listings of Mary Garden materials and
statuary we were able to make available a number of years ago. Feel
free to make photo copies of any articles you might want to share
with others (except the Knock booklet which is currently on sale at
the Shrine gift shop). There is no charge for the reprints, as
they are covered by special contributions received for their
reprinting and mailing.
Yes, we would like to have all this in book form. With the help of
your prayers, we may be able to accomplish this. We would also
like to put together a CO ROM disk.
Every new Mary Garden is a joy to us and we appreciate your telling
us about yours, and of your love for Our Lady's Flowers. Could you
send us a color picture of your Mary Garden some time?
Thanks again for your letters.
Sincerely yours in Our Lady,
P.S. Noting the humane society sticker on your first letter, I call
to your attention the "nest" woven by birds about the little Hummel
Madonna figurine, as shown in the photo in "In Mary's Garden". One
of the many little "miracles" we sort of took in stride in earlier
days, but which are more awesome in retrospect.
18 Aug 1991, Diane
It has been three years since I last wrote to you. I have been
meaning to write to you for some time. I wrote to you twice in
1988, requesting Mary Garden information, and I have been very
pleased with what you sent. Since then, I have acquired a copy of
The Englishman's Flora which I had asked you about. I have also
obtained a booklet called Saints In My Garden, from Capriland Herb
Farm in Coventry, Conn. I have ordered wildflowers seeds from
Chiltern of England, and have had some success at growing them. I
still can't find lady's smock, cardamine pratensis. Do you know
where I can locate it?
Before I go on writing, I thought I would tell you a little about
myself. I am 28 years old, a Lay Dominican, and legally blind. I
teach CCD, and have written several religious songs. Although I
have poor vision, the Lord has blessed me with enough sight to
draw flowers and animals. I often draw details using a magnifying
glass. I have also written poetry and articles.
You are probably wondering why I am telling you all this. Over the
last few years I have been drawing our Lady's flowers with colored
ink pens in a sketch book. With all my drawings, writings and
knowledge that I have acquired, my family and friends feel
strongly that I should write a book about the Mary Garden and
illustrate it. A priest I know thinks it is a great idea. What do
you think? Of course this is only in the planning stage, but I
already have ideas for chapter outlines. Do you have any helpful
information with regards to putting a book together and getting it
published? Perhaps this is a hard task to accomplish, but many
people keep telling me that I am capable of doing this, and that
Our Lady will make it possible because she wants it done. I am
sending you some copies of things I have written and drawn for you
to keep and get an idea of my work. Naturally if I put a book
together, I would want to include any information that you feel is
important about the history of the Mary Garden. I have practically
worn out my copy of Mariana 1. I find it so interesting. I read in
your literature that you are working on a list of over 1,000 Mary
names for plants. Is it possible for me to have a copy to use in
my book. Let me know if anything new is going on in the
organization.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
(enclosures)
God In My Garden
I lift my heart to God each day,
As I work in my garden,
I softly pray.
I thank Him for each blossom fair,
I find His presence everywhere.
From the trumpets of the daffodil,
To the creeping phlox upon the hill.
From the tiny green shoots that come in spring,
To the wood thrushes song in the evening.
From the primrose carpet all yellow and red,
To the apple blossoms overhead.
From violets growing at the forests edge,
To the wild roses in the hedge.
From Madonna lilies in their shimmering best,
To columbine in its purple vest.
For I work in union with my God,
When I sow the seeds and turn the sod.
His grace and beauty are sure to be seen,
In each flowering field and expance of green.
So withdraw to the garden when it is peace you need,
And of the bounty of His love, let your heart feed.
Our Lady's Flowers
I walked in my garden in the early hours,
Hoping to see our Lady's flowers.
And there stood clematis with its flowering tower,
It serves as the Virgin's bower.
And marigold with its shining face,
Speaks of Mary full of grace.
The cowslip nodding at my knees,
Is known as our Ladys' bunch of keys.
The bluebell with its swaying head,
Is our Lady's thimble with its tiny thread.
Wood anemone with its flowers bright,
Is her petticoat of snowy white.
The pansy blooming for all to see,
Is our Lady's delight in the Trinity.
Lily of the valley throughout the years,
Has ever been known as our Lady's tears.
The tulips with their petals that fold,
Speaks of Mary in prayer so we are told.
So remember the garden is holy ground,
For our Lady's presence is all around.
Mary's Herbal
Borage will be Mary's blue mantle,
And mullien will be Our Lady's candle.
Yarrow is for Assumption Day,
And rosemary will be her sweet nosegay.
Lavender is for her holliness,
And lady's mantle will be her solemn dress.
Lady's bedstraw was in the manger hay,
Along with thyme for courage on that blessed day.
Our Lady's balsam is costmary.
For eternal life there is sage and clary.
For cleanliness, hyssop is elected,
And bay stands for Christ resurrected.
Basil stands for the sacred host,
Lemon balm is sweet Mary of whom we boast.
Parsley is Mary's little vine,
For her pure love, a rose is the sign.
Marygold and mint sing of her glory,
And you know this herbal story.
For marjoram is the Mother of God's Flower,
And clematis is the Virgin's Bower.
HERB FACTS AND TIPS FOR EVERY DAY USE
by DIANE C FARR
ANGELICA: Known as the herb of the Holy Angels, angelica grows
from 4 to 8 feet tall, has broad leaves and greenish yellow
flowers. It's sweet scented leaves can be added to potpourri and
bath bags.
ANISE: Our Lady's sprig. This annual herb produces sweet tasting
seeds that are used in sweet breads and cookies. It is good for
the stomach.
BASIL: Holy Communion plant. Basil was found growing around
Christ's tomb after the Resurrection, so some Greek Orthodox
churches use it to prepare the holy water, and pots of basil are
set below the altar. Set pots of basil on window sills to deter
flies. It makes an invigorating bath when a fresh infusion is
used. Put a drop of essential oil on a sleeve and inhale to
relieve mental fatigue. Basil tea aids digestion. Add basil to
beef stock, and when poaching chicken and fish. It compliments
tomatoes, beans, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic. Add to bread
crumbs when coating chicken. It's great on Italian dressing.
BAY: Herb of the Resurrection and Saint Bridget's plant. Bay tea
relieves nausea and stimulates the appetite. Add a decoction to
bath water to relieve aching limbs. Place in flour bin as a weevil
deterrent. Add to beef, vegetable and potato soups. It is a good
rice flavoring. Add to water when boiling fish or shellfish.
Always add bay at the beginning of cooking, and remove before
serving. All other herbs should be added toward the end of
cooking.
BEE BALM: Sweet Mary. Orange scented leaves and feathery red or
purple flowers that attract butterflies. Good in tea.
BORAGE: Saint Joseph's staff or Mary's blue mantle. It has
cucumber flavored leaves and star like blue flowers. Add flowers
and young leaves to salads and cold drinks. Rich in mineral salts
and potassium. It is a symbol of courage.
CALENDULA: Mary's gold. Bright orange or yellow flowers. Add
petals to salads and rice dishes, and add them to creams and bath
bags to cleanse and soften skin.
CHAMOMILE: Flower of humility, Mary's plant or Saint Ann's flower.
Perennial chamomile makes a daisy studded, apple scented low
ground cover. The flowers of annual chamomile are used to make a
relaxing tea. the flowers of both are nice in potpourri. Chamomile
is used in a hair rinse to lighten and condition hair.
CHERVIL: Our Lady's lace. Traditionally eaten on Holy Thursday as
a Spring vitamin C tonic. Flavor is like parsley and anise. Add at
the end of cooking to soups, sauces and steamed carrots and other
vegetable Sprinkle chopped leaves over salads. Combines well with
parsley and tarragon.
CHIVES: Our Lady's garlic. Infuse as a spray for aphids and
mildew. Add chopped leaves to soups, sauces, eggs, soft cheeses,
butter, potatoes and salads.
COSTMARY: Our Lady's balsam. Associated with both Mary Magdaline
and the Virgin Mary. The early settlers called it bible leaf
because they used it as a fragrant bookmark in their bibles.
Costmary tea relieves upset stomach and cramps. Put a crushed leaf
on a bee sting. Put it into small cloth bags, and tuck under
cushions to repel insects and to sweetly freshen a room.
DILL: Devil-Away. Dill tea is good for digestion, cramps and
insomnia. It is good with asparagus, cucumbers, cauliflower, fish,
potatoes, green beans, beets and salads. Good in marinades.
FEVERFEW: Mary's flower. Small daisy-like flowers, and pungent
insect repelling leaves. Good for migraines.
HYSSOP: Saint Joseph's plant and the biblical plant of cleansing.
It has. pretty blue aromatic flower spikes that attract bees and
butterflies. Very decorative in your garden.
LADY'S BEDSTRAW: Our Lady's bedstraw. It has yellow flowers and
lacy leaves. Dry and add to manger scene at Christmas.
LADY'S MANTLE: Our Lady's mantle. Broad soft light green leaves
and delicate chartreuse flowers that dry well.
LAVENDER: Mary's drying plant. Like other women of her time Mary
probably spread her newly washed clothes over its' fragrant
branches. It symbolizes her purity and holiness. Lavender is an
antiseptic and an insect repellent. It is used to scent soap, bath
salts, creams, linens and potpourri. Put essential oil in bath
water or under a pillow to calm nerves and relieve headaches and
depression. Lavender freshens any room.
LEMON BALM: Sweet Mary. Rub leaves on furniture to impart gloss
and scent. Added to bath bags, it makes a refreshing fragrant
bath. Add sprigs to tea or fruit drinks to relieve colds. Lay
leaves over baked chicken or fish. It makes a tasty salad dressing
when steeped in vinegar for two weeks.
LEMON VERBENA: A tropical pot plant that dies back in winter. Add
its' fragrant lemony leaves to tea and potpourri.
LOVAGE: Our Lady's Duster. It has a celery-like flavor. Add the
chopped leaves to stews, soups and white sauce.
SWEET MARJORAM: The Mother of God's Flower. The Greeks' knew it as
Joy of the Mountains. Added to a bath bag, it smells wonderful and
soothes rheumatic pains. It gives gloss to homemade furniture
polish. Marjoram tea is good for colds, hay fever and gastritis.
Add to salads, soups and marinades. It compliments bay, garlic,
basil, onion and thyme.
MINT: Spearmint is known as the herb of Holy Mary. Because of its
clean fresh aroma, the Hebrews laid it on the floors of
synagogues. Italians freshened churches the same way. Hot
peppermint tea with lemon is excellent for colds, sore throat,
headache and indigestion. Added to the bath, it relieves muscle
aches. Apple, orange, and ginger mint are other useful varieties.
All mints are good in fruit salads, drinks, tea, peas, new
potatoes and chocolate. Good in sweet bags.
NASTURTIUM: Saint Joseph's flower. It has bright red and yellow
flowers. Both leaves and flowers taste like watercress and are
good chopped up and added to salads and sandwiches.
OREGANO: It's good on pizza, chicken, zucchini and marinated
cucumbers and tomatoes.
PARSLEY: Our Lady's little vine. Make a parsley tea and use as an
eye bath. Parsley is rich in iron and vitamins A and C. Add
towards the end of cooking to vegetable and chicken soups, sauces,
salads and potatoes. It compliments many other herbs.
ROSE: The white rose stands for Mary's love and purity as well as
the joyful mysteries of the rosary. The red rose stands for
Christ's sufferings and the sorrowful mysteries. The yellow rose
stands for gladness and the glorious mysteries. The red and white
bi-colored rose stands for the Visitation. Petals are essential in
potpourri and other crafts.
ROSEMARY: Mary's bouquet or nosegay. Legend tells how the
flowers,changed from white to blue in Mary's honor after she laid
the newly washed clothes of the child Jesus over it's fragrant
branches during the flight into Egypt Added to a bath it
stimulates blood circulation , and is good for aching joints. You
may want to grind the needle-like leaves before use. It goes well
with all types of meats. Add to herb butter for use on vegetables.
It can also be used on sweet breads.
SAGE: Mary's shawl. Sage tea is an antiseptic that aids digestion
and soothes sore throats and colds. Burn on fireplace embers or
boil in water to disinfect a room. Insert leaves into a pork
roast. Combines well with rosemary on meats. It is good with
onions, rice and chicken. Dip leaves in milk and flour, and fry in
oil. Fresh sage is much milder than dried sage.
SALAD BURNET: Saint Anthony's button. Small leaflets and button
like green and red flowers. Young cucumber flavored leaves are
good chopped in soft cheeses, salads and steeped in fruit drinks
as a healthy tonic. Add to herb vinegar.
SUMMER SAVORY: Saint Joseph's plant. Known as the bean herb, it
goes well with both green and shell beans. It helps to digest
them. It may help diarrhea. It is also good on roast beef,
zucchini and other vegetable dishes.
SCENTED GERANIUM: Lady Mary. They come in rose, lemon, lime,
apple, nutmeg, mint and others. Good in tea, or place leaves under
cakes before baking. Good in potpourri and sweet bags.
SOEPWORT: Our Lady by the gate. Pretty pink flowers. A soapy
lather can be made from the leaves and used to clean delicate
fabrics such as silk.
SOUTHERNWOOD: Our Lord's wood. A feathery artemisia that is good
for wreath making and repelling insects in moth bags.
SWEET CICELY: Saint Barbara's grass. It has soft ferny anise
flavored leaves, and young seeds that go well with fruit dishes.
SWEET WOODRUFF: Our Lady's needlework. It is a nice ground cover
for shady spots and has white lacy flowers. The dried leaves smell
like sweet hay and can be added to potpourri
TANSY: Jesus' herb. Its button-like flowers dry well. Its leaves
and flowers help to deter ants and other insects.
TARRAGON: Its anise-like flavor combines well with parsley and
chervil. It is great with chicken and steamed carrots. It makes a
nice dressing when steeped in vinegar.
THYME: The Virgin's humility or Mary's bedstraw. It is one of the
manger herbs placed in the hay at Bethlehem, as it acts as a
disinfectant. Thyme tea is good for coughs and colds. It is found
in commercial products. Combined with parsley, bay and marjoram
for beef vegetable soups. Lemon thyme is excellent with chicken,
fish, hot veggies and fruit salad. Pour boiling water over lemon
thyme for a citrusy tea. Refreshing in bath bags and potpourri.
VIOLET: Mary's modesty/ Add flowers to potpourri.
YARROW: Assumption Flower. Decorative white, pink or gold flowers
that are good for drying for wreaths and arrangements.
29 Sep 1991, John
(Excerpted here. Full text)
Thank you for your letter of August 18th and its enclosed beautiful
Mary-Flower paintings and poems - which I just caught up with, due
to summer travels. It is so good to hear from you again!
I appreciate your telling me more about yourself, and as I wrote
you initially, in June of 1988, it is a special joy to learn of you
as a young person with such a deep and beautiful love of Our Lady
and her flowers. As I mentioned to you in my first letter, those
of us who are carrying on the work of spreading the growing of the
Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens are all in our 60's and
(mostly) 70's, and today our thoughts are more than ever on the
continuity of our work - with the hope that, providentially,
younger persons will come forward to carry on the dissemination of
the idea and provide information for persons newly seeking it - and
forward to the next generations.
This is an extension of the vision of Frances Lillie, founder of
the Woods Hole Garden of Our Lady in 1932 - which Father James
Galvin C.SS.R reported in his 1946 article, "Lillie Tower", which I
sent you previously and which was our inspiration and providential
summons: "it was a beginning. And brightly she looked forward to a
day when 'the right person' would turn up ... a gardener who would
make it the passion of his or her life to choir our Lady's glories
in blossoms . . . ".
Fortunately there are now additional major public Mary Gardens
through which new people can learn of the Flowers of Our Lady -
especially at Knock, of which I sent you Brother Sean's booklet,
and now more recently at historic Carroll House in St. Mary's
Parish, Annapolis, Maryland. But these are repositories of the
idea, which ever requires the emergence of new committed persons to
keep the movement vital and growing, until the end of the world.
There are younger persons on the committees at Woods Hole and
Annapolis, and hopefully one or more of them may be moved to take
on a major personal commitment in this area.
Without the active presence of loving, dedicated, committed
persons, even public Mary Gardens can become "landscaping" and
museum-like "collections" of religious lore, instead of the
continuation of a living tradition.
It requires the loving attention of a dedicated person or persons
to make sure the Flowers of Our Lady are fully presented to garden
visitors. A neighbor across the street, Mrs. Goffin, told me Mrs.
Lillie used to sit in the Garden many hours reading just waiting to
explain the names and symbolism of the Flowers of Our Lady to
visitors coming in from the street.
One memorable day in the summer of 1954, when I was spending a
week's vacation in the area, the Pastor of St. Josph's Church,
Father Stapleton (who used to take Communion to Mrs. Lillie daily
at her summer home) told me Mrs. Lillie, after many years, was
feeling a little better, and that her daughters thought it would be
a nice birthday present for her if I could visit her for tea. I of
course dropped everything and immediately accepted the invitation,
and had most joyous visit with her, telling her of the spread of
our work, inspired by her. It was rather laborious because she
couldn't hear very well, and had little memory of details; but she
communicated to me her spirit and her love for Our Lady's Flowers.
For my part, I was able to give her as a birthday present a little
postcard I had picked up in the area - a Swiss postcard of Bleeding
Heart, giving the French name, "Coeur de Marie", and the German
one, "Marienhertz". She had not known of this symbolism previously
(not being in her English research), and was transported with joy -
the high point of the visit for me, in that I was able to give her
something in return for all she had given to us and the world.
I tell you all this, Diane, first of all for your interest, but
also to show how the vital, interior, tender, loving heart of the
Mary Garden devotion rests in individuals, not in Gardens, and to
suggest that you view your hope of getting your drawings and poems
published in terms of their fuller potential for furthering the
spread of this gardening custom of devotion and praise.
What is most important of all is the encouraging of the inner,
tender, loving, commitment - the "true devotion" - to the Flowers
of Our Lady and Mary Gardens, which will provide ever fresh
personal inspiration to others through the years. Your flower
paintings have the unique quality of such love and devotion, and I
share the suggestion you report of your family and friends who have
seen your paintings that they should be published in some form that
will enable them to be more widely circulated and appreciated.
So, our counsel to you, Diane, is to envision this as a labor of
love which will be its own immediate reward; and also to make it an
act of faith - knowing that it will touch hearts and enrich lives
in providential ways that you may not fully know about, and will be
discovered years from now in libraries by future persons seeking
out this information.
As examples of the work of some earlier Mary Flower artists, I
enclose, as our gifts to you, Katherine Pinchard's 1953 Kalendar of
"Our Lady Mother and some of her graces", and Beldy's 1956 "Our
Lady's Book of Flowers". As St. Louis de Montfort says, "Of Mary
there is never enough", and your artistic labors of love have their
own precious uniqueness which should be made known, too, as was the
work of these Artists.
This goes way beyond what you inquired about, Diane, but I did want
to put the potential of your paintings in the broadest light. This
is because we feel an obligation to do what we can to support the
continuity of this work. Providence has brought a sequence of new
persons to us - each typically beginning with a simple letter, like
yours; so we feel it incumbent upon us to to follow up each one
with a presentation of the full range of opportunities, because we
never know who may be moved by the Spirit to come forward.
I am pleased you were able to obtain a copy of "The Englishman's
Flora!'. It gives such a fine sense of the origins of the
Mary-names of flowers in the countrysides.
Thanks again so much for your letter, Diane. Such expressions from
the heart are what we treasure most in our work.
Sincerely yours in Our Lady,
20 May 2003, John
It's hard to believe that 12 years have gone by since you last
wrote me, on Aug 18 1991 - enclosing one of your lovely colored ink
pen drawings ("Flowers of the Cornfield", "Mary's Herbal"), three
of your poems, and your "Herb Facts and Tips for Every Day Use",
and telling that your family and friends feel strongly that you
should write a book about the Mary Garden and illustrate it.
Not having hard from you since replying on Sep 29 1991, I assume
your book was not published, but I wonder if copies of it were
privately circulated.
At the end of your letter you say. "Let me know if anything new is
going on in the organization."
I'm happy to say much has been going on since 1991, especially,
(1) the putting up of an Internet Mary's Gardens computer website
www.mgardens.org
in which we posted most of our previous articles, and to which we
have added many new ones, plus photos, research and gardening
instructions; and more recently a Chat section where we post some
selected correspondence; and
(2) the planting of many Mary Gardens at homes, parishes and
shrines - perhaps the most publicly visible one being at the
Basilica of the U. S. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
in Washington, planted in 2,000.
Up to 1,500 people visit the website on line each day, with 5,000
readings or viewings of our texts and photos; and it occurs to me
that this would be a wonderful way to share your beautiful poems
and drawings, if you have not published them elsewhere. If you
have published them we would hope to obtain a copy.
There are some 10 of us working on Mary's Gardens now, keeping in
touch by e-mail. Perhaps you have seen Vincenzina Krymow's book,
"Mary's Flowers, Gardens, Legends, and Meditations", which is now
in its second, paperback, printing.
We sell nothing, and pay nothing except out-of-pocket expenses and
the monthly charge for the website server; but we would consider it
a great privilege to put up your writings and drawings if you would
like to share them in this way. What we would do is to "scan"
photograph your writing and photos electronically to put them in a
form to put on the website for others to access with their on-line
computers.
I dearly hope your sight has held up and perhaps improved some, and
that maybe you would be able to see your drawings on a computer
screen, if you were to send them to us to put on the website. At
82 I am somewhat house-bound, but, thank God, able to keep going
with the work of Mary's Gardens. Letters of love of Our Lady and
her flowers, of which yours are the epitome, are the the greatest
joy of our work.
Hoping to hear from you again, after all these years, and with all
prayerful best wishes,
PS - Do you have any photos of your Mary Garden and of you in the
garden?
25 May 2003, Diane
What a surprise it was to receive your letter. So much has happened
in twelve years, but I haven't forgotten you. No, I never did write
a book. Such a project was really beyond my means.
Now my father has a computer at home with a scanner and color
printer. He also has his own web page for his businesses. Our
capabilities have expanded a bit.
In 1992 we had to deal with my dad's long illness due to heart
trouble and then I had to deal with the final illness of my 18 year
old cat.
With surgical progress and medicine my dad's health has improved
and for the last ten years I have had a new cat in my life. I
continue to work in Dominican formation.
I want to thank you again for the gift you sent me in September of
1991, Our Lady's Book of Flowers. I have treasured this little gem
from Ireland all these years.
You certainly have my permission to put my poems and drawings on
the Mary Garden web site. What a lovely idea. I made two floral
cards for friends this year. Perhaps I could draw a few sketches
for the web site. I was thinking of an enclosed paradise garden of
many flowers with Our Lady in the center. My dad could scan my
drawings and e-mail them to you. Perhaps I may do more writing
about Our Lady's flowers as well.
The most recent thing I have written is a meditation on consecrated
virginity, a vocation I am actively pursuing. It is entitled "The
Beautiful Mystery of Virginity" and shows how Our Lady is the
prototype of this calling. I use the lily quite effectively as a
symbol of this vocation.
In 1970 the church restored this ancient rite of consecration for
women living in the world. It formerly was available only to
Benedictine nuns. The bishop of a diocese consecrates virgins who
have already made a private vow of perpetual virginity as brides of
Christ. I believe my vocation has a lot to do with my close
relationship with Our Lady and my deep understanding of her
interior life.
I was asked to be an attendant at my friend's consecration in
Chicago last January. I can e-mail you a picture, if you like,
While in Chicago I was thrilled to discover the book "Mary's
Flowers" that you spoke of in your letter. I'm still enjoying it.
When I saw your name in the book I thought of you and wondered how
you were.
I am attaching pictures of our garden We are in the process of
making some improvements.
I'm looking forward to corresponding with you.
God bless you richly.
(attachments)
26 May 2003, John
Thank you for your message of May 25 and the attached three photos.
So good to hear from you, and to see you and your Mary Garden.
I indeed look forward to corresponding with you. Do you write with
voice transcription software, or are you able to use the keyboard?
I prefer e-mail to phone, first of all because at 82 my short term
memory is not too exact; but especially because I see the Mary's
Gardens website as a vehicle of sharing, in the Communion of
Saints, such that through the Chat, Photos and News section
selections from messages can be shared with others - communicating
more directly than through the articles and instructions.
The multiple entries in CHAT on the Ss. John the Baptist and
Elizabeth Ann Seton parish Mary Gardens - giving the actual details
of their of their planning, planting, dedication and support - have
proved most inspirational and informative for those wishing to
establish other parish Mary Gardens. Likewise, my 1955 article,
"In Mary's Garden", has served to inspire family Mary Gardens.
(The articles on the website are listed by date, by way of the
click-accessed listing "50 years of Mary's Gardens Articles"
indexed under OVERVIEW on the homepage.)
From your letters and poems I envisage that you might be able to
write some "My Mary Garden" messages and articles - selections from
which could be made which would similarly be inspirational and
informative for the planting and care, and reflection on, Mary
Gardens by individuals - especially for those undertaking special
spiritual commitments and vows, such as yours to perpetual
virginity. After setting forth the general inspiration for your
Mary Garden, you could then go on to say something like, "As one
committed to the vocation of perpetual virginity . . ."
In time your accumulating messages, drawings, poems and articles
might be presented on the website as a "digital book". And of
course changes can easily be made at any time.
Due to the personal character of such writings, I would obtain your
approval, or any changes, additions or deletions you might want to
make, before adding them publicly on the website. And as there are
no "deadlines", as opposed to the publishing of printed books,
this could be extended over any period of time.
I can relate very intimately to your sorrow over the loss of your
cat after 18 years; as my wife and I, too, lost an 18 year old cat,
"KittenCat" fifteen or so years ago. KittenCat was found, not much
more than a kitten, by our youngest son - living in trees to get
away from dogs. After our last child left home, she became an
especially important member of the family. My wife had trained her
not to jump up on the furniture or to step on papers or magazines
on the floor, etc., and when any visitor would mess things up,
KittenCat would scold them. She was likewise very protective of
house plants and trees. We did not replace her, due to extensive
travels undertaken when we no longer had children at home for
schools.
You will be interested in this, as shared with a correspondent
shortly after KittenCat's death:
o O o
"As I raised my heart to Bonnie (Bonnie Roberson, my former Mary's
Gardens Partner - see 1997 article, "Mary Gardener of Love", on the
website), "my person in heaven", in mourning over the loss of
KittenCat, the words came to me,
'KittenCat lives, in the Book of Life, where she waits for you.'
Whereupon I was moved to say,
'Say hello for me and tell her how much we miss her.'
Then,
'We already have. We love her very much. Her training, habits
and movements mirror you for us in heaven.'
Awed, I said,
'How is this?'
Then a long reply,
'While they are living on earth, animals are known in heaven
through their essences, as part of God's creating wisdom. But
after they die, they are re-created as individuals in the Book of
Life through human love, in Christ - through Charity which 'endures
forever'.
'It is your love for KittenCat which has generated her heavenly
individuality - along with all creatures of love, and along with
all loved nature and artifacts. Mourning is the means through
which all re-creation takes place, in love.
'Even as Christ's mourning for persons, resurrects their souls and
bodies, as we know from the raising of Lazarus: 'Jesus wept,' 'See
how much he loved him,' 'I am the Resurrection and the Life.'
Mourning for the deceased is a participation in and mystical
fulfillment of Christ's resurrectional mourning.'
'It is through mourning for injury, destruction and death - in love
- that all nature, all the earth, is resurrected in the new heaven
and new earth. 'Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.'
o O o
Again, it is so good to hear from you, Diane!
I'm attaching a scan of the painting you sent in 1991, so you'll
have a copy for your files.
All prayerful best wishes,
06 Aug 2003, Diane
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Thanks for the scan of
the picture I sent to you. It was nice seeing it after all these
years. I also really enjoyed the story of the kitten kat.
I regret having to tell you that it is my decision not to get
involved with the e-mail chat. Besides not having any knowledge of
how such things work I don't personally use the computer at all. My
father types any e-mails I may need to send. It would be very
difficult for me to attempt to participate in something that
practically speaking I don't have access to. I will, however, keep
in touch with you.
07 Aug 2003, John
Thanks for your message.
I should have explained that the chat section of the website is not
something that people participate in directly or have to do
anything about. It is simply an "administered" section where only
I myself put excerpts from e-mail messages that I think will be of
interest to others. No e-mail addresses are included.
These excerpts come out of people's direct experience in their Mary
Gardens, and are much more helpful and inspiring to others than the
more formal articles.
The things you mentioned in your letters are the sorts of things
that are of interest to others, and it was my hope you might gather
a few of them together so that I could post them. (Don't "hide
your light under a bushel".) This sort of thing is what the
Communion of Saints is about on the everyday level.
So, if you could send me something - at any time - I would simply
post it, and you wouldn't have to do anything on the computer.
07 Aug 2003, Diane
Thank you for explaining more about how the e-mail chat works.
Perhaps my dad and I can look at some of the other entries. You are
right about the communion of saints and sharing our light with
others.
I will compose something about myself and my garden and include
poems and drawings.
My friend told me that her daughter just found out about the Mary
Garden web site and is excited about it. I will tell her that I
will soon be adding my own contribution to it.
Sincerely in Christ,
26 Oct 2003, Diane
I am so happy to be able to surprise you with this article about my
vocation and how it relates to my Mary Garden. Sorry it has taken
so long, but my dad has been busy, plus my uncle Pete who lives
with us is recovering from lung surgery. My dad scanned a few of my
drawings and retyped the poem with the herbs.
If you already have my other two poems, Our Lady's Flowers and God
in My Garden, you may use these, as well as the picture of the
cornfield flowers. I also compose spiritual songs. When I completed
the article the Holy Spirit inspired me with one about Our Lady and
her flowers. It's called I Am The Rose of Sharon. I would like to
send a tape of this song to you.
I hope you enjoy what I'm sending for the web site. Let me know if
you don't have the other poems. May God richly bless you for your
work in honor of Our Blessed Lady.
Sincerely in the hearts of Jesus and Mary,
(attachments)
My name is Diane and I am a Mary gardener from upstate New York. I
have always loved flowers, and I fondly remember "Flower Day" which
we observed in my second grade class. I was fascinated to learn
that different colored roses had different fragrances. I first read
about Mary Gardens in an article in Ideals magazine about 1980 when
I was seventeen. In 1988, I again read about them in Queen magazine
and made my first contact Mary's Gardens. I was thrilled to learn
of the many Mary names given to various flowers especially since I
loved to look at books containing pictures of English wildflowers.
I was soon filling a sketchbook with Mary's flowers drawn with
colored felt tip pens. You might not think this too unusual except
for the fact that I am legally blind. I often looked at floral
paintings with a strong magnifier so that I might accurately
portray them. I am left-handed. Sometimes when trying to do
detailed work I had a pen in my left hand and a magnifier in my
right hand. I also composed some poems about the flowers and herbs
of Our Lady.
I even had an herb party where we prayed an herbal rosary. I
associated an herb with each of the joyful mysteries of the rosary.
Everyone at the party received a place card with different herbs
associated with Our Lady.
Before telling you about my Mary Garden let me explain why my
interest comes from a unique perspective. I am preparing to become
a consecrated virgin. This is the oldest form of women's
consecrated life in the Catholic Church. It predates formal
religious orders. Since the tenth century it has only been
available for Benedictine nuns. In 1970, it was revived for women
living in the world. Only the diocesan bishop can consecrate a
virgin and there is no dispensation from it. With solemn
consecration the virgin becomes the bride of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This spousal union with her savoir becomes the focus of her
spiritual life. Her whole life is an expression of Christ's wedded
love for his Bride, the Church. This love of virginal love and
humble dedication is perfectly exemplified in the life of the
Blessed Virgin Mary whom she seeks to imitate. Many people don't
realize that Our Lady was the first to vow her virginity to God and
that she is the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
As Our Lord revealed to St Mechtild it was by Mary that the noble
beauty of virginity increased and was shown forth on the earth. As
one called to a life of perpetual virginity I experience a special
union with the virginal heart of our Blessed Mother and taste
something of her own joy in her relationship with the Holy Trinity.
The sight and fragrance of lilies carries my soul deeper into the
mystery of Mary's virginal motherhood as well as my own vocation.
The outward signs of virginal purity such as white rose buds or
fragrant Madonna lilies speak more eloquently to the consecrated
virgin's heart because they are symbols that convey an inner
reality whose richness and splendor are without end for her. She
sees virginity consecrated to God as the unfading flower with an
everlasting fragrance.
Many verses of the Song of Songs in sacred scripture are applied to
the Blessed Virgin. Verse one of chapter two reads in some
translations, "I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley."
While this verse refers to the red Sharon tulip which colors the
plains in spring the name has been given to a familiar garden
shrub. We have a statue of Our Lady of Grace situated under one of
these shrubs known as the rose of Sharon. Verse twelve of chapter
four of the Song of Songs reads, A garden enclosed is my sister my
spouse, a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed. The church sees
this verse as an image of Our Lady's perpetual virginity and her
intimate and exclusive union with God. Our Mary garden is enclosed
by a white fence. We have a gazebo and a sundial with different
varieties of thyme planted around it.
We have different planting areas set within a brick walkway. In the
spring forgetmenots bloom in front of the statue with various
spring bulbs off to the side and in back. As the season progresses
they are replaced by pinks, viola, alyssum petunia, marigold and
tall lilies in the back. The garden includes several climbing roses
and many perennials and annuals. I also grow numerous herbs some of
which do well in containers. I feel that rosemary does well in clay
pots, if well watered. I always look forward to lavender which
blooms in July for it symbolizes Mary's purity and holiness. I mix
its dried blossoms with rose petals, sweet woodruff and other herbs
for a nice potpourri. I always enjoy our highly fragrant June
flowering Damask and Ragosa roses. They remind us that the church
honors the blessed virgin as the mystical rose. As a rose turns
towards the sun her heart of virginal beauty unfolds its loveliness
in the presence of God and in the service of divine love. Our Lady
was perfectly at home with the Blessed Trinity because since the
Immaculate Conception she posed no obstacles to divine grace. Her
whole being was that exquisite paradise where every virtue
blossomed in perfect harmony as so many enchanting flowers. At the
Incarnation the most Blessed Trinity was drawn into this paradise
in a unique manner.
As we work in our gardens contemplating the beauty of God's
creation we may well discern that He wishes to find a similar
paradise in our own hearts. Just as gardening does, the interior
life of the soul requires work and constant vigilance. With our
gardens as with our spiritual life, we have an ideal set before us
as we constantly seek to make improvements. Through the seasons the
garden remains a kaleidoscope of ever changing colors. This is seen
in the first Snow Drop, in blue and yellow Pansy faces as well as
in vivid purple Bell Flowers, clusters of pink soapwort and golden
Gloriosa daisies.
As I inhale the sweet scent of Lily of the Valley, June roses or
summer carnations my heart is ever drawn by the fragrance that
indicates the presence of the divine gardener and heavenly
bridegroom. In union with the Immaculate Virgin and clothed with
her own purity I shall always endeavor to make my heart that garden
enclosed where He alone may walk and gather lilies for himself.
30 Oct 2003, John
I was overjoyed to receive your message of Oct 26 with your
attached exquisite article, "An Enclosed Mary Garden", about your
vocation and how it relates to your Mary Garden - and also the six
scans of your Mary Flower drawings.
I have composed a CHAT entry of your photos, drawings, poems and
articles together with our correspondence, but because its very
special character I propose to list it also in a new website
indexing of "Mary Garden Spirituality".
Before announcing and indexing it on the Home Page for public
click-access by those visiting the website each day, I have put it
unannounced on the website where you can privately access it by
typing the Internet location,
www.mgardens.org/C-US-NY-EL-DCF-031104.html
Let me know of any changes, deletions or additions you would like
me to make before I announce it for regular index-click-access by
website visitors.
Yes, please send me an audiotape of your song, "I Am The Rose of
Sharon", to our present postal address.
In the meantime, I would appreciate your e-mailing me the words of
the song, for adding to the website posting. (We do not have audio
yet). Perhaps you could place the words on a Rose of Sharon
drawing.
Your appreciation of the Flowers of Our Lady as showing forth the
divine beauty and as "signatures" mirroring revealed truths, for
our reflection and action, and your vocation of loving virginal
consecration to God and his will, should be inspirational to many
as a sublime personal fulfillment of God's purpose for Creation -
to show forth and share with us, and for us to share with him, the
divine goodness and action.
An under-appreciated Christian truth is God's desire for us to
share not only in the building of his earthly Peaceable Kingdom,
through the guidance and promptings of his grace, but equally to
share in the sacrificial reparation with Christ of all the temporal
effects of sin in the world, that the hearts and minds of leaders
and all may be freed to respond to the graces of peace.
We love and adore Christ for redemptively satisfying, in his
infinity, for all the sins of the world, but fail to respond
adequately to the divine call for us to share with him in the
reparational elimination of all the temporal effects of sin
continuing in the world - which darken intellects, weaken wills and
disorder affections.
The old Art Linkletter/Bill Cosby TV program, "Kid's say the
darndest things" - constantly replayed on the Nickelodian channel -
over and over demonstrates the innocence of 5- to 10-year olds; yet
when they get out into the world children are tempted and corrupted
by all the temporal effects of sin circulating in the world - many
succumbing to substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, cheating,
deception, discrimination, injustice, dictatorships, violence, war
etc.
For the freedom of leaders and all to respond to the promptings of
grace bestowed by God, and for which we pray each day in the "Our
Father' and Rosary, for the building and coming of the world
Kingdom of truth, justice, love and freedom, - which WILL come -
what is required, as revealed to us through Our Lady at Fatima, is
that for the effects of sin circulating in the world to fully be
eliminated requires not only the above-mentioned reparations, but
the general reparational sacrificial offering by the faithful of
the irritations, aggravations, obstacles, sorrowings and sufferings
of our daily lives and duties for and with Christ. We are to this
in the consciousness that even the slightest disturbance is
offensive to the Father's desire for the building and coming of the
Creation-culminating Peaceable Kingdom of divine/human sharing, and
thus is to be offered sacrificially for and with Christ.
We understand that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the
confession of our sins, and the priest's absolution, together
satisfy for and forgive the sins eternally, through Christ's
sacrifice; but that we must undertake the penances given to repair
for the effects of the forgiven sins which would otherwise continue
in our lives. We likewise understand that our Mass intentions, our
morning offerings, our indulgenced prayers and our Lenten
mortifications, etc. further repair for the temporal effects of
sins in our lives. And we understand that we can pray and
sacrifice for the removal of any residual temporal effects of sin
from the souls of the faithful departed, that their souls may rest
in heavenly peace
What is needed for peace on earth and the building and coming of
God's earthly Peaceable Kingdom, as the culmination of Creation, is
"the bearing of one anothers' burdens" by the faithful (Gal. 6:2) -
viz. the reparation by the faithful, through and with Christ also
for the aggregate of the effects of sin circulating in the souls of
world leaders and all, that freed from these effects, they may, in
the goodness of their creation in the divine image and likeness,
act in response to the graces of peace divinely bestowed through
the Rosary prayers of the faithful.
In other words, in keeping with God's creation of the world for the
sharing of the divine goodness and action with us humans - and this
to the fullest - both the building of the Peaceable Kingdom, and
the reparation for the effects of sin circulating in the world that
there may be the responsiveness to grace required for its building,
must be accomplished through divine/human sharing.
And the highest form of this sharing is spiritual union with Christ
through consecrated virginity and celibacy. Not only is there
sharing with Christ's divinity through marital spiritual communion,
but there is the fullest reparational sharing of one's daily
sacrifices with Christ, in his Sacrifice - "filling up those things
that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ" (Col., i, 24) - that
the world may be freed from the temporal effects of sin, for the
grace-inspired building of the Peaceable Kingdom.
In loving marital union with Christ one is so aware of Christ's
sharing in one's sacrificial sufferings, and of his taking them
upon himself sacrificially as his own, that he is perceived as
sharing and experiencing them with one as they occur, and one thus
perceives oneself as experiencing them with and in him.
In this way, Diane, your daily experiencing of your poor vision
sacrificially with and in Christ, may do more for the coming of
world peace, by repairingly reducing the world aggregate of the
temporal effects of sin, than summit meetings of world leaders, as
such, juggling power relationships under the influence of these
effects.
Thus, the fullest undertaking of our daily sacrifices for and with
Christ is accomplished by our offering of them to and with him as
they occur - in the continuation of his Sacrifice of Calvary in all
the masses being said in the world at each moment. For this we are
to eliminate all experienced distractions from our sense of
continuing loving union with Christ by confessing them as
imperfections in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and undertaking
the penances given, for the purifying graces of their elimination.
You speak so beautifully in "An Enclosed Mary Garden" of Mary's
spiritual union with her Divine Son - her "bridal maternity' - as
the model for virginal consecration to Christ, that I hesitate to
mirror or add anything here, other than to express appreciation for
it; to note how our continuing loving union with Christ is so
sublimely quickened as we behold each of the pure flower symbols of
Mary's life and mysteries with him; and to thank you for your
willingness to share all with others through the posting to the
website.
Sincerely, in Jesus and Mary,
2 Nov 2003, Diane
Yes the website is fine for posting.
4 Nov 2003, John
Thanks.
Posted the file to the Website at 7 AM this morning, with
click-indexing under NEW on the Home Page, and in CHAT.
I placed the copyright notice at the end. You may want to put it
in book form some day, per your original idea.
Keep in mind that you can send additional photos, drawings, poems,
etc. for adding, at any time. As I read your descriptions of the
blooming of your garden at various seasons I envisage spring,
summer and fall photos.
I continue to rejoice at your willingness to share your devotion
and consecration with others, which will be an inspiration to many.
While "An Enclosed Mary Garden" is so beautiful and inspiring in
itself, its position following the preceding messages with their
drawings, poems and photos provides a setting which leads people
into it in a spiritual growth way.
The added title, "Mary Garden of Virginal Consecration", which I
hope is ok with you, will both attract people to read through the
posting, and to read it from an in depth viewpoint. And for those
who have "Internet impatience" the notice of Photos, Drawings,
Poems, Articles indicates to them they can browse ahead to see
these - after which they may indeed want to go back to read from
the beginning - leading up to "An Enclosed Mary Garden".
Thank again, Diane, for the joy you have brought, and with prayers
for your continuing beautiful spiritual growth in your
consecration.
4 Nov, 2003, Diane
Here are my song lyrics with my drawing of some Rose of Sharon flowers.
Sincerely in Christ,
5 Nov 2003, John
Thank you for the exquisite "I Am The Rose of Sharon" song lyrics
and drawing, added under date of 4 Nov, 2003 to the "Mary Garden
of Virginal Consecration" website posting this evening (now
announced under NEW and CHAT).
I look forward to receiving the audiotape.
John
10 Dec 2003, John
Thank you for the audiotape of your beautiful singing of "I Am The
Rose of Sharon", with autoharp accompaniment.
I experience rapture each time I read the lyrics, or hear your
singing of them in my mind through the day. Such an exquisite
distillation of flower devotion to Our Lady!
I will undertake to work out how to add audio to the website so
that, with your permission, I can post your singing to it, for
others to appreciate.
This makes me realize I have some tapes of our own I can post: such
as of a conference Mary's Gardens co-founder, the late Ed McTague,
and I had with Fr. Knott, S.J. of Loyola University in Baltimore in
1954, describing the whole project, as background for a Marian Year
Exhibit he was preparing for the university; and of a visit to the
Mary Garden of my late Mary's Gardens partner, Bonnie Roberson in
Idaho by her bishop in the 1960's, etc.
In the meantime, in reciprocation, I mailed you this afternoon a
copy of a tape made in 1962 of my narration, with Gregorian Chant
background, of our first Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens slide
lecture (#1), which we used to lend to people, with fifty 35 mm
slides and also a print copy of the narration, to play for parish
groups, or to use as background for their own lectures using the
slides - prior to the advent of the Internet.
In a separate e-mail message I am sending as an attachment a
Microsoft WORD doc file of the 50 photos that go with the tape
narrration, each on a page, so they can be clicked through as the
tape is played (during the chant intervals between each slide
narrration and the next). I note that your father sent the "I Am
The Rose of Sharon" text and photo in doc format.
I have also just now posted the 1962 slide lecture photos and
narration text to the website, accessed under ARCHIVAL on the Home
Page index - in case the e-mail doc attachment is too large for
your father's e-mail software to receive. The whole lecture takes
over 1/2 hour to download on the Internet (unless your father has
broadband, which I don't); but I also have it set up so that the
narration text and individual photos, one at a time, can each be
downloaed quickly.
This lecture differs from the current Lecture #3 (indexed under
OVERVIEW) in that the first 10 slides present a more devotional
approach, and the last 10 focus more on home Mary Gardening. The
middle 30 are pretty much the same. The current #3 lecture is
posted with smaller 2" photos in with the text so the download will
be faster than with the larger 6" photos just now posted with #1.
Many thanks, again, Diane for sending me the beautiful tape.
Prayers,
19 J u l y 2 0 0 4 , Diane
I h a v e h a d a r a t h e r d i f f i c u l t y e a r a s m y U n c l e P e t e , w h o m I w a s
c l o s e t o , p a s s e d a w a y o n J u n e 1 3 t h a f t e r a l o n g b a t t l e w i t h l u n g
d i s e a s e . H e l i v e d w i t h u s f o r t h e l a s t 8 y e a r s . I t a l k t o h i m h i m
e v e r y d a y a n d I k n o w h e w i l l b e p r e s e n t i n s p i r i t a t m y
c o n s e c r a t i o n .
I h a d a p o s i t i v e m e e t i n g w i t h m y c h a n c e l l o r a n d h e h o p e s t h a t I
w i l l r e c e i v e t h e c o n s e c r a t i o n b e f o r e t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r . I a m
f i n a l l y m e e t i n g w i t h m y b i s h o p o n A u g u s t 1 5 t h . I ' l l l e t y o u k n o w
w h e n I h a v e a d a t e .
I a m w o r k i n g o n a n a r t i c l e m y c h a n c e l l o r a s k e d m e t o w r i t e . I t i s
e n t i t l e d " W o r d a n d W i t n e s s , T h e C o n s e c r a t e d V i r g i n a n d
E v a g e l i z a t i o n . "
I a m s e n d ing, attached, y o u t h e l y r i c s t o a m e d i e v a l s t y l e s o n g I
w r o t e s e v e r a l y e a r s a g o . I t ' s c a l l e d " I t ' s L a d y D a y , " a n d i t i s f o r
t h e f e a s t o f t h e A n n u n c i a t i o n . M y d a d t y p e d u p t h e w o r d s , a n d I
have d r a w n the f l o w e r b o r d e r f o r i t . T h e s o n g m e n t i o n s w i l d
f l o w e r s .
I f I w r i t e o r d r a w a n y t h i n g e l s e , I w i l l b e s u r e t o l e t y o u k n o w .
I ' m s o h a p p y a b o u t t h e w e b s i t e ' s s u c c e s s .
P r a y e r f u l l y y o u r s ,
13 Aug 2 0 0 4 , John
T h a n k y o u f o r the re-send of y o u r m e s s a g e o f J u l y 1 9 , (which d i d n ' t
c o m e t h o u g h p r e v i o u s l y ) .
S o r r y t o h e a r a b o u t t h e d e a t h o f y o u r U n c l e P e t e , a n d t h a t h e t h u s
w o n ' t b e p h y s i c a l l y p r e s e n t a t y o u r c o n s e c r a t i o n . Y e s , l e t m e k n o w
w h e n a d a t e i s s e t .
I p r a y t h a t y o u m a y b e a b l e t o c o m p l e t e t o y o u r s a t i s f a c t i o n y o u r
a r t i c l e , " W o r d a n d W i t n e s s , T h e C o n s e c r a t e d V i r g i n a n d
E v a n g e l i z a t i o n " . I n m y o w n w r i t i n g s , I t h i n k t h e y a r e f i n i s h e d ,
a n d t h e n f u r t h e r i d e a s e m e r g e , h o p e f u l l y f r o m t h e H o l y S p i r i t . O n e
a d v a n t a g e o f t h e I n t e r n e t , a s c o m p a r e d t o p u b l i c a t i o n o r p r i n t e d
p r e s e n t a t i o n i s t h a t r e v i s i o n s o r a d d i t i o n s c a n b e m a d e t o a r t i c l e s
a f t e r p o s t i n g t o t h e w e b s i t e . I h o p e y o u w i l l s h a r e a c o p y w i t h m e
p r i v a t e l y .
T h a n k y o u f o r t h e b e a u t i f u l " I t ' s L a d y D a y " i l l u s t r a t e d p o e m . M a y
I h a v e y o u r p e r m i s s i o n t o a d d i t t o t h e w e b s i t e C H A T p o s t i n g ?
Y e s , t h e w e b s i t e a p p e a r s t o h a v e e n t e r e d i n t o a m o r e m a t u r e d s t a g e .
T h e o p e n i n g o f t h e p o e t i c a n d e d u c a t i o n a l s e c t i o n s s e e m s t o s p e a k
t o t h i n g s p e o p l e a r e l o o k i n g f o r t o e n r i c h t h e i r l i v e s o f f a i t h a n d
d e v o t i o n . M y c o n t i n u e d t h a n k s f o r y o u r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h i s .
C u r r e n t w o r l d e v e n t s h a v e p r o m p t e d m a n y p e o p l e t o s e e k a f u l l e r
i n p u t o f r e l i g i o u s p r a y e r , c o m m i t m e n t , a c t i o n a n d s a c r i f i c e i n t o
l i f e .
W i t h p r a y e r s ,
13 Oct 2 0 0 4 , Diane
I h o p e y o u a r e w e l l .
I w a n t t o l e t y o u k n o w t h a t I w i l l b e c o m e a c o n s e c r a t e d v i r g i n o n
F e b r u a r y 2 0 t h . B i s h o p C l a r k w i l l b e c o m i n g t o m y p a r i s h o f O u r L a d y
o f L o u r d e s h e r e i n E l m i r a .
I w a n t e d t o s h a r e t h i s j o y f u l n e w s w i t h y o u a s y o u h a v e b e c o m e a
s p e c i a l f r i e n d . I a m p l a c i n g m y c o n s e c r a t i o n i n t h e h a n d s o f O u r
L a d y .
17 Nov 2004, Diane
Here, attached, is " W o r d a n d W i t n e s s , T h e C o n s e c r a t e d V i r g i n a n d
E v a n g e l i z a t i o n ", and also "A Consecrated Virgin's Bouquet"
H o p e y o u e n j o y t h e m .
Prayers,
20 N o v 2 0 2 0 0 , John
T h a n k y o u f o r s h a r i n g w i t h m e y o u r s p i r i t u a l l y e x q u i s i t e " A
C o n s e c r a t e d V i r g i n ' s B o u q u e t " a n d " W o r d a n d W i t n e s s - T h e
C o n s e c r a t e d V i r g i n a n d E v a n g e l i z a t i o n " .
I h o p e t h a t a t s o m e t i m e , p e r h a p s a t t h e t i m e o f p e r f o r m a n c e o f
y o u r l a y v i r g i n a l c o n s e c r a t i o n r i t e b y y o u r b i s h o p o n F e b r u a r y 2 8 ,
y o u w i l l h a v e t h e s e p u b l i s h e d i n a l i t t l e b o o k l e t o f w h i c h w e c o u l d
l e t p e o p l e k n o w b y a n a n n o u n c e m e n t o n o u r M a r y ' s G a r d e n s w e b s i t e .
W e b s i t e v i s i t o r s a l r e a d y k n o w o f y o u r c o m i n g c o n s e c r a t i o n , o f y o u r
i n s p i r e d m e d i t a t i o n s o n O u r L a d y ' s F l o w e r s , o f y o u r f l o w e r
p a i n t i n g s a n d p o e m s . a n d o f y o u r s o n g , " I A m t h e R o s e o f S h a r o n "
f r o m t h e w e b s i t e ( C H A T : N o v 4 , 2 0 0 3 , a n d P O E T R Y & S O N G S ) .
I a m i n d e e d m o v e d b y y o u r e x t e n s i v e M a r i a n f l o w e r m e d i t a t i o n s o n
v i r g i n a l c o n s e c r a t i o n t o J e s u s t h r o u g h M a r y , i n " B o u q u e t " ; a n d b y
y o u r s e t t i n g f o r t h i n " W i t n e s s " o f t h e s u b l i m i t y o f t h i s
c o n s e c r a t i o n f r o m t h e v i e w p o i n t o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l a n d t h e C h u r c h .
W i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e l a t t e r , y o u m i g h t w a n t t o s p e a k f u r t h e r o f t h e
s p e c i a l c o n t r i b u t i o n v i r g i n a l c o n s e c r a t i o n t o J e s u s m a k e s t o t h e
f u l f i l l m e n t o f G o d ' s v e r y p u r p o s e f o r C r e a t i o n , o f s h o w i n g f o r t h
a n d s h a r i n g t h e d i v i n e g o o d n e s s a n d a c t i o n w i t h u s h u m a n s , c r e a t e d
t o t h i s e n d i n t h e d i v i n e i m a g e a n d l i k e n e s s .
G o d , b e i n g " o n l y ' t h r e e p e r s o n s , w i s h e s t o s h a r e t h e d i v i n e
g o o d n e s s a n d a c t i o n , t o t h e f u l l e s t , w i t h a n e n d l e s s n u m b e r o f
c r e a t e d h u m a n p e r s o n s , e a c h e n d o w e d w i t h a n u n i q u e p o t e n t i a l f o r
s h a r i n g a n d s h o w i n g f o r t h t h e d i v i n e a t t r i b u t e s - t e m p o r a l l y i n t h e
E a r t h l y P e a c e a b l e K i n g d o m , a n d f o r t r a n s f o r m a t i o n e t e r n a l l y i n t h e
r e s u r r e c t i o n a l N e w H e a v e n a n d N e w E a r t h .
F r o m t h i s c r e a t i o n a l v i e w p o i n t , t h e n , t h e f i r s t p u r p o s e o f v i r g i n a l
c o n s e c r a t i o n t o J e s u s t h u s i s i t s f u r t h e r e n a b l i n g o f t h e
d i v i n e / h u m a n s h a r i n g d e s i r e d b y G o d .
W i t h M a r y , h e r i m m a c u l a t e p u r i t y , h e r u t t e r h u m i l i t y , a n d h e r t o t a l
c o n s e c r a t i o n a l f i d e l i t y t o G o d ' s w o r d a n d g r a c e , o f h e r v i r g i n a l
c o n s e c r a t i o n , e n a b l e d G o d t o s h a r e w i t h h e r , i n h e r c r e a t i o n i n t h e
d i v i n e i m a g e a n d l i k e n e s s , t h e f u l l n e s s o f d i v i n e u n i o n a n d
u n i v e r s a l m e d i a t i o n o f t h e d i v i n e a c t i o n i n t h e w o r l d - b e g i n n i n g
w i t h h e r d i v i n e m a t e r n i t y o f t h e s e c o n d P e r s o n o f t h e T r i n i t y
i n c a r n a t e , a n d c o n t i n u i n g w i t h h e r c o - r e d e m p t i v e p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n
C h r i s t ' s r e d e e m i n g s a c r i f i c e t h r o u g h t h e s w o r d o f s o r r o w p i e r c i n g
h e r s o u l , a n d , a s s u m e d i n t o h e a v e n , h e r m e d i a t i o n o f t h e H o l y
S p i r i t ' s s a n c t i f y i n g a n d r e n e w i n g a c t i o n i n t h e w o r l d .
A s S t . A u g u s t i n a f f i r m s , f r o m t h e G o s p e l , M a r y ' s v i r g i n a l l o v e o f
G o d a n d o f h i s p r o m i s e o f t h e R e d e e m e r g a v e b i r t h t o J e s u s i n h e r
h e a r t b e f o r e , a n d g r e a t e r t h a n , h i s c o n c e p t i o n b y t h e H o l y S p i r i t
i n h e r w o m b - f r o m t h e r e a d i n g i n t h e L i t u r g y o f t h e H o u r s f o r t h e
F e a s t o f t h e ( v i r g i n a l ) P r e s e n t a t i o n o f M a r y i n t h e T e m p l e ( c o p y
n o t a t h a n d f o r e x a c t q u o t e ) .
I n o u r c o n s e c r a t i o n t o J e s u s t h r o u g h M a r y - u n d e r t a k i n g a l l o u r
p r a y e r s a n d a c t i o n s b y , w i t h , i n a n d f o r h e r , t h r o u g h h e r m o t h e r l y
a n d q u e e n l y n u r t u r i n g , c o u n s e l , i n t e r c e s s i o n a n d a d v o c a c y - M a r y
a d o r n s , e m b e l l i s h e s a n d e n h a n c e s t h e m s u c h t h a t t h e y b e c o m e
p a r t i c i p a t i o n s i n a n d e x t e n s i o n s o f h e r u n i v e r s a l m e d i a t i o n , a n d
t h u s o f t h e e v e r g r e a t e r f u l l n e s s o f t h e d i v i n e / h u m a n s h a r i n g f o r
w h i c h G o d c r e a t e d t h e w o r l d . A n d t h i s s h a r i n g i s f u l l e s t w h e r e
c o n s e c r a t i o n t o J e s u s t h r o u g h M a r y i s v i r g i n a l l y t o t a l .
T h i s i s e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t f o r o u r t i m e s , a s e x h o r t e d b y O u r L a d y
a t F a t i m a , f o r t h e e n h a n c e m e n t o f o u r u n d e r t a k i n g o f a l l o u r
d u t i e s , w o r k s a n d s u f f e r i n g s s a c r i f i c i a l l y f o r a n d w i t h J e s u s
t h r o u g h M a r y ' s i m m a c u l a t e a n d s o r r o w f u l h e a r t , i n r e p a r a t i o n f o r
t h e t e m p o r a l e f f e c t s o f s i n c i r c u l a t i n g i n t h e w o r l d t h a t ,
d e l i v e r e d f r o m t h e e v i l o f t h e s e e f f e c t s , a l l , a n d e s p e c i a l l y w o r l d
l e a d e r s , m a y , i n t h e i r i n n a t e c r e a t e d g o o d n e s s , b e r e s p o n s i v e t o
t h e p r o m p t i n g s o f t h e g r a c e s o f r e c o n c i l i a t i o n , p e a c e a n d k i n g d o m
b e s e e c h e d b y t h e R o s a r y p r a y e r s a n d s a c r i f i c e s o f a l l t h e f a i t h f u l .
S o m e t h o u g h t s " o f f t h e t o p " , i n s p i r e d b y y o u r b e a u t i f u l a r t i c l e s ,
r e c e i v e d y e s t e r d a y , w h i c h a g a i n I t h a n k y o u f o r s h a r i n g w i t h m e .
P r a y e r s a n d b l e s s i n g s ,
8 D e c 2 0 0 4 , Diane
D e a r J o h n ,
S o g l a d y o u e n j o y e d m y a r t i c l e s .
H a v e a b l e s s e d A d v e n t .
Prayers,
1 J a n 2 0 0 5 , Diane
H e r e a r e a f e w t h o u g h t s r e g a r d i n g t h e r o s a r y y o u m a y w a n t t o s h a r e
i n v i e w o f A l a n ' s q u e s t i o n i n g o f t h e l u m i n o u s m y s t e r i e s .
T h e r o s a r y d i d n ' t f a l l f r o m o u t o f t h e s k y , n o t i s i t s e t i n s t o n e .
A s a D o m i n i c a n I a m a w a r e o f t h e f a c t t h a t i t h a s t a k e n d i f f e r e n t
f o r m s i n t h e c o u r s e o f i t s d e v e l o p m e n t .
W e D o m i n i c a n s b e g i n t h e R o s a r y i n t h e s a m e w a y w e b e g i n t h e L i t u r g y
o f t h e H o u r s . T h i s i s w h y i t i s c a l l e d O u r L a d y ' s P s a l t e r . I t w a s
o n e o f t h e K i n g s o f E n g l a n d w h o a d d e d t h e C r e e d .
I n S a i n t D o m i n i c ' s t i m e t h e H a i l M a r y i t s e l f e n d e d w i t h " b l e s s e d i s
t h e f r u i t o f t h y w o m b J e s u s ", a n d i t w a s c a l l e d t h e " a n g e l i c
s a l u t a t i o n . " I t w a s t h e C h u r c h t h a t a d d e d t h e r e s t o f t h e p r a y e r .
W e m u s t r e m e m b e r t h a t o u r f a i t h i s b a s e d o n t h e t e a c h i n g a u t h o r i t y
o f t h e C h u r c h , n o t o n p r i v a t e r e v e l a t i o n . O u r L a d y h a s i n d e e d a s k e d
u s t o p r a y t h e R o s a r y , a n d s h e e x p e c t s u s t o u n d e r s t a n d i t
a c c o r d i n g t o t h e m i n d o f t h e c h u r c h . I n h i s t e a c h i n g a u t h o r i t y t h e
H o l y F a t h e r h a s e v e r y r i g h t t o b r i n g f o r t h o t h e r m y s t e r i e s o f o u r
f a i t h f o r o u r r e v e r e n t c o n t e m p l a t i o n .
I w o u l d s t r o n g l y s u g g e s t t h a t e v e r y o n e r e a d t h e P o p e ' s a p o s t o l i c
l e t t e r o n t h e R o s a r y e n t i t l e d , " R o s a r i u m V i r g i n i s M a r i a e " . I n i t h e
d i s c u s s e s t h e L u m i n o u s M y s t e r i e s a s w e l l a s c o n t e m p l a t i n g t h e f a c e
o f C h r i s t w i t h M a r y .
T h i s y e a r o f t h e E u c h a r i s t p r o c l a i m s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e f i f t h
l u m i n o u s m y s t e r y . W e t h i n k o f t h e t h i r d m y s t e r y w h e n w e p r a y , " m a y
y o u r k i n g d o m c o m e a n d y o u r w i l l b e d o n e o n e a r t h a s i t i s i n
h e a v e n . "
A m o s t b l e s s e d C h r i s t m a s t o y o u a n d a l l oat M a r y ' s G a r d e n s
a s s o c i a t e s .
P r a y e r f u l l y ,
2 Jan 2005 , John
T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r m e s s a g e o f 1 J a n , , F e a s t o f M a r y M o t h e r o f G o d .
R e . t h e R o s a r y I r e f e r y o u , o n t h e w e b s i t e , to:
H O M E & S C H O O L S E D U C A T I O N
B a c k g r o u n d R e f e r e n c e / I n d e x f o r T e a c h e r s
w h i c h f o r i t s g e n e r a l o u t l i n e f o l l o w s t h e m y s t e r i e s o f t h e R o s a r y ,
w i t h m a n y q u o t e s f r o m " R o s a r i u m V i r g i n i s M a r i a e " , a s t h e c o n t e x t
w i t h i n w h i c h t h e F l o w e r s o f O u r L a d y a r e p r e s e n t e d . Y o u c a g o
t h r o u g h i t s e c t i o ns f r o m a c l i c k - i n d e x .
I a m p l e a s e d t h a t 2 0 o r 3 0 p e o p l e a c c e s s t h i s R e f e r e n c e e v e r y d a y .
D o e s y o u r f a t h e r h a v e a c o m p u t e r w h i c h r e a d s o u t m e s s a g e s f o r y o u
t o h e a r , s e n t e n c e b y s e n t e n c e - t o s p a r e y o u r e y e s ? M y M a c i n t o s h
c o m p u t e r h a s s u c h a f e a t u r e , b u t I " m n o t s u r e a b o u t W i n d o w s
P r a y e r f u l b e s t w i s h e s t o y o u f o r 2 0 0 5 , a n d i n p r e p a r a t i o n f o r y o u r
2 0 F e b C o n s e c r a t i o n c e r e m o n y .
27 Feb 2005, John
This is to congratulate you on your consecration February 20.
I would appreciate any spiritual thoughts you might want to share
with me.
Do you have a photo in your consecration dress you can send?
Sincerely, in Jesus and Mary,
27 Feb 2005, Diane
My consecration day was beautiful. I carried a lovely bouquet of
white roses and fragrant oriental lilies. I was joyous and my
bishop was quite moved by it all.
I truly believe we experienced a union of heaven and earth at my
consecration. We had a harpist at the reception, and now I am
thinking of taking an interest in the harp. I sang one of my songs
at the offertory. We had the entire mass videoed.
Thanks for your prayers and interest. Here are some images for you.
I sent the explanation of consecrated virginity with the invitation
and I handed out the card with the printing on the back as a
remembrance at my reception. I am also enclosing a photo of myself,
the bishop and other consecrated virgins taken at Our Lady of
Lourdes church.
Prayerfully,
Consecrated Virginity
The custom of consecrating women to a life of
virginity flourished in the very early church. It led to
the formation of a solemn rite in which the virgin
becomes a sacred person.
As the bride of Christ she is a surpassing sign of
the Churchesı love for her Lord and Savior. She is
mystically betrothed to Christ and her life is a
beautiful expression of the Church's wedded love for her
heavenly Bridegroom. Reflecting the life of angels she
is an image of the resurrected life and the kingdom of
heaven.
The consecrated virgin joyfully imitates the life of
virginal love lived by the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Queen
of the virgins is her guide and inspiration, leading her
to love Jesus with a pure and undivided heart. In union
with the maternal heart of Mary she exercises a spiritual
motherhood of souls, praying and working for their
salvation. We are reminded of the significance of
virginity in the mystery of the Incarnation.
In the rite of consecration the Church reveals its
love of virginity, begs Godıs grace on those who are
consecrated and prays with fervor for an outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. The bishop is the minister of the
consecration of virgins and the commitment is permanent.
It is the Holy Spirit who bestows this gift of
virginity and the heart of the Divine Spouse who draws
the virgin to himself.
03 Mar 2005, John
Thank you for the beautiful message and attached photos and
texts from your wonderful consecration ceremony. They are now
posted to CHAT - Nov 4, 2003 at the end (takes a long time to open
now, with all the graphics).
In making the posting I was reminded that your two articles,
"Word and Witness - The Consecrated Virgin and Evangelization" and
"A Consecrated Virgin's Bouquet - Gathered from the Immaculate
Heart of Mary", which you sent me last 17 Nov were not posted at
that time.
I recall the first was written at the request of your Bishop.
The second is probably the most beautiful and extensive
article written on Our Lady's Flowers, and is even more meaningful
as I read it following your consecration.
Shall I post one or both now?
Would I be able to obtain a copy of the videotape of the
Consecration Mass - for my private viewing? I'm sure the Bishop's
homily was most beautiful and meaningful.
I was most interested to read in "Diane's CV History":
"Consecrated virginity actually developed fairly early
in the Church, well before the emergence of monastic
orders and religious communities. . . . Around the 10th
century the rite fell into disuse for women living in
the world, but continued to be used for nuns in
monasteries. After Vatican II, in the 1970s, the rite
was restored."
As I see it, the division of the initial full Christian life
lived by all in the early Church into the "religious" and "lay"
lives resulted in a watering down of the latter, which is is to be
reversed if the coming of God's Kingdom is to proceed. In this the
restoration of lay consecration by Vatican II is a plus, as is your
example of availing yourself of the consecration.
Blessings,
12 Mar 2005, Diane
Perhaps it would be helpful to others if you posted my articles.
When we get the finished video tape back we hope to be able to make
copies for others to view.
Yes it is interesting that consecrated virginity was the first
form of consecrated life for women in the church. We are
technically considered consecrated and not lay persons even though
we live out our vocation in the world.
Prayerfully,
The Consecrated Virgin and Evangelization
by Diane Christine Farr
The consecrated virgin is called to live a life of pure love and
profound union with her Spouse, Jesus Christ the Word Incarnate. It
is this life of love and deep union with God that she is also called
to witness to the whole Church and to the world in which she lives.
In some ways her life will be hidden like that of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
Nevertheless, she will be provided with ample opportunities to take
her part in the work of evangelization. She will bring to this work,
as only she can, the special gifts of her state in life and the
tremendous graces of virginal consecration.
A person who is not familiar with the beautiful and deeply spiritual
aspects of consecrated virginity may ask if this vocation is a
normal one. If we judge things according to our society and the
culture in which we live we could answer that it is not normal. It
is important to note that many things that are considered normal and
acceptable in our culture are completely opposed to the standards of
our holy Catholic Church, and vice versa.
This is especially true of matters dealing with human sexuality. We
have seen that when sexual relations are separated from God's plan
for the Sacrament of Marriage they become completely disordered. We
have also seen how the mass media encourages women to degrade
themselves, being lowered to mere objects of sexual pleasure. Young
women are not taught the dignity and value they possess in body and
soul. It is always refreshing when we meet young people with a sense
of self-respect and an appreciation for holy purity.
Esteem for the preservation of virginity is not held in high regard
in the world in which we live. This call to consecrated virginity
however, should be seen as a normal invitation and response given to
and embraced by some of the daughters of the Church.
We remember Christ's words, while we are in the world we are not of
the world. Since the Church is the bride of Christ it is only
natural that some of her members would be led by the Holy Spirit to
live lives that more fully express the profound meaning of this
ancient title. Pope John Paul II reminds us that God's initiative is
at the root of every vocation. He also says concerning virginity
that this decision is the choice of greater values, rather than the
renunciation of human values.
Consecrated virginity is a counter-cultural witness that is very
much needed in our Church today. This vocation promotes the honor
and dignity of women that God bestowed in creating them. It creates
an awareness of the reverence we should all have for virginity
preserved and elevated by consecration to the honor and glory of the
Heavenly Bridegroom of the Church. It should be kept in mind that
consecrated virginity does not imply giving up something, rather, it
is preserving a precious God given gift for His love alone.
The Catechism states, "From apostolic times Christian virgins,
called by the Lord to cling only to Him with greater freedom of
heart, body, and spirit, have decided with the Church's approval to
live in a state of virginity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven."
The consecrated virgin is truly grateful for the freedom she
experiences in virginity which has its beginning and its end in
Christ alone. For her virginity of heart and of the body mirror one
another as they did in the Blessed Virgin Mary. The prayer of
consecration reads, "Among your many gifts you give to some the
grace of virginity." If it is genuine, this gift is felt and
cultivated on every level of the virgin's being. Our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Word Incarnate, manifesting his presence enters the
virgin's heart in a unique and singular manner. Thus her life
becomes a wonderful witness to a fuller understanding of the
interior dispositions of Our Lady.
Aided by His grace, the consecrated virgin comes to love God for
himself, because she believes that in love he has created her and
drawn her to Himself. The example of her life along with her prayer
must evangelize and draw other people into this Divine Love.
Consecrated virginity is an exquisite manifestation of the love and
tenderness Christ has for his bride, the Church, as well as the
Church's total and exclusive love for her Savior and her Spouse. It
proclaims to all God's people the primacy of a deep and loving union
with God above all other things. The testimony of her life will be a
source of insight and inspiration not only to other members of the
Church but to people the consecrated virgin meets in the world.
In the works of evangelization the consecrated virgin offers a
challenging new concept to our separated brethren. When this
vocation is mentioned, they sometimes assume one is talking about
preserving one's chastity until marriage. The consecrated virgin's
witness and testimony gives Protestants a whole new meaning to what
it is to be totally committed to Christ.
The eschatological nature of this vocation also puts a new focus on
what it means to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The
virgin's heart, as it were, already dwells in heaven. Her union with
Christ is unmediated by the temporal sign of an earthly marriage.
The beauty and perpetual nature of her virginal state is a powerful
sign of resurrected life. As her Bridegroom, the risen Lord Jesus
comes through the locked doors of her virginity, manifesting the
peace and intimacy of his Divine Heart. This beautiful and holy
nuptial bond that Christ forms with his virgin reminds the entire
Church that we are all temples of the Holy Spirit.
The consecrated virgin recalls all of the people of God to a deeper
life of prayer and a higher participation in the divine life of the
Holy Trinity. She highlights the reality that Christ desires that we
do all things together with Him, thus divinizing all of our acts.
This is what Marmion has to say concerning the virginal spouse of
Christ: "She lives for the Word when she does not concern herself,
nor act save for the interests and glory of her Spouse; when she
applies her memory, imagination, intelligence, heart, will, all her
powers, all her activity in the service of the Word to know Him
better, to love Him more, and also to make Him better known and
loved by others."
This statement beautifully summarizes the meaning of the title of
this article. The consecrated virgin must attentively apply her
whole being to listening to the divine person of the Word Incarnate.
When she comes to know and love her spouse, her heart's response
will be to want to draw all people to know and love the divine and
Eternal Word of God. She becomes a witness of the Word.
The consecrated virgin experiences virginity as a joyful fullness in
Christ. The heavenly Bridegroom touches and blesses her virginity
with newness and a freshness that resembles the morning dew
glistening upon the budding flowers in springtime. When He presses
this sweet bouquet to his Divine Heart it releases its delightful
fragrance, giving joy to the whole church. The intensely spousal
nature of consecrated virginity reminds all of those called to
consecrated life that their vocation is supposed to be an intimate
and loving friendship with God, not a career.
Since she has been constituted a sacred person, the consecrated
virgin reinforces the truth that all life is holy and comes from
God. She is wedded to the Word Incarnate who Himself is the source
of life, thus she has a significant role to play in promoting the
culture of life. The consecrated virgin is a striking icon of the
Church, exercising the roles of virgin, bride and mother. Since her
motherhood is a motherhood of the spirit, she carries it into
everything that she does. This includes her prayer, and her works of
mercy and evangelization. Since she prays in union with the whole
Church, she is ever intent upon the salvation of souls. She unites
her sufferings to those of Christ for the work of redemption.
The consecrated virgin's witness is given in the world. The example
of her love and her fidelity to Christ shows all people that it is
possible to live a life of great holiness even in the world. The
beauty of her life of virginal innocence is a radical and much
needed correction to a culture in which gravely sinful behavior is
acceptable. Many people in the world have told me that what makes
this calling so special is that it is rather uncommon and not given
to everyone.
When a bishop along with his diocese embraces the vocation of
consecrated virginity, he reaffirms the Church's esteem and
reverence for virginal purity in women. It makes a strong and
positive statement in favor of the honor and dignity God bestowed in
his creation of women. He takes the stand against low moral
standards of the culture in which we live. He also confirms that a
call to perpetual virginity is not only beautiful, but also a normal
and legitimate response of a Christian woman to the infinite love of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the Holy Spirit who instills a love for virginity dedicated to
Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can illumine the heart with a deep
understanding and appreciation of this great gift.
The Catechism has the following to say about this calling from God.
"Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven is an unfolding of
baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with
Christ and of the ardent expectation of His return, a sign that also
recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is
passing away."
The consecrated virgin has a deep respect for the sacrament of
marriage, since she considers herself the fruit of this holy union.
Her vocation is born within the family. She learns many lessons of
love and self-sacrifice from her parents. Thus one vocation is born
of and nourished by another, The vocation of marriage and virginity
compliment one another.
The consecrated virgin is called to witness to the world, the
boundless love and infinite mercy of God. Since Christ is her
strength, she seeks to be a support for other people with a heart
full of gentleness and compassion. So also should the entire
community of the Church support and affirm her in her lofty
vocation.
It is also hoped that consecrated virgins will influence our young
people to aspire to higher ideals in whatever vocation they are
called to in this world. Without good examples and role models, our
youth lacks the encouragement and guidance it needs to develop and
be well grounded in the Catholic Faith. Young women especially need
to understand the value and worth that God has endowed them with,
that they might have a greater sense of self-respect. Our children
need to be taught that their bodies not only house their immortal
souls, but that they are the sacred temples of the Holy Spirit.
By her participation at Mass and her reception of the Holy
Eucharist, the consecrated virgin reminds the entire Christian
community that the Eucharist is the highest nuptial gift Christ
offers to his bride, the Church. In giving the Eucharist he gives
himself, while uniting us all together in him.
When the virgin receives her Eucharistic Spouse she draws many
treasures from the heart of the Bridegroom, not only for herself but
also for the rest of the Church. If we knew the beauty that is
contained in the Holy Eucharist, this would be a tremendous aid in
our efforts of evangelization.
Our reflection would not be complete without considering the
greatest witness of the Word and Queen of virgins, Mary most holy.
At the Annunciation she received the Word made man, as he became
incarnate in her virginal womb. Our Lady became the first evangelist
when she visited Elizabeth and proclaimed her Magnificat. With great
faith and obedience Our Lady responded perfectly to God's plan for
her, thus becoming the pattern of perfect love for the Church to
follow. Within her resides the fullness of grace, and she is the
pure lily of true virginity.
Pope John Paul II tells us Mary came to a very firm decision
regarding her virginity. He states, "Mary did not hesitate to
express her desire to preserve her virginity even in view of the
proposed motherhood showing that her intention had matured over a
long period."
He goes on to say, "This inclination was always present in her
heart. The grace that prepared her for virginal motherhood certainly
influenced the whole growth of her personality, which the Holy
Spirit did not fail to inspire in her from her earliest years the
desire for total union with God."
The Holy Father also says, "By her decision however she becomes the
archetype of all those in the Church who have chosen to serve the
Lord with an undivided heart in virginity. Thus the face of Christ's
mother reflected in the many virgins who strive to follow the Divine
Master will continue to be the sign of God's mercy and tenderness
for humanity."
The Holy Father continues, "For women called to virginal chastity,
Mary reveals the lofty meaning of so special a vocation. Thus she
draws attention to the spiritual fruitfulness which it produces in
the divine plan: a higher order of motherhood, a motherhood
according to the Spirit."
From what the Holy Father says we can see that the consecrated
virgin's vocation is also an extension of the maternal mission of
our Blessed Mother. Her presence should help to promote a better
understanding of the role of Our Lady in the mysteries of our
salvation as well as the unique intimacy she had with God.
Virginity is a most fair flower which blossomed forth from the wood
of the Cross. It is a flower taken from the Divine Heart that made
its first appearance on earth in the heart of the Immaculate Virgin.
It is interesting to note that when defining the dogma of the
Assumption the Church cited Mary's perpetual virginity as one of the
reasons for this great privilege. St. John Damascene says, "It was
necessary that she who preserved her virginity inviolate in
childbirth should also have her body kept free from all corruption
after death.
The consecrated virgin considers it a great favor to be allowed to
preserve physical integrity. For in this she gives honor to the
Virgin of virgins in her body as well as her soul. She is a reminder
to the whole Church that the Virgin of Nazareth became the holy
tabernacle of God. Not only was she his daughter and his mother but
she also became his spouse.
Just as it is with all of God's gifts, the grace of virginity is the
work of the Holy Spirit. Just as it was with the Mother of God, the
grace of holy virginity is divinely infused into the heart of the
virgin God has chosen. Of course one must freely respond to this
invitation. When a woman recognizes the heavenly origin of this
pearl of great price, she joyfully offers the untouched flower of
her virginity to God and He gives it back to her embellished with a
divine beauty. Thus we see the reciprocal nature of this gift.
Consecrated virginity is the sweet bond of a very special intimacy
with the Heart of the Heavenly Bridegroom of the Church, not a
personal achievement. It is the gift of oneself, of one's whole
being to Jesus, who is infinite love. It is the happiness of a
virgin heart to belong completely to Jesus, to always wear the white
bridal dress and veil of consecrated virginal love. The grace of
virginal consecration is only received with great humility and
gratitude of heart. It is never received for oneself alone, but for
the good of the entire Church.
May the love and peace of Christ reign in all hearts.
Gathered from the Garden of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
by Diane Christine Farr
Consecrated virginity is a most exquisite flower that blossomed
forth from the wood of the cross. As St. Faustina said, it is a
flower taken from the Divine Heart. It first made its appearance on
earth in the heart of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
At the Annunciation, Our Lady expressed her firm resolve to preserve
her virginity when she asked the angel, "How shall this be since I
do not know man." Indeed it would be her virginity that God would
require in order to accomplish the mystery of the Incarnation. The
Catechism states, "In fact, Christ's birth did not diminish His
mother's virginal integrity, but sanctified it."
When a virgin is consecrated by her bishop, she is mystically
betrothed to Christ. She becomes a surpassing sign of the Church's
wedded love for her heavenly Bridegroom.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the most perfect image of what the church
is called to become. She is a most loving mother to all members of
the Church, and extending to all humanity.
Our Lady's title of Queen of Virgins is anticipated in this passage
from the psalms, "All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters;
her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she
is born in to the king, behind her the virgins of her train are
brought to you. They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter
the palace of the king." Psalm 45:14-16.
Oh the joy to be one of the virgins of her train, to follow holy
Mary in perpetual virginity and to be given with exclusive love to
the king. Only the love of the Divine Spouse can satisfy the longing
of the virginal heart. He will gently teach her the ways of perfect
love for God and for all souls.
The consecrated virgin finds in Our Lady the most extraordinary
beauty. She sees in her sweet Mother the perfect ideal, the mirror
of virginal love. She gathers from the garden of her Immaculate
heart a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Each flower speaks to her of a
different aspect of her unique vocation.
The first flower that the virgin gathers from the paradise of her
Mother's heart is the lovely and delicate white lily, emblem of
virginity. When she first hears the call of the Divine Spouse, she
inhales the perfume of the lily and takes into her heart the
fragrance of virginity. This fragrance penetrates into the depths of
her being and becomes the sign of the noble presence of her
Bridegroom.
The radiance of the lily reminds her that she will always be a bride
arrayed in virginal white. She will approach each Holy Communion as
if it were her first encounter with her only love. She considers it
a favor of great tenderness to be allowed to preserve virginal
integrity in honor of our Blessed Lady. This is best expressed in
the words of a letter written by St. Clare, "Thus you receive the
noblest of Bridegrooms, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will preserve the
treasure of your virginity always intact and unspotted. For His love
will be the sure protection of your chastity. His touch will purify
you more and more, and possessing Him you will always remain a
virgin."
Since virginity of the heart and body reflect one another this grace
is experienced as a joyful and intimate union with our Lord Jesus.
The white petals of the lily signify bodily purity while the golden
anthers speak of the light of divine grace within the soul. The
strong stem reminds the consecrated virgin that she is always rooted
in faith while she continues to grow in divine wisdom.
During her life she will carefully guard and preserve the wreath of
lilies that will become her unfading crown throughout all eternity.
In this she gives great honor to the "Virgin of Virgins." For the
crown of virginity is a special joy that the heart of the heavenly
mother imports to the humble hearts of those chosen handmaids.
Virginity becomes the celebrated sign of their unmediated union with
Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom of the Church.
The rose reminds the consecrated virgin that a continuous act of
pure love must crown all of her works. The heart of the Bridegroom
and the heart of the bride beat together as one. For the heart of
the Bridegroom lies open to her, that she might receive and
distribute its treasures. The thorns on the rose bush remind the
virgin of the painful wounds of ingratitude that her Beloved
receives from so many people. She also shares in His sorrow.
Red roses are a sign of the precious blood that was shed in order to
purchase her soul and give her such a beautiful vocation.
White rose signifies the joys of virginal innocence and the
simplicity of always maintaining the heart of a child.
Golden roses signify the crown of perfection that she hopes to
receive in heaven. She seeks always to love the heart of Jesus with
the Immaculate Heart of His Virgin Mother. For she is that "Mystical
Rose" whose heart became the tabernacle of her God.
The fragrance of the rose calls to mind Our Lady's loving presence
in our lives. The consecrated virgin offers each Ave Maria as a
fragrant rose from her bouquet to the "Queen of the Most Holy
Rosary."
On her wedding day the consecrated virgin offers her heart with joy
as a splendid rose to her most amiable Jesus. She will serve him
with angelic purity and seraphic love.
Throughout her life the consecrated virgin must gather many violets
for her bouquet for they symbolize her many acts of humility. Only
a meek and humble heart is able to receive with gratitude the
tremendous grace of virginal consecration. Only the lowly heart that
is not filled with selfish ambition has room to welcome our beloved
Lord Jesus.
The sweet scented little purple flowers that are found hidden among
the leaves are also known as Our Lady's modesty. The consecrated
virgin's witness is given in the world. The example of her life
must always proclaim the beauty of Our Lady's modesty and purity.
The prayer of consecration asks that she may have modesty with right
judgment. Simplicity and modesty must adorn her soul as well as her
outward appearance. Thus in all things she will strive to please
her Divine Spouse alone. She ponders the humility of His Heart as
He gives himself completely to her in the little white host.
The brilliant white snowdrop is the first flower of early spring and
it is called candlemas bells in honor of the Feast of the
Presentation of Our Lord in the temple. This flower reminds the
consecrated virgin that Christ is the light of the temple of her
soul. This light of divine grace helps her to see all things from a
divine perspective.
The pale yellow English primrose is a welcome sign of spring. The
word primrose means first rose. This flower reminds the consecrated
virgin that Christ who is the most beautiful rose has the first
place in her heart.
After the prayer of consecration the bishop places a ring on the
virgin's finger signifying the eternal love and fidelity promised in
this heavenly nuptial bond.
Baby's breath highlights the beauty of all of the other flowers in
the bouquet. It is known as Our Lady's veil. This veil signifies
Our Lady's purity and perfect love of God that affects the beauty of
all her other virtues.
In the rite of consecration, the virgin may receive a veil showing
her dedication to the service of Christ and his body the Church.
Christ sets the seal of his divine love upon the veil of her
virginity and she loves Him with an undivided heart. Her bridal
veil indicates that she will admit no other lover into the chamber
of her heart except Christ the Lord. Not only has she kept her
bodily purity but she also rejoices in and loves this holy state of
virginity to which God has called her. She also gives thanks for
the Sacrament of Marriage, for she sees herself as the fruit of this
holy union.
The carnation with its spicy scent and ruffled petals is known as
divine flower and symbolizes Mary's love of God. It represents the
mystery of the Incarnation.
The consecrated virgin ponders with great wonder and reverence the
truth that her Beloved is both true God and true man. In union with
the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mother she contemplates the
beauty of the true Divine Flower who makes his dwelling in her soul.
The prayer of consecration reads, "Those who choose chastity have
looked upon the face of Christ, its origin and inspiration. They
give themselves wholly to Christ, the Son of the ever Virgin Mary,
and the Heavenly Bridegroom of those who in his honor dedicate
themselves to lasting virginity.
The lovely white wood anemone blossoms in early spring in the
woodlands of England and Europe. It is called Candlemas caps and it
reminds the consecrated virgin of the hidden beauty she may discover
in the noble soul of the one we call the Immaculate Conception.
The yellow lady's slipper is a rare woodland orchid. Our Lady's
slipper reminds the consecrated virgin that the "Queen of virgins"
always walked in harmony with the Divine Will. By virtue of the
Immaculate Conception she was full of grace. In perfect purity her
life unfolded like a flower in the Heart of the Holy Trinity. It is
always in the light of the Divine Trinity that the virgin
contemplates her holy mother. She also seeks always to do the will
of her Father in heaven. The lady's slipper also calls to mind the
Visitation. The consecrated virgin is called to reveal the love of
God in acts of service to her neighbor.
The spotted lungwart, which has little bright bluebell like flowers,
is called Mary's milk drops. This is because of the white spots on
the leaves. The consecrated virgin shares in the spiritual
motherhood of Our Lady for all souls. She desires that all souls be
nourished by the milk of divine grace.
The chamomile, emblem of humility is called Mary's plant or St.
Anne's flower. Speaking of the parents of Mary, St. John Damascene
writes, "For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have
fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before,
during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain
her virginity in mind and soul as well as body."
The consecrated virgin prays that through the intercession of the
saints a similar work may be wrought in her.
Our Lady's bedstraw, with its frothy golden flowers was said to be
one of the sweet-smelling herbs present in the manger hay at
Bethlehem. The consecrated virgin prays that with her holy Mother's
help she will welcome her Beloved into the tabernacle of her heart
with a gentleness and simplicity that befits her vocation. She
always strives to imitate the interior dispositions of Our Lady.
Veronica with its spikes of blue cross-shaped flowers is an emblem
of fidelity and sanctity. It symbolizes the great faith Our Lady
exercised throughout her life and especially during her Son's
passion and death. The consecrated virgin prays that she will have
the courage of the woman whose name this flower bears. She asks her
dear Jesus to imprint the beauty of his heavenly face upon the veil
of her virgin heart. In coming to know her Spouse she begins to
understand the horror of sin and the great suffering it caused Our
Blessed Lord.
Virginian stock with its tiny pink and white four-petaled blossoms
is known as the Virgin's cross. The consecrated virgin stands next
to Our Lady under the cross of her Son. Both contemplating His
passion and in comforting those who are suffering. She endeavors to
view her own sufferings as a privileged path of love and
sanctification. She unites them to the redemptive sufferings and
death of Christ, for the salvation of souls.
The butterfly-like flowers of cyclamen with their delicate fragrance
symbolize the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Blessed Mary,
whose heart was so full of virginal beauty comprehended the
sentiments and sufferings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus more fully
than any other person. In view of her great purity, she saw more
clearly the ugliness of sin and its consequences.
The consecrated virgin knows that she always stands in need of God's
mercy. She daily turns with confidence to the heart of her
Bridegroom, trusting that his healing love will make up for what she
lacks.
The pasque flower, meaning Easter flower is a beautiful member of
the anemone family with luminous purple flowers bearing golden
stamens. It reminds the consecrated virgin that she lives at the
heart of the Paschal Mystery. The sacrifice and celebration of Holy
Mass is at the center of her life.
The prayer of the consecration reads, "Among your many gifts you
give to some the grace of virginity." Recognizing her own
nothingness the consecrated virgin daily offers a prayer of
gratitude and thanksgiving for her unique vocation. She knows that
it is through the cross and merits of her Savior that she is able to
share in the life of virginal love lived by Our Blessed Mother.
Lady's mantle has large soft leaves that look like the folds of a
dress and sprays of dainty chartreuse flowers. Borage, with its
blue stars and the familiar morning glory are also known as Our
Lady's Mantle. The May-flowering Lady's smock has clusters of four
petaled orchid colored flowers.
Our Lady, who is the, "Seat of Wisdom," enfolds the consecrated
virgin in her virginal mantle. The virgin enters deeply into the
heart of her Mother, asking to be clothed with her own virtues and
dispositions. It is her Mother who will clothe and adorn her for
her Spouse. She will be presented to Him in the white bridal dress
of virginal innocence.
The lily of the valley, known as Our Lady's tears and ladder to
heaven is a most fitting symbol of the Immaculate Conception. It was
this great privilege that enhanced the beauty of Our Lady's
virginity and perfect charity. The sweet-scented white lily bells
are hidden among the green leaves. This reminds the consecrated
virgin that the adornments of sublime virginity are reserved for her
Divine Spouse alone for He has come down into His garden to gather
lilies for Himself. The consecrated virgin finds it to be her
greatest joy in seeking to please her Spouse alone. She knows it is
not enough to preserve but also to love the sweet gift of virginity.
For it is through this love that her Spouse is able to manifest
himself with such tenderness.
Columbine, with its graceful and delicate blooms, are called Our
Lady's shoes and are a symbol of her innocence and the Holy Spirit.
The Blessed Virgin always walked in the way of innocence for she is
the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
In the rite of consecration the Church asks God to pour out the Holy
Spirit of his love on those being consecrated to His service. It is
the Holy Spirit and His seven-fold gifts that illumine the virgin's
heart and enables her to perceive and understand the call to
consecrated virginity. It is the gift of wisdom that enables her to
taste and experience the love and goodness of God in bestowing this
particular vocation.
The tulip, with its folded petals, signifies Our Lady's prayer. The
consecrated virgin imitates the Virgin of Nazareth at prayer. She
welcomes the Divine Person of the Word Incarnate as she attentively
applies her whole being to listening to Him. In union with the
whole Church, she prays the Liturgy of the Hours, interceding for
all of God's people.
The petunia is called Our Lady's praises. The consecrated virgin is
called to make present in this world the beauty and mystery of holy
Mary's life of virginal love. In this she honors her Mother while
her life becomes one of pure praise to her God.
The daisy is called Mary's star. Truly she who is known as the
"Star of the Sea" is the guiding light in the consecrated virgin's
life. She prays that the virgin most faithful will help her to
maintain perfect patience and trust especially during the
difficulties of life. Mary is the brightest star leading all souls
to Jesus.
The chrysanthemum is a symbol of the Epiphany. The consecrated
virgin kneels in adoration before her humble King. She imitates the
"Mother most Chaste" in offering to Him the gold of virginity, the
frankincense of constant prayer and the myrrh of works of charity.
Lavender is called Our Lady's drying plant because it was said that
she spread newly washed clothes over it to dry. It symbolizes the
purity and holiness of the "Virgin most Venerable." Just as it was
with Our Lady the consecrated virgin's witness is given to the
world. The example of her life should give forth the clean
fragrance of the love of an undivided heart.
Rosemary with its pine-like aroma and dainty blue flowers is known
as Our Lady's nosegay. She is the "Ark of the New Covenant" for
within her was contained the Holy of Holies. The prayer of
consecration reads, "be yourself their glory, their joy, their whole
desire." The consecrated virgin wishes that the image of her
Bridegroom be perfectly reproduced in her, that she might offer Him
the fragrance of a pure heart.
The calendula has always been known as Mary's gold or Mary's buds.
This name is also applied to the garden marigolds native to Mexico.
As the masterpiece of the Holy Trinity, Mary is the, "House of
Gold." The marigold signifies Mary's total gift of herself and her
obedience to the Divine Will at the Annunciation.
Just as Our Lady before her, the consecrated virgin offers to God
the tender and delicate flower of her virginity. He sanctifies it
and gives it back to her embellished with a divine beauty. Of
course it is the Divine Gardener who first plants this flower in the
heart of the chosen virgin that she might freely offer it to Him.
This is why it is said that in the rite of consecration the Church
reveals its love of virginity.
Since it bears flowers and fruit at the same time, the strawberry
is a symbol of the fruitful virginity of the Mother Inviolate. The
consecrated virgin must blossom and bear fruit in the garden of the
Church as she brings the love of Christ to others. The prayer of
consecration reads, "Through the gift of your spirit Lord, give them
modesty with right judgment, kindness with true wisdom, gentleness
with strength of character, freedom with grace of chastity."
Virginal chastity brings with it a freedom of heart, body and
spirit. The virgin love her God supremely and all others in Him.
She hopes to be a wise and prudent virgin, imitating Our Lady's
great modesty, kindness and gentleness.
The graceful nodding flowers of bluebells are called Our Lady's
thimble. Mary, who is the singular "Vessel of devotion," worked
diligently in the home at Nazareth.
Each consecrated virgin brings her own unique gifts and talents to
her service in the Church. Hers is a motherhood of the spirit,
taking all souls into her heart and lifting them up to God. The
consecrated virgin honors the Sacrament of Marriage for her vocation
was born in and nourished by the family.
The rose campion is called Mary's rose. We may also call these
bright cerise flowers rose of heaven since they are often found in
paintings of paradise gardens. The "Queen of Angels" lived an
ordinary life with an extraordinary love.
The homily for the rite of consecration reads," The Church is the
Bride of Christ. This title of the Church was given by the Fathers
and Doctors of the Church to these like you who speak to us of the
world to come, where there is not marrying or giving in marriage."
The consecrated virgin must truly be a rose of the kingdom of
heaven. For the beauty of her perpetual virginal state is an
anticipation of the Resurrection. With the whole Church she awaits
the return of the Bridegroom.
The pearly everlasting with its white clusters of long lasting
flowers is called lady never fade. This is what Guernic of Igny
says concerning the, "mother most pure," "His birth could in no way
injure the physical integrity of His mother, this child who went
about making the diseased whole. Though she is a holy virgin, the
flower of virginity in her is multiform. In her by a singular
privilege, it grows in greater profusion than in anyone else. She
who was wholly beautiful within and without, was bedecked with the
perfect fullness of the blossom and loveliness of virginity." The
consecrated virgin experiences virginity as a foretaste of heaven.
It is the unfading flower with an everlasting fragrance. The prayer
of consecration reads; "May nothing tarnish the glory of perfect
virginity or the vocation of purity which is shared by those who are
married." The consecrated virgin is favored with honoring the Mother
of God in her body, since she does not suffer the loss of virginal
integrity. We recall the Eucharistic prayer for Christmas. "In union
with the whole Church we celebrate that day when Mary without loss
of her virginity gave the worlds its savior."
The late flowering, fragrant white hosta is called Assumption Lily.
The Church sites Our Ladyıs perpetual virginity as one of the
reasons for this great privilege. Indeed all her privileges are
linked together in the mystery of her divine motherhood.
The consecrated virgin contemplates the pattern of true holiness in
the "Queen Assumed Into Heaven." For as the sunflower always turns
toward the sun, her heart has always turned toward the Divine Will
for she is also the Queen conceived without sin which means she is
full of grace. So also the consecrated virginıs heart must be a
place of perfect rest and repose for her Beloved Jesus.
The yellow flag iris is a striking symbol of the Queenship of the
Blessed Virgin. The shape of the leaves prompted some to call it
Mary's sword of sorrow. She, who is the "Queen of Virgins and of
all Saints," stood by the cross of her Son and shared in His
glorious triumph. Within the communion of saints the joy of one is
the joy of all. St. Cyprian says of the Church, "The more numerous
her virgins are, the greater is her joy."
The blue cornflower is called Mary's crown. As a devoted daughter
the consecrated virgin places the flowers of her prayers and good
works in the crown of the "Mother most Amiable."
The forget-me-not is known as the eyes of Mary. The eyes of the
"Virgin most Prudent" were always fixed on God that she might
fulfill perfectly the Divine Will. Her motherly heart beat in
unison with that of her Divine Son. He was her love and her bliss.
The consecrated virgin must never forget that she must do all things
together with her Divine Spouse. She reminds the entire people of
God that we are all the temples of the Holy Spirit. God calls each
one of us to a deeper life of prayer and a higher participation in
the divine life of the Most Holy Trinity.
The wild pansy with its purple, white and yellow flowers is called
herb Trinity or Our Lady's delight. It was the delight of the
"Virgin Most Renown" to always keep her thoughts on the Holy
Trinity. Her faithful handmaids must do likewise, with meek and
humble hearts.
The jonquil narcissus is sometimes called St. Joseph's staff. He
who loved and cherished the Mother Undefiled is rightly called the
"Guardian of Virgins." The consecrated virgin places herself under
his special care and protection.
The sea pink is known as Our Lady's cushion and the fuchsia is Our
Lady's eardrop. The consecrated virgin must reverently imitate the
"Mother most Admirable" as she sat and pondered everything
concerning her beloved Son. The virgin must have a listening heart
that she might welcome her Bridegroom at every moment.
The fragrant hyacinth is called the lily among thorns. The
consecrated virgin recognizes Mary, the "Vessel of Honor", as her
shining and perfect ideal. She is the archetype for all the virgins
who will follow in her train.
Soapwort with its sweet scented soft pink flowers is known as Our
Lady by the gate. She, who is the "Cause Of Our Joy", stands at the
gate of the virgin's heart, and will lead her into the gate of
heaven. It is she who will teach the new canticle sung by the
virgins who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
The pretty blue love-in-a-mist is called Mary in the shade. The
snow-white clematis is the Virgin's bower. The "Tower of Ivory"
guarded her virginal purity with acts of self-denial and holy
recollection. A virgin is who she was. For her experience of
virginity was intimately woven into the pattern of her love for God.
It was the channel through which the Incarnation was accomplished.
If the consecrated virgin wishes to cultivate the most beautiful and
fragrant lilies she must also learn to cultivate the interior life.
If she wishes to live a life of profound union with her Divine
Spouse she must study the virtues of His Heart so as to imitate
them. She must truly come to know and love her Spouse the Word
Incarnate. If she wants her heart to be a beautiful garden
enclosed, blooming for her Jesus alone, she must allow her holy
Mother to help her fashion a lovely bridal dress composed of many
acts of perfect love. She must learn the value of silence so that
she may listen to the Word. She must be ever grateful for the favor
of virginity of heart and of body, as they mirror one another. It
is vitally important that she generously serves her Spouse in the
needs of