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                                               Intro Mary Garden

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The Knock Mary Garden

John S. Stokes Jr.    The Knock Shrine Journal, 1985 (Rev 1997)
			
     The Mary Garden at the Knock Shrine of Our Lady, together with
the profuse planting of flowers throughout the shrine grounds,
serves as a fitting setting and preparation for meditation on the
silent symbolism of Mary's appearance at Knock with the Heavenly
Lamb, Angels, St. Joseph and St. John on a wet Thursday evening,
August 21st, 1879.

     Meditation on the shapes, colors, fragrance and growth of the
flowers which have been seen through the centuries as mirrors of
Mary's person, life, excellences and mysteries attunes us for
meditation on the silent symbolism of her hands, of the rose at
her forehead, and of her crown, through which she communicated with
us in her appearance as heavenly Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, as
represented in the sculptured tableau of her appearance at the Knock
parish church gable.

     In this, she revealed how in heaven she channels with her hands
our rising prayers into incorporation with the sacrificial offering
of the Heavenly Lamb who was Slain, which is then taken up by
circulating angels for transport by them to the interior of the
Trinity, from which these angels then return with petitioned and
gratuitous graces - channeled, again, by the hands of Mary,
Angels' Queen, for distribution on earth by the Angelic
heirarchies.

     In preparation for entering into the spiritual flow of the
Tableau, the flowers of the Mary Garden quicken reflection on the
Mysteries of the Rosary, while the roses throughout the garden
symbolize the subtle spiritual flowers which emerge from our lips
as rising vehicles for the transport of the Paters and Aves of our
Rosary prayers to Our Lady's hands in heaven - giving rise to the
name "Rosary" for the Psalter of Our Lady (cf. Catholic
Encyclopedia, 1910).

     For those new to the medieval symbolism of flowers, markers in
the Mary Garden beds give the old flower names which serve as keys
to their forms and colors symbolizing Our Lady's Mysteries of the
Rosary.

     Thus, the upwards facing trumpet of the Madonna or Annunciation
Lily symbolizes the pure, humble, baptismal opening of ourselves
to the grace and spirit of the Annunciation; and the blowing of
the thistle seed in the wind symbolizes, for our emulation, the
graceful steps taken by Mary, with Our Lady's Slippers on her
feet, in the Visitation.

     The golden radiance of Our Lady's Bedstraw symbolizes the
mystical descent of heavenly glory, and the birth of the Christ
Child within, us as we celebrate the Nativity.  The blooms of the
Christmas Rose recall the legend of the offering of the first
roses to Mary and Jesus, at the manger.  The light of Our Lady's
Candles, and whiteness of Candmas Bells, symbolize our
purification, and illumination by the Light to the Gentiles as we
meditate on the Presentation.  The pointed spears of iris foliage
recall Simeon's prophecy of the sword of sorrow to pierce Mary's
soul as Mother of the suffering Redeemer.

     The descent of the Divine Wisdom, as manifested at the Finding
of Jesus in the Temple teaching the Elders, is symbolized by the Rod
of Jesse, on whose flower the Spirit of God comes to rest, and
also by the Rose of Jericho and Fair Olive Tree of Wisdom taking
root in an honourable people

     The numerous Flowers of the Passion symbolize Christ's bloody
sweat of the Agony in the Garden; the lash, the Scourging at the
Pillar; the reed and crown of thorns, the Mocking of Christ; the
Carrying of the Cross; and the Crucifixion - through which we are
ascetically to mortify our will, bodily desires and intellect, and
to embrace the carrying of our crosses, so that through our own
mystical crucifixion, our soul, in union with the piercing of
Mary's soul with the Sword of Sorrows, may be freed to extend
heavenward with Christ as he commends his spirit into his Father's
hands.

     The many flower symbols of the glorious Resurrection and
Ascension of Christ, of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and of the
Assumption and Coronation of Mary, quicken us to strive so that our
spiritual heart, mind and strength may be liberated and purified
to rise mystically  with our souls that they may be filled with
grace, light, word and power, as we promote instrumentally, in a
union of love with Blessed Mary Immaculate, God's work of
Salvation, Conversion, Renewal and Kingdom on earth.

     Thus attuned to the Rosary mysteries, we return to offer our
prayers to Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, at the sculptured
tableau in the central Apparition Gable of the Shrine, and to her
Divine Son and Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.


Reprinted with permission.