Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Lillies







A few lilies for tomorrow's Feast of the Annunciation.



The Lily in Christian art is a well known symbol of chastity, innocence and purity.In pictures of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel is sometimes depicted holding a Lily branch, or Mary herself is clasping a Lily, or there is a Lily in the vicinity.
" Hail Mary fairest flower O Lily glistening white and stainless !I greet you at this time with Gabriel's words sublime,Ave O maid so highly favoured!"
There is an old tradition that the Lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went forth from paradise. Here Mary can be seen as the New Eve, the Mother of life, who bore the fruit that redeemed us all from sin and every fall.The Lily in the language of flowers means, "Majesty". The Lily as we know it today is a trumpet like flower, stately and noble. Its large petals open and surrender to the light. It exudes a beautiful perfume, and bears a high pollen yield. The white Lily when it is full open resembles a star. It is a flower of great beauty and it is easy to see why artists have so often placed it within pictures of the Holy Virgin.




No comments: