Flowers

In many Catholic churches, flowers are the most commonly used decorations in the sanctuary. They can be found near the altar at Mass, or in front of statues and other prominent works of art. Flowers serve the purpose of reminding us of God's creation and the beauty of his handiwork. Nikolaus Gihr, in his book The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, elaborates on this spiritual meaning.

“A holy religious, the Capuchin Francis Borgia, used to say: "God has left us from Paradise three things: the stars, the flowers, and the eyes of a child." In fact, flowers have in God's creation a place entirely their own; they are on the globe of the earth what the stars are in the canopy of heaven — uneffaced traces of a former world, the earthly Paradise, the least affected by the curse of sin. In the splendor of their colors, in their fragrance, they are revelations of the beauty and goodness of God, emblems of His benevolence, images of His first, true designs (Isa.. 25, 1)”

Flowers also remind us of the spiritual life and the virtues we should acquire within our hearts. Gihr continues:

“Flowers also symbolize those supernatural prerogatives, graces, and virtues with which the soul should be adorned; for the saints bloom as the lily and they are in the presence of God as the odor of balsam. Flowers, by reason of their freshness and beauty, which they receive from the sun and which they turn towards it, are emblems of that innocence and holiness we derive from Christ, the Sun of Justice, and with which we again glorify Him as the Sun of our spiritual life. — The flowers on the altar signify, moreover, that the blossoms of grace, prayer, and virtue unfold in the supernatural light and in the heavenly warmth which radiates from the sun of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.”

Additionally, the cut flowers, as they exhaust their life and wither while giving beauty and fragrance, are parallels of the life of Christ: offering a sacrifice to the glory of God through the giving of their life.

You can help provide for the weekly flower arrangements in the Church Sanctuary near the Tabernacle and in front of the Monstrance in the Adoration Chapel, with a prayer intention for someone associated with your donation! The name of the person in whose honor you are making the donation will be publicly displayed as a prayer request for that week.

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