Image by Christiane from Pixabay
All who ask receive, those who seek, find, and those who knock it shall be opened. Therefore, let us knock at the beautiful garden of Scripture. It is fragrant, sweet and blooming with various sounds of spiritual and divinely inspired birds. They sing all around our ears, capture our hearts, comfort the mourners, pacify the angry, and fill us with everlasting joy. ~ St. John of Damascus
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3
God’s love for us is greater than we could ever imagine. By Christ’s Resurrection, He takes the ashes of grief and sin, and transforms them into beauty, hope, and joy.
The highest form of prayer is to stand silently in awe before God. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian
The pansy is called the Trinity Flower because of its three-petal shape.
Pansy colours of white, yellow, and purple flowers also remind us of the Virgin Mary’s life… recounting her purity, joy, and mourning, respectively.
Today’s modern Pansy flower originated from its ancient cousin – the wild, European viola, also known as heartsease. In Victorian floriography, the pansy represented thoughts and remembrance, and its name came from the French word pensée.
Pansies and wild violets have medicinal properties and were beloved by herbalists for centuries. They were used for skin complaints, respiratory problems, chest infections, and making dyes.
Besides enjoying their simple beauty in a fragrant bouquet, organic pansies and violas are also edible. They can be candied, used in salads as garnish, decoration for cake tops, and cookies.
Nobody can keep on being angry if she looks into the heart of a pansy for a little while. ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian author – Anne of Green Gables
Cemetery – Rome, Italy 2006
Penitential tears are like a second baptism. They wash away the stains on our soul, enlighten our mind, and cleanse our conscience.
For much as after a violent burst of rain, there is a clear open sky; so likewise when tears are pouring down, a calm arises, and serenity, and the darkness that ensues on our sins quite disappears. ~ St. John Chrysostom, late 3rd century
