“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” ~ Lady Bird Johnson
Easter has always been difficult for me as I stand at the altar celebrating Mass. It is difficult because I have seasonal allergies and the flowers around the altar are enough to make my eyes itch, my nose run, and my throat sore. But, I would not change it for anything in the world because the flowers of Easter always speak to me not about allergies but about hope.
The smell of a lily is enough to make me think Easter. The sight of lilies, tulips, and all the flowers of spring, make me smile and make me somehow hopeful. I know it is hard to ascribe hope to a flower, yet, there it is. Flowers bring us joy and hope. Flowers are also symbols of love. When we give flowers to one another, we are saying that the recipient has a special place in our hearts. Flowers are signs of commitment which is another reflection of hope.
We have experienced crazy weather the past couple of weeks. Cold and warm, sunny, rainy, and snowy. Yet, through it all, I have been on my back deck every day looking down at the flower gardens. They are growing. Some, the daffodils and hyacinths, have already bloomed, and others are getting ready to bloom as well. The garden gives me a lift as I anticipate the colors and smells of the season.
I think that is why we use so many flowers around Easter. They are reminders to us of new life, not just in nature as we experience annually, but in our own lives as we anticipate the day that God calls us to Himself. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we have the hope of resurrection. What better hope, what better glory, could we possibly anticipate?
Let the flowers of spring remind us of the hope that is all around us and the hope of eternal joy that awaits us.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for those who have lost hope that they might turn to the Lord and find what they need.