Golden gorse, you gladly sing
To greet the birth of Christ our King.
Drifts of bluebells softly say:
Remember Mary every day.
Snow-white hawthorn tells us of
Transfiguration by God’s love.
Blackthorn gives a warning cry:
Jesus lives, yet he must die.
Swaying palms, you shout with loud
Hosannas, like the joyful crowd.
A tree is felled, to make the cross
On which Christ’s life-blood will be lost.
Fragile primrose whispers: pain
And death; but he will rise again.
Easter lily, awed and hushed:
He lives in me. It is enough.
References
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20; NLT).
Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38; KJV).
There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2; NIV).
This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him! (Mark 9:7; NLT).
The Son of Man must die, as the scriptures declared long ago (Matthew 26:24; NLT).
The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna!” (John 12:12-13; RSV).
Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).
Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day (Luke 24:7; NLT).
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
This is so beautiful, Ruth. xxx
You are so kind! I was concerned that this prayer wouldn’t go down well, so I’m delighted that at least one person likes it! XXXXXXX
People often miss posts because of being caught up in other things. I love the flower/plant significance. I’ve heard of ‘Mary gardens’ where people grow flowers significant to Mary … it would be lovely to be able to create a garden with all sorts of religious meaning. It would be a great project!
It would indeed be a wonderful project! Your words made me see a “Mary’s Garden” in my mind’s eye straightaway – banks of white flowers and of blue, a wooden bower with a statue of Mary, plants twining up and around the structure; weeping willows, bird-feeders, comfortable benches to sit on whilst contemplating all the beauty… There would be well-made, winding paths, smooth and easy for people with walking frames, or wheelchairs, and many places to rest, each feeling very private and secluded. Maybe there could even be a small, sheltering, wooden, contemplation hut, with overhanging eaves, a big glass window, a heater, a reclining chair and plenty of space for people using wheelchairs. Then we could sit in silence, looking out at the garden, whatever the weather. I’ll never forget visiting a large Japanese meditation garden in thunder and teeming rain, and discovering the truth in the leaflet I had been given: Japanese gardens are even more beautiful in the rain XXXXXX
That sounds wonderful, Ruth!
I know what you mean about Japanese gardens – the moss and stone is beautifully enhanced by rain. IveI read that it’s traditional for Japanese people to hose their gardens when receiving visitors as a mark of respect.
What a lovely idea – I’ve never heard that before! I wanted to include some stone in “my” Mary Garden, but retrained my ambitions. What I’d really like, though would be a natural cave, like at Lourdes, with the most beautiful statue ever of Our Lady! XXXX