The Lily

Its white petals stand for innocence, and its tall, straight stem for a soul that grows towards God. So the lily is given to St Joseph, the chaste spouse of Mary, and to saints who gave their whole lives to God, such as St Antony of Padua, St Dominic and the young St Aloysius Gonzaga.

In Scripture. Christ points to the flowers of the field as a sign of the Father’s care: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin” (Matthew 6:28). The Song of Songs sings, “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among maidens” (Song of Songs 2:2), words the Church has long applied to Mary.

With Our Lady. In paintings of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel often brings Mary a lily, or lilies stand in a vase beside her. The white lily of Europe is still called the Madonna lily after her.

With St Joseph. A medieval legend tells that when the young men of Israel brought their staffs to the Temple, so that God might choose a husband for Mary, Joseph’s staff alone burst into flower. That is why he is so often shown with a flowering staff of lilies.

With St Antony. Lilies are blessed on his feast, 13 June, and given to the faithful as “St Antony’s lilies”.

At Easter. White lilies fill churches at Easter, as a sign of the Resurrection and new life.

Also called: Madonna lily; Lilium candidum