The lily, the daisy, and the rose

Gospel

Matthew 6:25-33

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

Dulverton Sermon

The lily, the daisy. and the rose

An opening quotation:

“Each flower is a love letter, a love poem, of God to man”.

In other words flowers convey divine messages and this harvest Sunday I want to illustrate this from the lily, the daisy, and the rose.

In today’s gospel our Lord speaks about flowers as one who loves them. The lilies of the field, to which he refers, were the poppies and anemones of his day that bloomed in profusion on the hills of Palestine. Though their life was brief he saw them as having a beauty which surpassed the beauty of the robes of kings. When they died they nay have been used for nothing better than burning but they had real value as messengers from God. The domestic ovens of his day were made of clay and when the housewife wanted to raise the temperature quickly, say to cook the dinner, she threw in a handful, or two, of dried grasses and wild flowers like the lilies of the field. If God gives such beauty to such a short lived creation how much more love will he lavish on his children who are created in his own image?

The Michaelmas daisy flowers late in the growing season providing colour and warmth when the majority of other flowers are coming to an end. Long before Harvest Festivals were introduced in the church diary it was Michaelmas that marked harvest thanksgiving because this quarter day is the end of the productive season and the beginning of a new cycle in farming. As the angelic warrior, St Michael, protects us against the darkness of the night and the attacks of Satan. The daisy is probably associated with Michaelmas because its bright blooms are a visible message of the fight against the advancing gloom of autumn and winter. It is also a flower often given to say farewell as Michaelmas day says farewell to the productive season and the end of harvest.

And finally, the rose.

We are currently enjoying a visit to England and Wales of some of the holy relics of St Therese of Lisieux. They were in York Minister during the week and are in Middlesborough Cathedral this weekend. Those who come to venerate and pray before the relic casket are encouraged to leave a rose. St Therese is depicted in art and sculpture with rose in her arms and at her feet. She saw the seasons as reflecting the season’s of God’s love affair with us. She loved flowers and saw herself as ‘the little flower of Jesus’ who gave glory to God just by being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers of God’s garden. Roses have been described as St Therese’s signature because she once said: “My mission, to make God loved, will begin after my death. I will spend heaven doing good on earth, I will let fall a shower of roses…After I am dead, go to the mail box and you will find my consolations”.

Today, 4^th October, is the feast day of St Francis, so I end with a quote from his ‘Canticle of the sun’:

“All praise is yours, all glory, all honour and all blessing.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our Mother,

Who feeds us in her sovereignity,

And produces various fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,

And serve him with great humility”.