The Passion Flower Story
THE STORY OF THE PASSION FLOWER
This flower has an interesting story about how it got its name. Legend has it that in 1610 a certain Jesuit priest in South America, named Emmanuel de Villegas, discovered the flower and reported it in Europe. In the flower he saw how its different parts amazingly depicted the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is what he saw:
- The Spiraled Tendrils ― The Lash of Christ’s Scourging
- The Central Flower Column ― The Pillar of the Scourging
- The 72 Radial Filaments ― The Crown of Thorns
- The Top 3 Stigma ― The 3 Nails
- The Lower 5 Anthers ― The 5 Wounds
- The Leaves ― The Head of the Centurian’s Spear
- The Red Stains ― Christ’s Blood Drops
- The Round Fruit ― The World Christ Came to Save
Could it be that this flower was clearly designed by the Creator to represent Christ’s passion? Here are some more interesting comparisons:
- It opens and closes both revealing and hiding it’s mystery.
- The edible fruit (some varieties) is sweet and the plant has medicinal qualities.
- The Star of Bethlehem (half-opened flower),
- The 30 pieces of silver (round spots underneath the leaves),
- The vinegar sponge (the style),
- The Apostles (10 petals i.e. 12 less Judas who betrayed Christ and Peter who denied Him)
- And the burial spices (fragrance).
Notice in this pic:
- The 72 Radial Filaments — The Crown of Thorns
- The Top 3 Stigma — The 3 Nails
- The Lower 5 Anthers — The 5 Wounds
- The Red Stains (but it is purple here) — Christ’s Blood Drops
Love for No Reason – Valentine Card
You Light Up My Life! – Valentine Card
LOVE SPARKS
- ”Every relationship is a life force, an inspiration, a reason. It should be a light in the dark, a spark of hope in the middle of the storm, a healing balm to an old wound.” John Bejo … OR …
- “A spark of kindness starts a fire of love.” Anon
Raindrops on Roses – Valentine Card
<<BACK<< LOVE TEARS >>NEXT>>
TEXT FOR INSIDE CARD:
- “When we lose one we love, our bitterest tears are called forth by the memory of hours when we loved not enough.” Maurice Maeterlinck .. OR …
- “Love is a wonderful, terrible thing.” William Shakespeare
Bee My Honey! – Valentine Card
Love All! – Valentine Card
Weird Kinda Love – Valentine Card
<<BACK<< WEIRDNESS >>NEXT>>.
“We are all a little Weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” Dr Seuss
Love is in the Air! – Valentine Card
<<BACK<< KISSES FOR YOUR VALENTINE! >>NEXT>>.
TEXT FOR INSIDE CARD -
- “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. “- Ingrid Bergman … OR …
- “For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” – Judy Garland
(Our pair of Rainbow Lorikeets that used to visit our place… we named them Lorry and Lulu.)
Love that Lasts!! – Valentine Card
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When I was thinking about a flower for love, I thought of the rose, of course. (Though I am not a rose person.) But still I had this photo of frangipanis that I needed a word for. Then I realized that LOVE was perfect.
The frangipani is connected with love and relationships in many cultures. And you would think I should have two flowers, but a true lasting relationship involves THREE.
It was our our wedding anniversary when I put this pic together. The text the Lord gave us 27 years ago was Ecc. 4:12… “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Of course, Christ is the third strand.
* Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and
it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice
but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up,
never loses faith,
is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages
and special knowledge will become useless.
But love will last forever!
Three things will last forever—
faith, hope, and love—
and the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13, NLT)
* (TEXT INSIDE THE CARD)
