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Lilies & Snowdrops: Altar Flowers for Candlemas


For the Feast of the Purification I was inspired to include winter snowdrops after reading Fleur de Marie Jacqueline's post Snowdrops for Candlemas.  Providentially, the property where I cut greenery had a nice little patch.
The grocery store had a very scanty selection of white flowers.  There were roses and lilies in every imaginable color except white.  At a second store I picked up some poms and waxflower which I figured would "do" if nothing else could be had.
In a last ditch effort, I made a third stop at the corner market where tulips and lilies are often sold from the local bulb farm.  There in the stand amidst the tulips was one bunch of perfectly-white, gorgeous roselilies!
After debating whether or not to return the poms to the second store and select something with more contrast to the roselilies, I decided my time was running short and I needed to get the flowers to the church.
The snowdrops were so delicate that I added them to the bottom front surrounding the oasis. I will probably have to remove them soon, but they will be there for Candlemas!
Regarding the feast of Candlemas, I found a few great reads online.  Check out this post by the 'liturgy guy' On Candles and Sacrifice. This gives a beautiful description of the sacrificial bee that gives its life in the production of the wax used for the candles on the altar.  So to the flowers on the altar should be cut flowers (not potted or fake)  that give their very lives for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Greenery used: Camellia, pittosporum, laurel and magnolia

Comments

  1. Marie-JacquelineFebruary 2, 2020 at 10:20 AM

    Very lovely, as usual, and worthy of Our Lord and Our Lady!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GemmaFebruary 2, 2020 at 12:57 PM

      Deo gratis! Not entirely happy with those poms, but flower arranging is a bit like directing a play-after opening night you have to let it go!

      Delete
  2. Marie-JacquelineFebruary 2, 2020 at 2:24 PM

    Agreed re knowing when it let it go. One of the biggest problems I have in flower arranging is going too far in trying to make it perfect, which then does more harm than good! I think this arrangement is just fine -- very beautiful in fact.

    ReplyDelete

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