Introibo- with Flowers

Another historic moment for this small, diocesan TLM community! For the first time in over fifty years, we will have the Sacred Triduum in the Traditional Rite.   We have been thrown into a flurry of activity, pulling together the missing paraments and liturgical items needed.  After only three weeks of preparation, the Paschal candle, the umbrellino,  the crotalus  and Fortescue's Ceremonies of the Roman Rite  are obtained and ready for action.  But, heavens! With only two weeks till Easter, the paraments and the adornment for the altar was sorely lacking.   I do not recommend last minute shopping for suitable liturgical fabric and trim.  However, I saw this as an opportunity to try my hand at something new while making necessary paraments for the proper celebration of the liturgy.  After several trips to JoAnn, I settled for the best "special occassion" fabric I could find.   I decided to start with a violet tabernacle ...

For the feast of the Annunciation, we will have no Traditional Latin Mass.  Much the same as last year, yet different.  At the large brass doors of the church I left two small flower offerings for our good curé to place on the altar for his private Mass.  His Roman vestments were trimmed in sky blue.  Looking round the garden, forget-me-nots seemed appropos.  One year later, the forget-me-nots are back, but now the private Latin Masses are being canceled in the Vatican. Supernatural hope prevails.  Our Lady breaks through the spiritual darkness and the Lenten flower fast with her  fiat  at the Annunciation. For altar flowers, perfectly white roses would be my ideal choice.  Where white roses aren't available, alstroemeria, carnations and liles are good substitutes.  Daffodils, or "Mary's Star", would also add a beautiful touch of gold. For information on flowers traditionally associated with Our Lady, check out  Fleurs de Marie-Jacq...

On this Solemnity of St. Joseph, I thought I would write a bit about one of the colors associated with our beloved St. Joseph, green. In God's perfectly-ordered creation, this color serves as a backdrop to both the rose and the lily.  Perhaps greenery is a sort of metaphor for St. Joseph: always present and right behind, highlighting the splendor and perfection of Our Lady and Our Lord.   This reflection leads me into more practical considerations for the use of greenery in my arrangements.  Greenery is, for me, what "makes" an arrangement and adds your personal touch.   It is also a way to stretch your flower budget, and make one dozen roses look like two.   I live in a Pacific coastal climate where there is an abundance of greenery available throughout the year.  This eliminates the need to purchase greenery for my arrangements and affords me a lot of flexibility in choosing greens.   However, if you live in the desert or in an ar...