My husband and I have been making some changes in our backyard. We decided to freshen up our shrine to the Blessed Mother. The grotto in which the statue of Mary has been housed needs some paint touch up. The outdoor lighting needs to be updated and the spent plants and weeds cleared.
We were surprised when we started this project a month or so ago that the purple flowers you see in the photo below started to bloom without any assistance from us. We had stopped watering because all of the surrounding plants had died off. We hadn’t fertilized or pruned them. But nevertheless they were flourishing at the foot of Mary. My husband left them in place while prepping the area for what comes next, and they’ve continued to grow and to bloom.
Today, on Good Friday, I was reflecting on the scene of our project. The statue of Mary is resting near her backyard home as she waits to be returned to the grotto. The blooming flowers’ purple color is in sync with the Liturgical Calendar’s color of purple for Lent. (The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops refers to it as “violet.”) And we are toiling during the Triduum, waiting for the work to be done so we can bless the statue with holy water and enjoy this special place for Our Lady.
Soon, the grotto will be finished. The statue of Mary will be placed back in its home. A new collection of stepping-stones will be in position at the base of the shrine. And we will again fill the planter in front of the grotto with color. It will be complete. It will be beautiful.
I can’t help but make the comparison of this project to the (purple) season of Lent, to the waiting during the Triduum, and ultimately to the joy of Easter when everything is fresh and new. Once again, staying close to Mary has led us closer to her son.
I am hoping to bring more knowledge about the Virgin Mary to the world, especially during these times when we need her most. Please consider sharing this post, this site, or its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. I invite you to subscribe to this site (below) to be notified of new posts. Thank you.
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