Spirituality: The Lily

According to an old belief, the first lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve, as she left Paradise. Later, the flower became the symbol for Mary, symbolizing the purity and innocence of the new Eve, appearing traditionally in her hand or that of the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. The flower became later associated with St. Joseph, whose staff was thought to have blossomed at his betrothal to the future Mother of God.