Explaining Easter #5

I have no idea where you will find a passion flower at this time of year! In previous years I have actually picked a few from our garden, and put them on a piece of kitchen paper in a tupperware box and kept the box in the freezer for months. My friend Bette in London used to do that, then thaw one on Christmas Day and place it on her Christmas cake - and tell everyone the story below, and remind them that Jesus was born to die.

I guess you may find a silk one in a florists somewhere [I doubt that they would have real ones, and if they do they would be prohibitively expensive] But you could just use a picture from the Internet, like this...

It is helpful to remind children that the word passion has various meanings - one referring to a strong feeling or emotion, the other being the name we give to the suffering of Jesus. It is this second definition that gives the flower its name.

THE STORY OF THE PASSION FLOWER

Jacomo Bosio was a Catholic Priest in Rome, in 1609. He was presented with a Passion Flower,  brought back to Italy for the first time from the New World [where the flower grows wild, by the wayside] by Emmanuel de Villegas, a Mexican Jesuit priest. Jacomo looked at the flower and declared it to be God's Masterpiece - and said that the various parts of the plant symbolised the story of Easter.

• The five petals and five sepals represent ten 'faithful' apostles after the arrest of Jesus; Judas was omitted for betraying Christ, and Peter for denying knowing Jesus.
• The five stamens represent the five wounds. [hands, feet, side]
• The lance-shaped leaves represent the spears which pierced Him;
• The spots on the undersides represent the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for betraying Christ.
• The tendrils represent the lash which scourged Jesus
• The red stains- Christ’s blood
• The fragrance – the perfume brought by the women
• The fruit – the world Christ came to save

The story is very well documented - and children - and adults - are usually fascinated by it. I love the fact that a simple wild flower could be used to tell the story. [you might just want to file this idea away, and use it again in the summer!!]