Sunflowers in the Garden of Carmel...

'Le Soleil'  Raphael Kirchner

"The devotion to Mary is one of the most delightful flowers in Carmel's garden.  I should like to call it a Sunflower.  This flower rises up high above the other flowers.  Born aloft on a tall stem, rich in green leaves, the flower is raised yet higher

 from among the green foliage.

It is characteristic of this flower to turn itself towards the sun and moreover it is an image of the sun.  It is a simple flower; it can grow in all gardens and it is an ornament to all.  It is tall and firm and has deep roots like a tree.  In the same way, no devotion is firmer than that to Mary.  The fresh foliage, the green leaves point to the abundance of virtues, to which the devotion of Mary is surrounded.  The flower itself represents the soul created after God's image in order to absorb the sunlight of God's bounty.  Two suns shining into each other, one radiant with an unfathomable light, the other absorbing that light, basking in that light and glowing like another sun, but so enraptured by the beams of the Sun which shines on it, that it can not turn itself away from Him, but can only live for Him and through Him.  Such a flower was Mary.  Like her, so may we, flowers from her seed, raise our flower buds to the Sun, who infused Himself into her, and will transmit to us also the beams of His light and warmth."

Taken from 'Carmelite Mysticism Historical Sketches',  by Blessed Titus Brandsma

Heavenly Father, like Your beautiful mother, I too want to bask in Your light; always facing You...following You, GROWING under Your gaze!  I long to be Your cheerful little

SUNFLOWER!