THE VIOLET

The Most Holy Queen of Heaven wanted a humble violet to blossom in the garden of the Church. It is an insignificant flower because of its size, unremarkable in color, and easy to cultivate.

The violet is the emblem of our beloved Congregation:

It does not shows its flowers in arrogance.

Its leaves spread out on the ground.

It appears to let itself be tread upon

And does not have thorns to pierce the feet that step on it.

It needs no panes to shelter it from the cold.

It can endure the harshest cold and the most rigorous heat.

It blooms in every climate,

And hurricanes cannot destroy it because it stays so low.

The leaves are so close together that the wind cannot enter.

Since it does not boast of its beauty,

The birds and insects pass it by and do not harm it like other flowers.

These are the qualities of the violet that the Blessed Virgin Mary wants her beloved Congregation to possess, and she wants her Servants to be, like the violet, esteemed for their sweet aroma of boundless charity and deep humility.