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+Christ is Risen!
Indeed He is Risen!!

Dear friends, a question:

A couple of weeks ago, at Pascha, I brought home some blessed flowers, which immediately adorned our icon corner!

However, it has been a couple of weeks now and the flowers are wilted. Since they are blessed, I don't want to put them in the trash, and I think it's probably too late to press them/dry them decoratively/etc. I was wondering what the best way might be to retire these blessed flowers reverently.

Should I put them outside in the yard and let them return to the soil? (I am thinking of how the crumbs of blessed bread are scattered outside). ??

Thank you for your suggestions!

God bless you,
Liz

Hello,

usually with items that have been blessed, you must either burn them or bury them. With flowers you should let them decompose in your garden.

ilya

Liz,

That's why when it's trad. to bless flowers, I generally bring a potted mum. Then I can plant it in my garden!

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Friend,

Yes, Ilya is right.

This reminds me of the Miraculous Hosts in Italy mentioned by Joan Carroll Cruz.

When bandits robbed the Church of a village in Italy of its Ciborium, they unceremoniously dumped the consecrated Hosts into the poor box.

After they were discovered, these soiled Hosts were placed on the altar in a glass contained for the adoration of the people until they would decompose and, at that point, they would no longer be the Body and Blood of Christ.

And yet, these Hosts, although in contact with the elements, have remained fresh and in tact for decades!

Bl. Pope John XXIII visited these Hosts after being elected Pope.

Alex

In the local Roman Catholic parish immediately after Passion (Palm) Sunday the church floor is littered with blessed palms and their remnants. The woman who cleans the church has always just collected these with other "debris" and dumped them in the garbage. Now, on Sunday afternoon I go to the church and collect them and bury them or burn them mixed with some wood chips, in a little fire. Sometimes I bring them to the local nursing home for the Catholic residents there who have not been able to participate in the Liturgy of Palm Sunday.
This is also applied, I think to the oil residue in the lampadas. It should not be dumped in the garbage but carefully taken up with tissue and burned. This is what we do with all things that we respect including the flag of our country. Should we do less with blessed items, even old icon prints? Thank you Liz for posting an important but often overlooked topic.
Silouan