Part 1/ Planting the Seeds of Faith

Talking with a friend last spring she mentioned that she was working a her ‘Mary Garden’ and explained that this was a devotional garden which used certain plants to represent different virtues of Mary and prayers you may need. WHAT! Why had I not heard of this? Oh wait, Im still a baby Catholic, only 9years young. Well this baby Catholic went to Pinterest and I was instantly hooked!

So this spring I wanted to do my own devotional garden, and I thought this would be a fun project to do with my Saint of the Month friends. Since Saint Catherine of Siena happens to be one of my favorite Saints, this was the perfect way for me to honor her and grow in virtue… get it? GROW in virtue!

I have never started plants from seeds, but have always wanted to try it. I reflected on St. Catherine’s life and remembered the mustard seed parable in the bible.

Matthew 13:31-32 “Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;  it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

 Due to our baptism, God has planted this “seed” of faith in all of us. How and when will our faith grow? Will our faith extend outside of ourselves and grow as big a tree? Can our faith offer refuge to others? YES! This seed of faith is a great gift from God and it can’t help but grow as long as we nurture this gift. St. Catherine of Siena nurtured this seed of faith by spending time in prayer and growing in friendship with Jesus. Much like the seeds I will plant for her devotional garden, they need the Son.

I choose 4 different plants for Saint Catherine’s garden. Each flower represents a part of Saint Catherine’s life and how she cooperated with God’s grace, this gift of faith.

  • Heavenly Blue= represents her Mystical Marriage to Jesus. How Jesus came to her with the blessed Mother at His side and placed a ring, brought down from Heaven, onto St. Catherine’s finger.
  • Cosmos= represents the Divine Intervention she received by her  mystical visions of Saints. She was visited by Jesus, the Blessed Mother, Mary Magdalene (her spiritual mother), Saint Dominic ( who convinced her to join the Sisters of Penitence of Saint Dominic’s Third Order and also one of her favorite Saints), Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, St. David, .
  • Marigold= represents St. Catherine’s love and devotion to Jesus and the Blessed Mother.
  • Forget-Me-Not= represents St. Catherine as Doctor of the Church. Her zeal for God, the Church and her teachings converted many people, including political leaders. She is only 1 of 4 female Doctors of the Church, which is why I only choose 4 different plant varieties.

Excited to get this project going, I wanted to support Saint of the Month members in their seed growing efforts and devotion of St. Catherine by offering them a Devotional Garden Kit in their April Saint of the Month Box.

(click on photos 2 x to see larger view)

Some extra supplies you may want on hand to make the most out of your Devotional Garden Kit.

craft paint, scissors, tacky or white school glue, paint brush and cup of water for the paint.

 

Take some time to get your craft on and decorate your plant markers.

Before planting a seed, we must prepare the soil. Kinda like how God prepares our soul for the seed of faith through baptism.

Soak the soil pods in water for 10 minutes.

Be sure to offer your seeds all that they need to grow. Proper sun light, temperature above 50 degrees and water ( but don’t drown your seed, just keep it moist).

Part 2 of growing a St Catherine of Siena devotional garden coming soon. Patience is a virtue…see it’s already helping me to grow!