Irises

The Iris, to me ,is one of my favorite flowers,

exotic,sturdy,beautiful,returning every Spring,and So Lovely, like my wife.

My wife ,Soring, for whom a genus of Iris should be named after, has

planted hundreds,if not a thousand Irises.

She plants I take the pictures.

Every Spring, I look forward to their arrival in our garden.

Each with a scent,though some have little, the variation is amazing;

Chocolate,BubbleGum,Vanilla,Cinamon,Sweet, Intoxicating fragrances.

So,below is alittle bit of history.and some info on this lovely flower.




Meanings of Irises

With striking uniqueness and beauty, irises have rich meanings, and when given as gifts, they can convey deep sentiments. With over 200 varieties in a wide spectrum of colors, the iris, which fittingly takes its name from the Greek word for "rainbow," can be found in virtually every part of the world, growing both naturally and in farms. While garden irises can come in any of these many varieties, the flower's cut versions are mostly blue (the most popular type), white, and yellow.



The iris's history is rich, dating back to Ancient Greek times when the Greek Goddess Iris, the messenger of the gods and the personification of the rainbow, acted as the link between heaven and earth. Purple irises were planted over the graves of women to summon the Goddess to guide the dead in their journey. Ancient Egyptian kings marveled in the iris’s exotic nature, and drawings have been found of the flower in a number of Egyptian palaces. During the Middle Ages, the meaning of irises became linked to the French monarchy, and the Fleur-de-lis eventually became the recognized national symbol of France. From their earliest years, irises were used to make perfume and as a medicinal remedy. Today, they are primarily seen in gardens, in bouquets, and in the wild all over the world.



Through its intricate history, the meanings of the iris has come to include faith, hope, and wisdom. Depending on factors such as color and region, irises may bear additional meanings as well. In some parts of the world, the dark blue or purple iris can denote royalty, whereas the yellow iris can be a symbol of passion. Irises may also express courage and admiration. The many meanings of the iris makes the flower a great choice for an array of gift giving occasions: corporate, sympathy, get well, thinking of you, and birthday are just some of the occasions for which irises might be the perfect choice.

Today, the iris is the state flower of Tennessee, and the Fleur-de-lis is the emblem for the city of New Orleans. Irises are cultivated all over the world, and they can be found naturally in Europe, the Middle East, northern Africa, Asia, and North America.


Iris (plant)
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Other plants named "iris" are found elsewhere in the Iridaceae.
Iris

Blood Iris (Iris sanguinea),
known as ayame in Japan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

(unranked): Monocots

Order: Asparagales

Family: Iridaceae

Subfamily: Iridoideae

Tribe: Irideae

Genus: Iris
L.
Type species
Iris germanica
L.
Subgenera
Hermodactyloides
Iris
Limniris
Nepalensis
Scorpiris
Xiphium

Synonyms
Iridodictyum
Juno
Junopsis
Xiphion


Iris is a genus of between 200–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species.[1] As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a common name; for one thing, it refers to all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely related genera. In North America, a common name for irises is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower in the United States.

The genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily), Hermodactylus (snake's head iris), Neomarica (walking iris) and Pardanthopsis are sometimes included in Iris.



Rhizomes of ornamental irises
Iris persica, a bulbous iris
Iris reichenbachii fruitThe genus is widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone. Their habitats are considerably varied, ranging from cold and montane regions to the grassy slopes, meadowlands and riverbanks of Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, Asia and across North America.

Irises are perennial herbs, growing from creeping rhizomes (rhizomatous irises), or, in drier climates, from bulbs (bulbous irises). They have long, erect flowering stems, which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal, sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species have cylindrical, basal leaves.

The inflorescences are fan-shaped and contain one or more symmetrical six-lobed flowers. These grow on a pedicel or lack a footstalk. The three sepals, which are spreading or droop downwards, are referred to as "falls". They expand from their narrow base, which in some of the rhizomatous irises has a "beard" (a tuft of short upright extensions growing in its midline), into a broader expanded portion ("limb"), often adorned with veining, lines or dots. The three, sometimes reduced, petals stand upright, partly behind the sepal bases. They are called "standards". Some smaller iris species have all six lobes pointing straight outwards, but generally, limb and standards differ markedly in appearance. They are united at their base into a floral tube that lies above the ovary (known as an inferior ovary). The styles divide towards the apex into petaloid branches; this is significant in pollination.

The iris flower is of special interest as an example of the relation between flowering plants and pollinating insects. The shape of the flower and the position of the pollen-receiving and stigmatic surfaces on the outer petals form a landing-stage for a flying insect, which in probing the perianth for nectar, will first come in contact of perianth, then with the stigmatic stamens in one whorled surface which is borne on an ovary formed of three carpels. The shelf-like transverse projection on the inner whorled underside of the stamens is beneath the over-arching style arm below the stigma, so that the insect comes in contact with its pollen-covered surface only after passing the stigma; in backing out of the flower it will come in contact only with the non-receptive lower face of the stigma. Thus, an insect bearing pollen from one flower will, in entering a second, deposit the pollen on the stigma; in backing out of a flower, the pollen which it bears will not be rubbed off on the stigma of the same flower.

The iris fruit is a capsule which opens up in three parts to reveal the numerous seeds within. In some species, these bear an aril.


[edit] Systematics and taxonomy
Up to 300 species – many of them natural hybrids – have been placed in the genus Iris. Modern classifications, starting with W. R. Dykes' 1913 book, have subdivided them. Dykes referred to the major subgroupings as sections, but later authors have generally called them subgenera, while essentially retaining his groupings. Like some older sources, the influential classification by G. I. Rodionenko removed some groups (particularly the bulbous irises) to separate genera, but even if this is done the genus remains large and several subgenera, sections and/or subsections are recognised within it.[2]

In general, modern classifications usually recognise six subgenera, of which five are restricted to the Old World; the sixth (subgenus Limniris) has a Holarctic distribution. The two largest subgenera are further divided into sections.

[edit] Subgenus Iris
Bearded rhizomatous irises


Stool Iris (Iris aphylla) flower. Note prominent white "beard".
Iris reichenbachiiSection Iris

Iris albertii
Iris albicans – White Cemetery Iris, White Flag Iris
Iris amoena DC. (= I. variegata?)
Iris aphylla L. – Stool Iris (including I. benacensis, I. nudicaulis)
Iris attica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek
Iris × buriensis Lem.
Iris croatica
Iris cypriana Foster & Baker
Iris flavescens Delile – Lemon-yellow Iris (= I. variegata?)
Iris furcata Bieb.
Iris germanica L. – German Iris (includes I. × barbata)
Iris × germanica nothovar. florentina Dykes
Iris glaucescens Bunge
Iris glockiana O.Schwarz
Iris illyrica (often included in I. pallida)
Iris imbricata Lindl.
Iris junonia Schott ex Kotschy
Iris × lurida Aiton (I. pallida × I. variegata, including I. neglecta, I. squalens)
Iris lutescens Lam. (including I. italica)
Iris marsica I.Ricci & Colas.
Iris mesopotamica – Mesopotamian Iris
Iris orjenii – Orjen Iris
Iris pallida – Sweet Iris, Dalmatian Iris
Iris perrieri Simonet ex P.Fourn.
Iris pseudopumila Tineo
Iris pumila L.
Iris purpureobractea B.Mathew & T.Baytop
Iris reichenbachii Heuff. – Reichenbach's Iris
Iris sambucina L.
Iris scariosa Willd. ex Link
Iris schachtii Markgr.
Iris suaveolens Boiss. & Reut. (including I. iliensis)
Iris subbiflora Brot.
Iris taochia Woronow ex Grossh.
Iris timofejewii Woronow
Iris variegata L. – Hungarian Iris



Nazareth Iris, Iris bismarckiana
Iris humilis ssp. arenariaSection Oncocyclus

Iris acutiloba C.A.Mey. (including I. ewbankiana)
Iris assadiana Chaudhary, Kirkw. & C.Weymolauth
Iris atrofusca Bak.
Iris atropurpurea Bak.
Iris barnumae Bak. & Fost.
Iris bismarckiana Reg. – Nazareth Iris
Iris camillae Grossh.
Iris gatesii Foster
Iris haynei (Bak.) Mallet. – Gilboa Iris
Iris hermona Dinsmore – Hermon Iris
Iris iberica Hoffm.
Iris kirkwoodi (including I. calcarea)
Iris lortetii Barbey ex Boiss.
Iris mariae Barbey.
Iris meda Stapf
Iris paradoxa Steven
Iris petrana Dinsm.
Iris polakii Stapf
Iris sari Schott ex Bak.
Iris sofarana Fost.
Iris susiana L. – Mourning Iris
Section Hexapogon

Iris falcifolia Bunge
Iris longiscapa Ledeb.
Section Psammiris

Iris bloudowii Ledeb.
Iris humilis Georgi
Iris kamelinii Alexeeva
Iris mandschurica Maxim.
Iris potaninii Maxim.
Iris vorobievii N.S.Pavlova
Section Pseudoregelia

Iris goniocarpa Bak.
Iris hookeriana Fost.
Iris kamaonensis Wall.
Iris sikkimensis Dykes
Iris tigrida Bunge ex Ledeb.
Section Regelia

Iris hoogiana Dykes
Iris korolkowii Regel
Iris stolonifera Maxim.


[edit] Subgenus Limniris
Beardless rhizomatous irises

Section Limniris


Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) or hanashōbu, cv. 'Kumoinogan'
Iris graminea
Yellow-banded Iris, Iris orientalis
Blood Iris (Iris sanguinea) or ayameIris acoroides Spach
Iris bracteata – Siskiyou Iris
Iris brevicaulis Raf. – Zigzag Iris
Iris bulleyana Dykes
Iris caespitosa Pall. & Link
Iris chrysographes – Black Iris
Iris chrysophylla – Yellow-leaved Iris
Iris clarkei Bak.
Iris crocea Jacquem. ex R.C.Foster (including I. aurea)
Iris delavayi Micheli
Iris demetrii Achv. & Mirzoeva
Iris douglasiana – Douglas Iris
Iris ensata Thunb. – Japanese Iris, hanashōbu (Japanese) (including I. kaempferi)
Iris fernaldii – Fernald's Iris
Iris foetidissima – Stinking Iris, Gladwin Iris, Stinking Gladwin, Gladdon, Roast-beef Plant
Iris forrestii Dykes
Iris fulva Ker-Gawl. – Copper Iris
Iris giganticaerulea – Giant Blue Iris, Giant Blue Flag
Iris graminea L.
Iris grant-duffii Bak.
Iris hartwegii – Hartweg's Iris, Rainbow Iris, Sierra Iris
Iris hexagona Walt. – Dixie Iris
Iris hookeri Penny – Hooker's Iris
Iris innominata – Del Norte Iris
Iris kerneriana Asch. & Sint.
Iris koreana Nakai
Iris lactea Pall.
Iris laevigata – Rabbitear Iris, Shallow-flowered Iris, kakitsubata (Japanese)
Iris lazica Albov
Iris loczyi Kanitz
Iris longipetala Herb.
Iris lorea Jank.
Iris ludwigii Maxim.
Iris maackii Maxim.
Iris macrosiphon – Bowltube Iris
Iris missouriensis – Rocky Mountain Iris, Western Blue Flag
Iris monnieri DC.
Iris munzii – Munz's Iris, Tulare Lavender Iris
Iris nelsonii Randolph – Abbeville Iris
Iris notha M.Bieb.
Iris orientalis Mill. – Yellow-banded Iris
Iris pontica Zapal.
Iris prismatica Pursh ex Ker-Gawl. – Slender Blue Flag
Iris pseudacorus – Yellow Iris, Yellow Flag
Iris purdyi – Purdy's Iris
Iris × robusta E.Anders. – Robust Iris (I. versicolor × I. virginica)
Iris ruthenica Ker-Gawl.
Iris × sancti-cyri Rouss. – Sanctimonious Iris[verification needed] (I. hookeri × I. versicolor)
Iris sanguinea Hornem. ex Donn – Blood Iris, ayame (Japanese)
Iris setosa Pallas ex Link – Beachhead Iris
Iris sibirica – Siberian Iris
Iris sintenisii Janka
Iris sintenisii ssp. brandzae Prodan
Iris songarica Schrenk
Iris spuria – Blue Iris
Iris spuria ssp. maritima – Seashore Iris
Iris tenax – Tough-leaved Iris, Oregon Iris
Iris tenuifolia Pall.
Iris tenuissima Dykes – Long-tubed Iris
Iris thompsonii R.C.Foster – Thompson's Iris (formerly in I. innominata)
Iris tridentata Pursh – Savanna Iris
Iris unguicularis Poir. (including I. speciosa, I. stylosa)
Iris uniflora Pall.
Iris ventricosa Pall.
Iris verna L. – Dwarf Violet Iris
Iris versicolor – Larger Blue Flag, Harlequin Blueflag
Iris × vinicolor Small – Vinicolor Iris, Wine-coloured Iris (I. fulva × I. giganticaerulea)
Iris virginica L. – Virginia Iris
Iris wilsonii C.H.Wright



Iris wattiiSection Lophiris

Iris confusa – Bamboo Iris
Iris cristata – Crested Iris
Iris gracilipes A.Gray
Iris japonica Thunb.
Iris lacustris – Dwarf Lake Iris
Iris milesii Foster

Iris milesiiIris tectorum Maxim. – Wall Iris
Iris tenuis S.Wats. – Clackamas Iris
Iris wattii Baker ex Hook.f.
[edit] Subgenus Xiphium
Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises. Formerly genus Xiphion.


Yellow Spanish Iris, Iris xiphium var. lusitanicaSection Xiphium

Iris boissieri Henriq
Iris filifolia Boiss.
Iris juncea Poir.
Iris latifolia – English Iris
Iris serotina Willk. in Willk. & Lange
Iris tingitana Boiss. & Reut. – Morocco Iris
Iris xiphium – Spanish Iris, Dutch Iris, Small Bulbous-rooted Iris
[edit] Subgenus Nepalensis
Bulbous irises. Formerly genus Junopsis.

Section Nepalensis

Iris collettii Hook.
Iris decora Wall.
[edit] Subgenus Scorpiris
Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises known as "junos". Formerly genus Juno.


Iris palaestinaSection Scorpiris

Iris albomarginata R.C.Foster
Iris aucheri (Baker) Sealy (including I. sindjarensis)
Iris bucharica Foster
Iris caucasica Hoffm.
Iris cycloglossa Wendelbo
Iris fosteriana Aitch. & Baker
Iris graeberiana Tubergen ex Sealy
Iris magnifica Vved.
Iris narynensis O.Fedtsch.
Iris nusairiensis Monterode
Iris palaestina (Bak.) Boiss.
Iris persica L.
Iris planifolia (Mill.) Fiori & Paol.
Iris pseudocaucasica Grossh.
Iris regis-uzziae Feinbrun
Iris rosenbachiana Reg.
Iris vicaria Vved.


[edit] Subgenus Hermodactyloides

Iris reticulataReticulate-bulbed bulbous irises. Formerly genus Iridodictyum.

Section Hermodactyloides

Iris bakeriana Foster
Iris danfordiae (Baker) Boiss.
Iris histrio Rchb.f.
Iris histrioides (G.F.Wilson) S.Arn.
Iris kolpakowskiana Regel
Iris pamphylica Hedge
Iris reticulata Bieb.
Iris vartanii Fost.
Iris winogradowii Fomin
[edit] Uses
[edit] In horticulture
Irises are extensively grown as ornamental plants in home and botanical gardens. Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in New Jersey, for example, is a living iris museum with over 10,000 plants, while in Europe the most famous iris garden is arguably the Giardino dell'Iris in Florence (Italy) which every year hosts one of the most famous iris breeders' competitions in the world.

The most commonly found garden iris is the bearded German Iris (I. germanica), a hybridogenic species, and its numerous cultivars. Various wild forms and naturally occurring hybrids of the Sweet Iris (I. pallida) and the Hungarian Iris (I. variegata) form the basis of most all modern hybrid bearded irises. Median forms of bearded iris (intermediate bearded, or IB; miniature tall bearded, or MTB; etc.) are derived from crosses between tall and dwarf varieties.

The bearded irises are easy to cultivate and propagate, and have become very popular in gardens. They grow in any good free garden soil, the smaller and more delicate species needing only the aid of turf ingredients, either peat or loam, to keep it light and open in texture. The earliest to bloom are species like I. junonia and I. reichenbachii, which flower as early as February and March, followed by the dwarf forms of I. pumila which blossom during March, April and May. During the latter month and the following one, most of the larger-growing "tall bearded" irises bloom, such as the German Iris and its variety florentina, Sweet Iris, Hungarian Iris, Lemon-yellow Iris (I. flavescens), Iris sambucina, I. amoena, and their natural and horticultural hybrids such as those described under names like I. neglecta or I. squalens and best united unter I. × lurida.

The section Oncocyclus contains the cushion irises or royal irises, a group of plants noted for their large, strongly marked flowers. Between 30 and 60 species are classified in this section, depending on the authority. Compared with other irises the cushion varieties are scantily furnished with narrow sickle-shaped leaves and the flowers are usually borne singly on the stalks; they are often very dark and in some almost blackish. The cushion irises are somewhat fastidious growers, and to be successful with them they must be planted rather shallow in very gritty well-drained soil. They should not be disturbed in the autumn, and after the leaves have withered the roots should be protected from heavy rains until growth starts again naturally.

The section Regelia, closely allied to the cushion irises, includes several garden hybrids with species in section Oncocyclus, known as Regelio-cyclus irises. They are best planted in September or October in warm sunny positions, the rhizomes being lifted the following July after the leaves have withered.

A truly red bearded iris remains an unattained goal despite frequent hybridizing and selection. There are species and selections, most notably based on the beardless rhizomatous Copper Iris (I. fulva), which have a relatively pure red color. However, getting this color into a modern bearded iris breed has proven very difficult, and thus, the vast majority of irises are in the purple and blue range of the color spectrum, with yellow and whitish breeds also quite frequent.

Other beardless rhizomatous iris types commonly found in garden are the Siberian Iris (I. sibirica) and its hybrids, and the Japanese Iris (I. ensata) and its hybrids. "Japanese iris" is also a catch-all term for the Japanese Iris proper (hanashōbu), the Blood Iris (I. sanguinea, ayame) and the Rabbitear Iris (I. laevigata, kakitsubata). I. unguicularis is a late-winter-flowering species from Algeria, with sky-blue flowers blotched with yellow, produced (in the Northern Hemisphere) from November to March or April. Yet another beardless rhizomatous iris popular in gardening is I. ruthenica, which has much the same requirements and characteristics as the "tall bearded" irises.

Many of the smaller species of bulbous iris, being liable to perish from excess of moisture, should have a well-drained bed of good but porous soil made up for them, in some sunny spot, and in winter should be protected by a covering of half-decayed leaves or fresh cocos-fibre refuse. To this group belong the "reticulate" irises with their characteristic bulbs, including I. danfordiae, I. histrioides, I. reticulata and others, as well as the smmoth-bulbed I. filifolia, which flower as early as February and March

Giardino dell'Iris in Florence
The bearded iris cultivar 'Mary Todd'
Chestnut cultivars like 'Samurai Warrior' are the closest breeder have been able to get to a "red" bearded iris
Iris atropurpurea, one of the dark-flowered Oncocyclus bearded irises

Iris unguicularis flower
'Katharine Hodginkin', a bulbous iris cultivar, a hybrid between I. winogradowii and I. histrioides 'Major'.
Iris kemaonensis in Himalaya
Iris pseudacorus in Cheshire in England


[edit] Aromatic rhizomes

Bombay Sapphire gin contains flavoring derived from particular bearded iris speciesRhizomes of the German Iris (I. germanica) and Sweet Iris (I. pallida) are traded as orris root and are used in perfume and medicine, though more common in ancient times than today. Today Iris essential oil (absolute) from flowers are sometimes used in aromatherapy as sedative medicines. The dried rhizomes are also given whole to babies to help in teething. Gin brands such as Bombay Sapphire and Magellan Gin use orris root and sometimes iris flowers for flavor and color.

For orris root production, iris rhizomes are harvested, dried, and aged for up to 5 years. In this time, the fats and oils inside the roots undergo degradation and oxidation, which produces many fragrant compounds that are valuable in perfumery. The scent is said to be similar to violets. The aged rhizomes are steam-distilled which produces a thick oily compound, known in the perfume industry as "iris butter".

Iris rhizomes also contain notable amounts of terpenes, and organic acids such as ascorbic acid, myristic acid, tridecylenic acid and undecylenic acid. Iris rhizomes can be toxic. Larger Blue Flag (I. versicolor) and other species often grown in gardens and widely hybridized contain elevated amounts of the toxic glycoside iridin. These rhizomes can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or skin irritation, but poisonings are not normally fatal. Irises should only be used medicinally under professional guidance.

[edit] In water purification
Further information: Organisms_used_in_water_purification
Further information: Treatment_pond

Flowering Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) at a treatment pondIn water purification, Yellow Iris (I. pseudacorus) is used. The roots are usually planted in a substrate (e.g. lava-stone) in a reedbed-setup. The roots then improve water quality by consuming nutrient pollutants, such as from agricultural runoff.

[edit] In art and symbolism
The artist George Gessert has specialised in breeding irises.[3]

The artist Vincent van Gogh painted several famous pictures of irises.[4]

The American artist, Joseph Mason — a great friend of John James Audubon — painted a precise image of what was then known as the Lousianna Flag or Copper Iris (Iris cuprea) to which Audubon subsequently added two Northern Paraula birds (parula americana) for inclusion as Plate 15 in his Birds of America.

The artist Philip Hermogenes Calderon painted an iris in his 1856 work Broken Vows; he followed the principles of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. An ancient belief is that the iris serves as a warning to be heeded, as it was named for the messenger of Olympus. It also conveys images of lost love and silent grief, for young girls were led into the afterlife by Iris. Broken Vows was accompanied with poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when it was first exhibited.[5]

The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris, first occurs in its modern use as the emblem of the House of Capet. The fleur-de-lis has been associated with France as Louis VII adopted it as a symbol in the 12th Century. The yellow fleur-de-lis reflects the Yellow Iris (I. pseudacorus), common in Western Europe. Contemporary uses can be seen in the Quebec flag and the logo of the New Orleans Saints professional football team, and on the flag of Saint Louis, Missouri.

The red fleur-de-lis in the coat-of-arms of Florence (Italy) descends from the white iris which is native to Florence and which grew even in its city walls. This white iris, displayed against a red background, became the symbol of Florence until the Medici family, to signal a change in political power, reversed the colors making the white one red and setting in motion a centuries-long breeding program to hybridize a red iris.

Furthermore, the fleur-de-lis is the almost-universal symbol of Scouting and one of the symbols adopted by the sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.

A stylized Yellow Iris is the symbol of Brussels, since historically, the important Saint Gaugericus Island was carpeted in them.[6] The iris symbol is now the sole feature on the flag of the Brussels-Capital Region.

An iris – species unspecified – is one of the state flowers of Tennessee. Tradition holds that the particular iris symbolizing Tennessee is a purple cultivar, to go alongside the wild-growing Purple Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) which is the state's other floral emblem.

The provincial flower of Québec (Canada) is the Harlequin Blueflag (I. versicolor), called iris versicolore in French.

Philip Hermogenes Calderon's Broken Vows with the iris at lower left
Coat-of-arms of the House of Capet
Coat-of-arms of Florence
Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region

Coat of Arms of Ukraine is a stylized iris[verification needed], a symbol of the Perun (thunder god) from the pagan antiquity.


[edit] See also
List of early spring flowers
List of late spring flowers
List of early summer flowers
[edit] References
1.^ Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2008). The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 200–204. ISBN 0-88192-897-6.
2.^ Dyke (1913), Rodionenko (1961)
3.^ West [2008]
4.^ Pioch (2002)
5.^ Mancoff (2003): p.6,16
6.^ CPM-KB [2007]
Chancery of the Prime Minister, Kingdom of Belgium (CPM-KB) [2007]: Brussels Town Hall. Retrieved 2007-NOV-11.
Dykes, W.R. (1913): The genus Iris. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Mancoff, Debra N. (2003): Flora Symbolica: Flowers in Pre-Raphaelite Art. Prestel Publishing, New York, USA. ISBN 3-7913-2851-4
Pioch, Nicolas (2002): Gogh, Vincent van: Irises. Bersion of 2002-AUG-19. Retrieved 2008-DEC-10.
Rodionenko, G.I. (1961): The genus Iris L.. Moscow and Leningrad.
Species Group of the British Iris Society (1996): A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation; Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN 0-521-44074-2
West, Ruth [2008]: George Gessert. Retrieved 2008-DEC-10.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iris (Iridaceae)

Joseph Mason's painting - Copper Iris Copper Iris / Lousianna Flag (Iris cuprea) from John James Audubon's Birds of America
Kew Checklist: Iris
Flora of North America: Iris
Flora of China: Iris
Flora of Pakistan: Iris
Flora of Nepal: Iris
Iris Species
A web site devoted to Irises, by David Payne-Joyce; includes plates from Dykes (1913).
The American Iris Society
Iris taxonomy in GBIF Biodiversity Data Portal
Historic Iris Preservation Society
Iris listings at Wild Flowers of Israel
Bearded Iris colors
Iris in Art and Culture
Gouvernement du Québec Emblèmes du Québec - Iris versicolor (french)

Rabindrath Tagore

Let me not pray to be sheltered from life's dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
but to have the heart to conquer it.

Let me not look for allies in life's battlefields,
but to my own strength.

Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
but hope for the patience to win my own freedom.

Grant me that I may not be a coward,
feeling your mercy in my success alone,
but let my feel the grasp of your hand in failure.


This poem ,allegedly from "Fruit Gathering",though I could not find it,within it, is a favorite of mine. It's premise has seen me thru many a difficult time. On my Tomb Stone, I would like placed a very short Poem,by Rabindrath Tagore:

"Let these be my last words,
I Trust in your Love"

Below is brief biography of this "Illuminare" a Lovely Man,a Bengali Poet.

Rabindranath Tagore
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1913 Biography
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, which was a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal and which attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in the Upanishads. He was educated at home; and although at seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. In his mature years, in addition to his many-sided literary activities, he managed the family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. He also started an experimental school at Shantiniketan where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of education. From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist movement, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India, was his devoted friend. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned the honour as a protest against British policies in India.

Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact his fame attained a luminous height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.

Although Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was first of all a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are Manasi (1890) [The Ideal One], Sonar Tari (1894) [The Golden Boat], Gitanjali (1910) [Song Offerings], Gitimalya (1914) [Wreath of Songs], and Balaka (1916) [The Flight of Cranes]. The English renderings of his poetry, which include The Gardener (1913), Fruit-Gathering (1916), and The Fugitive (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali; and in spite of its title, Gitanjali: Song Offerings (1912), the most acclaimed of them, contains poems from other works besides its namesake. Tagore's major plays are Raja (1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber], Dakghar (1912) [The Post Office], Achalayatan (1912) [The Immovable], Muktadhara (1922) [The Waterfall], and Raktakaravi (1926) [Red Oleanders]. He is the author of several volumes of short stories and a number of novels, among them Gora (1910), Ghare-Baire (1916) [The Home and the World], and Yogayog (1929) [Crosscurrents]. Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music himself.

From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.



Rabindranath Tagore died on August 7, 1941.

Clean Monday 1 March 2010

Question: What Is Clean Monday?


For Western Christians, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. For Eastern Rite Catholics, however, Lent has already begun by the time that Ash Wednesday comes around.
Answer: Clean Monday is the first day of Great Lent, as Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox refer to the Lenten season. For Eastern Catholics, it falls two days before the Western date of Ash Wednesday. (For Eastern Orthodox, the date is usually different, since the Orthodox figure the date of Easter using the Julian calendar. For more details, see How Is the Date of Easter Calculated?)
Clean Monday is a reminder that we should begin Lent with good intentions and a desire to clean our spiritual house. It is a day of strict fasting for Eastern Catholics, including abstinence not only from meat but from eggs and dairy products as well.
On Clean Monday and throughout Great Lent, Eastern Catholics frequently pray the Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian.

Question: What Are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. These seven gifts help us to live a Christian life.
Answer: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (or courage), knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. You can find an in-depth discussion of each in The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Question: What Are the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are works that we can perform only with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the performance of such works is an indication that the Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian believer.
Answer: The twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity (or love), joy, peace, patience, benignity (or kindness), goodness, longanimity (or long suffering), mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity.


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Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian
A Lenten Prayer
The prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian is little known among Roman Catholics, but it is an important prayer for Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox during Lent (as well as on any day of fasting).
At the end of each verse, it is traditional to kneel or to make a prostration, which is when you kneel and then place your head to the floor. After the prostration, you should arise before reciting the next verse.
Eastern Christians say this prayer several times per day during Lent, and it is a good prayer for Roman Catholics to adopt as well.
The Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter. [kneel/prostration]
Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. [kneel/prostration]
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen. [kneel/prostration]
Question: Is Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the Roman Catholic Church, and many Catholics attend Mass on Ash Wednesday to be marked with ashes as a sign of their own mortality. But is Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?
Answer: While all Roman Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday in order to begin the Lenten season with the proper attitude and reflection, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation. It is, however, a day of fasting and abstinence. For the regulations on fasting and abstinence, see Ash Wednesday in the Catholic Church.
The Sunday before Easter Sunday; see When Is Palm Sunday? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Solemnity
History:
Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entrance of Christ into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9), when palm branches were placed in His path, before His arrest on Holy Thursday and His Crucifixion on Good Friday. It thus marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent, and the week in which Christians celebrate the mystery of their salvation through Christ's Death and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Beginning in the fourth century in Jerusalem, Palm Sunday was marked by a procession of the faithful carrying palm branches, representing the Jews who celebrated Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. In the early centuries, the procession began on the Mount of the Ascension and proceeded to the Church of the Holy Cross.
As the practice spread throughout the Christian world by the ninth century, the procession would begin in each church with the blessing of palms, proceed outside the church, and then return to the church for the reading of the Passion according to the Gospel of Matthew. The faithful would continue to hold the palms during the reading of the Passion. In this way, they would recall that many of the same people who greeted Christ with shouts of joy on Palm Sunday would call for His Death on Good Friday—a powerful reminder of our own weakness and the sinfulness that causes us to reject Christ.
In different parts of the Christian world, particularly where palms were historically hard to obtain, branches of other bushes and trees were used, including olive, box elder, spruce, and various willows. Perhaps best known is the Slavic custom of using pussy willows, which are among the earliest of plants to bud out in the spring.
The faithful have traditionally decorated their houses with the palms from Palm Sunday, and, in many countries, a custom developed of weaving the palms into crosses that were placed on home altars or other places of prayer. Since the palms have been blessed, they should not simply be discarded; rather, the faithful return them to their local parish in the weeks before Lent, to be burned and used as the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
The Thursday before Easter Sunday; see When Is Holy Thursday? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Commemoration
Prayers:
Anima Christi; Thanksgiving After Communion
History:
Holy Thursday is the day that Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, four days after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Christ's Crucifixion on Good Friday.
This feast, however, is more than just the lead-in to Good Friday; it is, in fact, the oldest of the celebrations of Holy Week. And with good reason: Holy Thursday is the day that Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and the Mass. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Do this in remembrance of Me," He instituted the Mass and made them the first priests.
Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed, Christ said to His disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The Latin word for "commandment," mandatum became the source for another name for Holy Thursday: Maundy Thursday.
On Holy Thursday, the priests of each diocese gather with their bishop to consecrate holy oils, which are used throughout the year for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. This ancient practice, which goes back to the fifth century, is known as the Chrism Mass ("chrism" is a mixture of oil and balsam used for the holy oils) and stresses the role of the bishop as a successor to the apostles.
Except in very rare circumstances, there is only one Mass other than the Chrism Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday in each church: the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which is celebrated after sundown. It commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.
The Friday before Easter Sunday; see When Is Good Friday? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Commemoration
Prayers:
The Litany of Humility; Prayer Before a Crucifix; Divine Mercy Novena
History:
Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday; instead, the Church celebrates a special liturgy in which the account of the Passion according to the Gospel of John is read, a series of intercessory prayers (prayers for special intentions) are offered, and the faithful venerate the Cross by coming forward and kissing it. The liturgy concludes with the distribution of Holy Communion. Since there was no Mass, Hosts that were reserved from the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday are distributed instead.
Since the date of Good Friday is dependent on the date of Easter, it changes from year to year.
Fasting and Abstinence:
Good Friday is a day of strict fasting and abstinence. Catholics who are over the age of 18 and under the age of 60 are required to fast, which means that they can eat only one complete meal and two smaller ones during the day, with no food in between. Catholics who are over the age of 14 are required to refrain from eating any meat, or any food made with meat, on Good Friday.
The Greatest Christian Feast:
Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. On this Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving known as Lent. Through spiritual struggle and self-denial, we have prepared ourselves to die spiritually with Christ on Good Friday, the day of his Crucifixion, so that we can rise again with him in new life on Easter.
The Fulfillment of Our Faith:
Easter is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians. St. Paul wrote that, unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). Through his death, Christ saved mankind from bondage to sin, and he destroyed the hold that death has on all of us; but it is his resurrection that gives us the promise of new life, both in this world and the next.
The Coming of the Kingdom:
That new life began on Easter Sunday. In the Our Father, we pray that "Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven." And Christ told his disciples that some of them would not die until they saw the Kingdom of God "coming in power" (Mark 9:1). The early Christian Fathers saw Easter as the fulfillment of that promise. With the resurrection of Christ, God's Kingdom is established on earth, in the form of the Church.
New Life in Christ:
That is why people who are converting to Catholicism traditionally are baptized at the Easter Vigil service, which takes place on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter), starting sometime after sunset. They have usually undergone a long process of study and preparation known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). Their baptism parallels Christ's own death and resurrection, as they die to sin and rise to new life in the Kingdom of God.
Communion - Our Easter Duty:
Because of the central importance of Easter to the Christian faith, the Catholic Church requires that all Catholics who have made their First Communion receive the Holy Eucharist sometime during the Easter season, which lasts through Pentecost, 50 days after Easter. (They should also take part in the Sacrament of Confession before receiving this Easter communion.) This reception of the Eucharist is a visible sign of our faith and our participation in the Kingdom of God. Of course, we should receive Communion as frequently as possible; this "Easter Duty" is simply the minimum requirement set by the Church.
Sunday after Easter Sunday (See When Is Divine Mercy Sunday? for the date this year)
Type of Feast:
Feast
Prayers:
Divine Mercy Novena; Divine Mercy Chaplet
History:
The Feast of Divine Mercy, celebrated on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), is a relatively new addition to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Celebrating the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed by Christ Himself to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, this feast was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000, the day that he canonized Saint Faustina.
A plenary indulgence (the forgiveness of all temporal punishment resulting from sins that have already been confessed) is granted on the Feast of Divine Mercy if to all the faithful who go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and "in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. 'Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!')."
A partial indulgence (the remission of some temporal punishment from sin) is granted to the faithful "who, at least with a contrite heart, pray to the merciful Lord Jesus a legitimately approved invocation."
Forty days after Easter Sunday; see When Is Ascension? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Holy Day of Obligation
Prayers:
Collect for the Feast of the Ascension (from the Mass of St. Pius V)
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into heaven, may dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
History:
The Ascension of Our Lord, which occurred 40 days after Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, is the final act of our redemption that Christ began on Good Friday. On this day, the risen Christ, in the sight of His apostles, ascended bodily into Heaven (Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11).
The reality of the Ascension is so important that the creeds (the basic statements of belief) of Christianity all affirm, in the words of the Apostles' Creed, that "He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead." The denial of the Ascension is as grave a departure from Christian teaching as is denial of Christ's Resurrection.
Christ's bodily Ascension foreshadows our own entrance into Heaven not simply as souls, after our death, but as glorified bodies, after the resurrection of the dead at the Final Judgment. In redeeming mankind, Christ not only offered salvation to our souls but began the restoration of the material world itself to the glory that God intended before Adam's fall.
The Feast of the Ascension marks the beginning of the first novena, or nine days of prayer. Before His Ascension, Christ promised to send the Holy Spirt to His apostles. Their prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit, which began on Ascension Thursday, ended with the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, ten days later.
Fifty days after Easter Sunday; see When Is Pentecost Sunday? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Solemnity
Prayers:
Novena to the Holy Ghost; Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit; Come Holy Spirit; Litany of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday
ate:
Fifty days after Easter Sunday; see When Is Pentecost Sunday? for the date this year.
Type of Feast:
Solemnity
Prayers:
Novena to the Holy Ghost; Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit; Come Holy Spirit; Litany of the Holy Spirit
History:
Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It is the 50th day after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost), and it supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai.
The Acts of the Apostles recounts the story of the original Pentecost as well (Acts 2). Jews from all over were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast. On that Sunday, ten days after our Lord's Ascension, the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary were gathered in the Upper Room, where they had seen Christ after His Resurrection:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. [Acts 2:2-4]
Christ had promised His Apostles that He would sent His Holy Spirit, and, on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there spoke, and about 3,000 people were converted and baptized that day.
That is why Pentecost is often called "the birthday of the Church." On this day, with the descent of the Holy Spirit, Christ's mission is completed, and the New Covenant is inaugurated. It's interesting to note that St. Peter, the first pope, was already the leader and spokesman for the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday (see Acts 2:14ff).
In years past, Pentecost was celebrated with greater solemnity than it is today. In fact, the entire period between Easter and Pentecost Sunday was known as Pentecost (and it still is called Pentecost in the Eastern churches, both Catholic and Orthodox). During those 50 days, both fasting and kneeling were strictly forbidden, because this period was supposed to give us a foretaste of the life of Heaven. In more recent times, parishes celebrated the approach of Pentecost with the public recitation of the Novena to the Holy Ghost

















History:
Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It is the 50th day after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost), and it supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai.
The Acts of the Apostles recounts the story of the original Pentecost as well (Acts 2). Jews from all over were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast. On that Sunday, ten days after our Lord's Ascension, the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary were gathered in the Upper Room, where they had seen Christ after His Resurrection:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. [Acts 2:2-4]
Christ had promised His Apostles that He would sent His Holy Spirit, and, on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there spoke, and about 3,000 people were converted and baptized that day.
That is why Pentecost is often called "the birthday of the Church." On this day, with the descent of the Holy Spirit, Christ's mission is completed, and the New Covenant is inaugurated. It's interesting to note that St. Peter, the first pope, was already the leader and spokesman for the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday (see Acts 2:14ff).
In years past, Pentecost was celebrated with greater solemnity than it is today. In fact, the entire period between Easter and Pentecost Sunday was known as Pentecost (and it still is called Pentecost in the Eastern churches, both Catholic and Orthodox). During those 50 days, both fasting and kneeling were strictly forbidden, because this period was supposed to give us a foretaste of the life of Heaven. In more recent times, parishes celebrated the approach of Pentecost with the public recitation of the Novena to the Holy Ghost.
The Athanasian Creed is traditionally ascribed to Saint Athanasius (296-373), from whom it takes its name. (It is also called the "Quicumque," which is the first word of the creed in Latin.) Like other creeds, such as the Apostles' Creed, it is a profession of the Christian faith; but it is also a full-fledged theology lesson, which is why it is the longest of the standard Christian creeds.
Saint Athanasius spent his life combating the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ by denying that there are three Persons in one God. Thus, the Athanasian Creed is very much concerned with the doctrine of the Trinity. Traditionally, it has been recited in churches on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, though it is rarely read today.
Reading the Athanasian Creed privately or with your family is a good way to bring the celebration of Trinity Sunday home and to gain a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.






The Athanasian Creed
Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity.
But the Catholic faith is this, that we venerate one God in the Trinity, and the Trinity in oneness; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance; for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit; but the divine nature of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, their glory is equal, their majesty is coeternal.
Of such a nature as the Father is, so is the Son, so also is the Holy Spirit; the Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated; the Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, and the Holy Spirit is infinite; the Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal; and nevertheless there are not three eternals but one eternal; just as there are not three uncreated beings, nor three infinite beings, but one uncreated, and one infinite; similarly the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty; and yet there are not three almightys but one almighty; thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and nevertheless there are not three gods, but there is one God; so the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three lords, but there is one Lord; because just as we are compelled by Christian truth to confess singly each one person as God, and also Lord, so we are forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there are three gods or three Lords.
The Father was not made, nor created, nor begotten by anyone. The Son is from the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son, not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
There is, therefore, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits; and in this Trinity there is nothing first or later, nothing greater or less, but all three Persons are coeternal and coequal with one another, so that in every respect, as has already been said above, both unity in Trinity, and Trinity in unity must be venerated. Therefore, let him who wishes to be saved, think thus concerning the Trinity.But it is necessary for eternal salvation that he faithfully believes also the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accordingly, it is the right faith, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God is God and man. He is God begotten of the substance of the Father before time, and He is man born of the substance of His mother in time: perfect God, perfect man, consisting of a rational soul and a human body, equal to the Father according to His Godhead, less than the Father according to humanity.
Although he is God and man, yet He is not two, but He is one Christ; one however, not by the conversion of the Divinity into a human body, but by the assumption of humanity in the Godhead; one absolutely not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For just as the rational soul and body are one man, so God and man are one Christ.He suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, on the third day arose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead; at His coming all men have to arise again with their bodies and will render an account of their own deeds: and those who have done good, will go into life everlasting, but those who have done evil, into eternal fire.
This is the Catholic faith; unless every one believes this faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. Amen.
The Sunday after Pentecost Sunday (See When Is Trinity Sunday? for the date this year)
Type of Feast:
Solemnity
Prayers:
The Sign of the Cross; The Glory Be; The Athanasian Creed
History:
Trinity Sunday, also known as Holy Trinity Sunday, is celebrated a week after Pentecost Sunday in honor of the most fundamental of Christian beliefs—belief in the Holy Trinity. We can never fully understand the mystery of the Trinity, but we can sum it up in the following formula: God is three Persons in one Nature. The three Persons of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are all equally God, and They cannot be divided.
As Fr. John Hardon points out in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, the origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday goes all they way back to the Arian heresy of the fourth century, when Arius denied the divinity of Christ by denying that there are three Persons in God. To stress the doctrine of the Trinity, the Fathers of the Church composed prayers and hymns that were recited on Sundays as part of the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church. Eventually, a special version of this office began to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, and the Church in England, at the request of St. Thomas à Becket (1118-1170), was granted permission to celebrate Trinity Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday was made universal by Pope John XXII (1316-34).
For many centuries, the Athanasian Creed was recited at Mass on Trinity Sunday. While seldom read today, the creed can be read privately or recited with your family to revive this ancient tradition.
This very short novena, or nine-day prayer, can be prayed at any time, but it is most appropriate in the nine days before or after the Feast of Corpus Christi. Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion are our true food as Christians, giving us the strength to live our lives in union with God.
Short Novena for Corpus Christi
O Lord Jesus Christ, You who have given us Your precious Body and Blood to be our meat and drink, grant that through frequent reception of You in the Holy Eucharist, I may be strengthened in mind and body to do Your holy will. Amen.
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, have mercy on us.
The Thursday after Trinity Sunday (June 11, 2009; transferred, in the dioceses of the United States, to the following Sunday, June 14, 2009)
Type of Feast:
Solemnity
Prayers:
Short Novena for Corpus Christi; Anima Christi
History:
The Feast of Corpus Christi, or the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (as it is often called today), goes back to the 13th century, but it celebrates something far older: the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. While Holy Thursday is also a celebration of this mystery, the solemn nature of Holy Week, and the focus on Christ's Passion on Good Friday, overshadows that aspect of Holy Thursday.
Thus, in 1246, Bishop Robert de Thorete of the Belgina diocese of Liège, at the suggestion of St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon (also in Belgium), convened a synod and instituted the celebration of the feast. From Liège, the celebration began to spread, and, on September 8, 1264, Pope Urban IV issued the papal bull "Transiturus," which established the Feast of Corpus Christi as a universal feast of the Church, to be celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday.
At the request of Pope Urban IV, St. Thomas Aquinas composed the office (the official prayers of the Church) for the feast. This office is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the traditional Roman Breviary (the official prayer book of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours), and it is the source of the famous Eucharistic hymns "Pange Lingua Gloriosi" and "Tantum Ergo Sacramentum."
For centuries after the celebration was extended to the universal Church, the feast was also celebrated with a eucharistic procession, in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the town, accompanied by hymns and litanies. The faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as the procession passed by. In recent years, this practice has almost disappeared, though some parishes still hold a brief procession around the outside of the parish church.








The following is a list of the dates of the Holy Days of Obligation in the United States for 2010, as well as the dates of moveable feasts (holy days whose dates change from year to year). Please note that only those days that have "Holy Day of Obligation" listed beneath their entries are Holy Days of Obligation; all others are moveable feasts.
• Mary, Mother of God (Friday, January 1, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation
• Ash Wednesday (Wednesday, February 17, 2010)
• Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 28, 2010)
• Holy Thursday (Thursday, April 1, 2010)
• Good Friday (Friday, April 2, 2010)
• Holy Saturday (Saturday, April 3, 2010)
• Easter Sunday (Sunday, April 4, 2010)
• Divine Mercy Sunday (Sunday, April 11, 2010)
• Ascension (Thursday, May 13, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation (transferred to Sunday, May 16, 2010 in most dioceses of the United States)
• Pentecost Sunday (Sunday, May 23, 2010)
• Trinity Sunday (Sunday, May 30, 2010)
• Corpus Christi (Thursday, June 3, 2010; transferred to Sunday, June 6, 2010)
• Assumption of Mary (Sunday, August 15, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation
• All Saints Day (Monday, November 1, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation (abrogated because it falls on a Monday)
• First Sunday of Advent (Sunday, November 28, 2010)
Complete Advent schedule
• Immaculate Conception (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation
• Christmas (Saturday, December 25, 2010)
Holy Day of Obligation