A symbol of beauty, this painting represents the deepest sense of beauty that can be found only in sacrifice and forgiveness. The Passion Flower first gained its significance when Spanish monks discovered it while exploring the New World. Immediately recognizing its value, they began to affix the different aspects of Christ’s suffering to the various physical attributes of the Passion Flower.

The spiraled tendrils represent the lash of Christ’s scourging, and the central flower column represents the pillar of the scourging. The top three stigma stand for the three nails which pierced the Almighty’s flesh and the lower five anthers are for the five wounds. The violet nature of the flower stands for Christ’s royalty while the sweet fragrance of the flower ultimately represents the spices prepared by the holy women. However, the most obvious significance is the 72 filaments surrounding the core of the flower, echoing the crown of thorns Christ wore to that cross. Even the fruit this flower ultimately bears, a greenish orb, is symbolic of the world to which Christ gave His perfect life.

The word “passion” originally was used to describe suffering, such as in Christ’s sake, taking on the burdens of the world so that we could be freed from sin and death in order to experience eternal life with God. In this painting you will see the juxtaposition of the crown of thorns to the flower itself. In an ethereal and somber way, this painting exposes the ultimate beauty behind both the Passion Flower itself, and the sacrifice made on behalf of those who choose to accept it.