The flower of Saint Joseph is the nard: let’s find out together the reason why

Saint Joseph, symbol of all the fathers. Pope Francis dedicated 2021 to him. But today we talk about an unusual aspect that concerns him: the flower of Saint Joseph

Many words have been spent in order to express the importance of Saint Joseph, the putative father of Jesus, patron and protector of the universal Church, and symbol of the workers. Today we dwell on a somewhat unusual attribute referred to this so-important saint. Perhaps not everyone knows that there is a flower of Saint Joseph and that same flower heads in the coat of arms of Pope Francis. It is a flower of nard.

But why was this flower, very beautiful and intense and sweet, attributed to Saint Joseph? And why did the Supreme Pontiff want it in his emblem, along with the tiara and crossed keys, symbols of papal power, the radiant sun that represents Jesus and the star symbol of the Virgin Mary?

The particular devotion of Pope Francis to Saint Joseph is known to all. Not only does the Pope carry with him since the time of the seminary a statuette of Saint Joseph sleeping, to whom he claims to ask for advice through cards, but it was his decision to proclaim 2021 the year of Saint Joseph, through the Apostolic Letter Patris corde “With the heart of Father”. In this way, the Pontiff wanted to recognize the value of simple, humble people, who also spend every day helping others, just like this carpenter who dedicated his life to protecting his young wife and a child, not his.

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Returning to the flower of Saint Joseph, while in the most common iconography, Saint Joseph is often depicted with a stick from which blooming lilies, symbol of the purity of the Virgin, In the sacred iconography of Hispanic countries Saint Joseph is often depicted with a branch of nard in his hand. Nardo is a plant of the valerian family, native to the great highlands of Central Asia, but widespread in particular varieties in Mexico and Central America. Its flowers have the shape of white or pink spikes.  From these flowers is obtained a fragrant oil considered of great value since ancient times, used as incense: nard oil. It is obtained by crushing and distilling the content of the rhizome, the organ of accumulation of the plant’s nutrients, which allows it to survive for a long time even in hostile climatic conditions. Nard oil has always been used as a massage oil for its calming properties, but also for its antiseptic power. It calms the restless soul, lowers the pressure, promotes regular breathing, and for this reason, it is still widely used in aromatherapy, to perfume rooms and creates a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.

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This amber and extremely aromatic fluid obtained from spikenard has always been considered sacred, and often also occurs in the Bible, from the Song of Songs, as a symbol of boundless love, to the Gospels, as a symbol of divine love. It was used by a woman, perhaps Mary Magdalene, perhaps Mary of Bethany, to anoint Jesus’ head and feet. The precious oil cost the woman three hundred dinars, and for this, she was blamed when she unwittingly broke the jar that contained it, but in this episode, they wanted to read prophetic anticipation of the death of Christ, and in the precious oil poured the very symbol of His love, faithful love to the point of giving life, so immense to reach the ultimate sacrifice, so precious to spread at the very moment in which it is poured.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is also inspired by this particular episode of the anointing of Jesus by the woman: as she anointed the members of the Saviour, the Order looks after and protects the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not by chance that nard oil has always been among the eleven herbs used for aromatic incense in the Temple of Jerusalem.

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What does the nard symbolize

The nard flower linked to the iconography of Saint Joseph is very different from what we see in the coat of arms of Pope Francis: the first, which occurs on holy cards and sacred images, is already in full bloom and very reminiscent of a lily, while the one on the Pope’s coat of arms looks more like a bunch of grapes. Perhaps the Pope wanted to express in this way not only his devotion to Saint Joseph but also his hope of something good yet to come, hope for the world that has yet to open, and blossom, just like a flower.

Moreover, the attribution of the nard to Saint Joseph is also linked to the time of the flowering of this flower. Saint Joseph is always represented with a flowered stick in his hand because, according to tradition, someone made fun of him discovering that Mary was pregnant but not at his own work, and challenged him: if he really had been an angel, his stick should have bloomed. And so it happened. According to another tradition, it was precisely the blossoming of the staff the miraculous sign with which Heaven indicated to the priests what should be the bachelor to choose as a spouse for Mary.

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