Bring Flowers of the Rarest
Bring flowers of the rarest, bring flowers of the fairest,
Theologically, "Bring Flowers of the Rarest" is a straightforward expression of Catholic Marian devotion, specifically the theology of Mary's queenship and her role as a tender mediator of love toward Christ. The text operates within the Catholic understanding of Mary as the highest of creatures, exalted above the angels, whose perfection and virtue — symbolized by the rose and the lily — make her worthy of honor and crowning. The final stanza's movement toward Christ — "His Kingdom is endless, His mercy is boundless" — provides a Christological anchor that prevents the Marian veneration from becoming theologically self-enclosed; Mary's role is explicitly framed as one of directing the heart "to His love." For Lutheran worship planning, this text presents the characteristic ecumenical challenge of all Marian hymnody: the tension between Lutheran appreciation for Mary as *Theotokos* and model of faith on one hand, and Lutheran hesitation about invocations of Mary as heavenly queen and mediator on the other. The hymn's refrain directly addresses Mary as "Queen of the Angels" and the stanzas speak of her "tender love" in terms that approach intercessory function. Lutheran planners should be transparent with congregations about this distinction. The text functions primarily as a paraliturgical devotional piece rather than as a doctrinal statement, and its use in ecumenical or personal devotional contexts is quite different from its use in public corporate Lutheran worship. In the context of private personal devotion — the primary use-case for which this database is designed — "Bring Flowers of the Rarest" can serve as a window into the richness of Catholic Marian spirituality and as a prompt for Lutheran reflection on Mary's place in the communion of saints, the eschatological community gathered around Christ. Its flower symbolism connects productively to creation theology, and its exuberant seasonal character — rooted in the springtime month of May — resonates with the joy of Eastertide. A Lutheran devotional reader might receive it as a celebration of the One whose *Magnificat* proclaims the mercy of God to all generations, while maintaining theological clarity about the distinction between veneration of Mary and worship of God alone.
History & Background
"Bring Flowers of the Rarest" was written by Mary E. Walsh, an American Catholic laywoman, around 1871, and published in association with the traditional May crowning devotion that became widespread in American Catholic parishes during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The text was composed specifically to accompany the popular practice of crowning a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a wreath of flowers during the month of May, a devotion deeply rooted in medieval European Marian piety that had been enthusiastically transplanted to the American Catholic context. The tune BRING FLOWERS, a lilting waltz-like melody in triple meter, became inseparable from the text and contributed to its rapid adoption in parish schools and churches across the United States. The hymn achieved near-universal status in American Catholic devotional life through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, appearing in countless Catholic school hymnals, parish song collections, and May procession booklets. Its imagery draws on a rich tradition of Marian flower symbolism — the rose as queen of flowers, the lily as emblem of virginal purity — that connects to medieval Latin poetry, the imagery of the Song of Songs, and the iconographic traditions of the Western Church. The refrain identifying Mary as "Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May" reflects the theology of Mary's queenship formally defined by Pius XII in his 1954 encyclical *Ad Caelum Coeli* and the subsequent establishment of the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Following the Second Vatican Council, the hymn's explicitly devotional and extra-liturgical character meant it was rarely incorporated into the reformed Mass, though it continued to be sung at May crowning processions and paraliturgical services. It appears infrequently in mainline Protestant hymnals, though its melody and seasonal imagery have occasionally been adapted for ecumenical spring or creation-themed worship. Its cultural staying power in American Catholic memory is considerable, and it has experienced a modest revival in traditionalist and devotional Catholic circles in recent decades.
Bulletin Note
"Bring Flowers of the Rarest" (c. 1871) by Mary E. Walsh is the classic American Catholic hymn for May crowning ceremonies, celebrating Mary as Queen of the Angels through the symbolism of spring flowers.
Preaching Connection
This hymn's vision of creation's beauty gathered and offered in praise connects powerfully to sermons on the *Magnificat*, the Visitation, or any text about Mary as the first and model disciple. It can also open reflection on the place of beauty, the senses, and embodied devotion in Christian worship.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- The Third Article (Concerning Sanctification) Small Catechism — The Apostles' Creed
Themes
Marian devotion Mary's queenship May crowning floral symbolism virginal purity creation and beauty praise and honor communion of saints Magnificat devotional piety