Rosa 'Mary Magdalene & Hosta 'Forbidden Fruit' 6 October 2024

 

In this 21st century with people forgetting to be kind I refrain from discussing or writing about politics or religion.

That does not mean that I cannot be fascinated by the doctrines of the world’s religions. I was raised as a Roman Catholic and my mother put me in a Catholic boarding high school in Austin, Texas that was run by the Congregation of Holy Cross. This is the same congregation in charge of Indiana’s University of Notre Dame.

I received a marvellous education at St. Edward’s High School. Without having to believe in any of what I was taught in relation to theology I can run circles around people criticizing my erstwhile religion.

My grandmother often quoted her favourite evangelist St. Luke. I like his writing as he was a doctor and he makes a lot of sense. My fave quote of his is from the King James Bible. St. Luke writes, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Every day no matter what I do I dedicate my actions to my wife, friends and dead relatives.

Brother Edwin Reggio, C.S.C. taught me religion. It did not take me long that he was actually teaching our class theology. As an example of his teaching he told us that when we went bowling, the ball  would be returned and it would go up the ramp and move all the balls that were already there except for the last one. It didn’t move. This is how Brother Edwin taught us Aristotle’s concept of God, the unmoved mover.

In the gospel there is the story of the woman who is about to be stoned. Christ kneels and writes (scribbles?) on the ground something. The men leave and Christ tells the woman (Mary Magdalene to go and sin no more.

True or not is beside the point. Brother Edwin was telling us that this is the sole incident where Christ perhaps knew how to write.

All the above is but an excuse to place here the lovely myrrh scented English Rose, Rosa ‘Mary Magdalene’. I believe that David Austin, who hybridized it, may have done it on purpose as the rose emerges pink (loose woman?) and as it ages it becomes a virginal white.

I like the ins and outs of all that. It keeps me distracted from thinking about my Rosemary who left her life and mine on 9 December 2020. Both she and I liked the myrrh scent which many in the Vancouver Rose Society do not like. It is a combination of pepper, Magnolia grandiflora, Pernod with a little of a medicinal touch.