Flower of Devotion

How St. John the Baptist Explained to St. Bridget the Meaning of Our Lady’s Crown and the rest of Her Ornaments
On one occasion St. Bridget saw the Mother of God wearing a precious priceless crown on her head, and her hair flowing in wondrous beauty over her shoulders. The Mother of God was dressed in a golden robe, shining in an ineffable splendor. Over it she wore a blue cloak, the color of a clear sky. When St. Bridget was astonished at this vision, and was overwhelmed with admiration, St. John the Baptist appeared to her and said to her, “Listen carefully to what this means!”
This crown signifies that Mary is Queen and Ruler, that she is the Mother of the King of Angels. And her hair falling down means that she is the most pure and immaculate Virgin. A blue cloak that all this world was as if dead to Her. The golden robe signifies that Mary burned and burned inside and out in the love of God.
In the crown of this Mother of God, Her Most Holy Son placed seven lilies, and between these lilies seven precious stones. The first lily is Mary’s humility, the second is her fear of God, the third is her obedience, the fourth is her patience, the fifth is her constancy, the sixth is her gentleness, the seventh is her mercy. Between these seven lilies, her Most Holy Son placed seven precious stones. The first stone of Mary is excellent virtue, for there is no virtue in any spirit or body that Mary does not possess in the most perfect degree. The second stone is her most perfect purity, for this Queen of Heaven was so pure that from her first birth into the world until her last day of death not a single stain of sin was found in her. Not even all the devils have been able to find enough impurity in her to rest a pinpoint on her. Mary was all truly pure. For the King of splendor could only rest in a chosen vessel quite clean and neat, and before all angels and men.
The third stone was her beauty, for for for the beauty of this Mother of God all the saints together adore the Lord God and all the angels, and all the holy souls
are filled with inexpressible joy. The fourth stone is the wisdom of the Virgin Mother of God, for although she was already adorned with other adornments, yet it was still filled with all the wisdom of God, and through Mary all wisdom will be fulfilled most perfectly.
Her fifth stone is power, for Mary is so strong with God that she could crush everything that is created and made. The sixth stone is her brightness, which is so radiant that the angels, whose eyes shine more brightly than the light, receive enlightenment from Mary, and the devils cannot look upon her brightness. The seventh stone is her fullness of all joys and spiritual sweetness, which is so perfect in Mary that there is no joy that cannot be increased by Mary, nor a joy that cannot benefit from fullness and perfection through her and through her beatific sight, for Mary is full of grace and superior to all the saints.
Mary is the vessel of purity in which the Bread of the Angels rested, and in which all sweetness and beauty are found. These seven stones were placed by the Son of God among the seven lilies in Mary’s crown.
Therefore, worship her, O bride of her Son, and praise her with all your heart, for she is truly worthy of all honor and glory!