We chose this plant to decorate our publications because of its silent witness to the heart of the Christian faith. The passion flower is a native of southern Brazil and first flowered in England in 1868. The name Passion Flower was given by the first Spanish friars and missionaries to tropical America, who were impressed by the symbolism they saw in the flower. The flower has spikes protruding from the center, symbolizing the crown of thorns. The flower’s five petals and five petallike sepals represent the 10 apostles who remained faithful to Jesus throughout the Passion. The circle of hairlike rays above the petals suggested the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of His death. The passion flower blossom is often used to symbolize events in the last hours of the life of Jesus Christ, the Passion of Christ
