The white lily, often called Saints', 

 or Annunciation, lily, was dedicated 

 to the Virgin as emblematic of her 

 purity and beauty, and it is regarded 

 as a native of the Holy Land. It is 

 always used at the Feast of the Visita- 

 tion, July 2, which was instituted by 

 Pope Urban in commemoration of 

 the visit paid by Mary to her cousin 

 Elizabeth. 



If you wander through the cata- 

 combs of Rome you will often find 

 this flower portrayed on the tombs of 

 Christian maidens. The sybil who 

 announced the Incarnation holds this 

 flower; St. Joseph bears a lily in his 

 hand, and in many old paintings of 

 the Last Judgment is shown a lily on 

 one side of the Judge and a sword on 

 the other. 



This flower has been often chosen 

 as the emblem of different orders, or 

 societies. One of the very earliest 

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