The Jasmine loves man and the home of man; it shuns the fields, but clings with affection to our dwellings, clothing them with its beautiful leaves and starry flowers. Thus does Amiability shed its sweet influence most on home; there it shines most bnghtly; there it best displays its beauty.
The name of this little flower recalls to our minds the dream of the Patriarch Jacob, in which he saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that reached from earth to heaven. The holy Fathers have always regarded this ladder as a figure of prayer: for by prayer we mount to Heaven, and bright angelic spirits draw near to us, bringing us God’s choicest blessings.
