Francisco Palau's prayer book "The Month of Mary or Flowers of the Month of May"

PRAYER.
Lady, from now on I commit myself to resolutely
live according to God’s will, according to the dictate of an
upright conscience and right reason. Besides setting
aside my caprices, my own judgment and evil passions
I will put in order my actions and my life according to
God’s eternal designs: it is in this way I resolved to
practice. Receive, Lady, this flower, I entrust its
cultivation to your maternal solicitude.

Ninth Day

I. The sunflower

1. The sunflower stands erect toward heaven and
elevates itself over the other flowers, and exceeds in
magnitude among the others. Its figure is similar to that of
the sun: it forms a perfect circle, and stretches out its yellow
leaves like the rays of this king of the heavenly bodies.
If only it has perfumes and fragrance it could surely
compete with the rose in its sceptre and crown, but because
of this defect it is deprived of this glory.
While it can bend and move during its infancy, youth and
virility, it follows the sun from the east to midday, from
midday to the west, and while the sun moves hidden, it
returns during the night from the west to the east and waits
there; and when the dawn appears over the horizon it
inclines its head toward it and follows it.
When it gets withered not able to move itself, it remains
immobile and mollified gazing toward the midday.

II. Prudence

2. All the moral virtues have nominated a queen to
govern them and prudence was the one elected. But since
prudence recognizes charity as its superior, it has taken the
title of queen of all the moral virtues.
The sunflower is a very expressive emblem of this virtue.
This plant, which elevates itself over the others in our garden,
always gaze at the Sun of Justice and follows wherever it
goes; it inclines itself in its presence, takes from it its light and
counsel and governs in the plant family always according to
an upright rule. Recta ratio agibilum.
It has no odour, but plant its leader around the eight
aromatic herbs of different specie and they will supply with
their perfumes what is lacking in the principal one and all
together will form a perfect bouquet.
The gift of counsel corresponds to prudence.

III. Prudence in Mary

3. Mary, knew from her immaculate conception her
destiny in a proportion that were revealed to her. She had an
end, and this end was no other than the salvation of the
human race, corrupt and lost by sin. She ordered all her life,
all her actions and her activities to this truly high and sublime
mission, and she achieved her view in mind giving us a
Saviour. The ordering of her entire life to the salvation of the
world, was the work of prudence.

IV. The sunflower in Mary’s hands
4. Is there sunflower in your garden? In all your actions,
your negotiations and undertakings do you seek God and
consult him, to the right reasoning, and to the insinuation of
conscience? Is there order in your way of life? Do you live
doing your own will, doing as you please, acting according to
your whims? If it is so, there is no prudence in you. Look at
the purpose for which you were created, and direct your
whole life according to it and towards it and you shall become
prudent. If you lack prudence you will live in disorder and you
are a destroyed garden. Let us look for this flower and put it
in the hands of Mary and in order to plant it say to her:

Presentation of the flower

PRAYER. Lady, from now on I commit myself to resolutely
live according to God’s will, according to the dictate of an upright conscience and right reason. Besides setting
aside my caprices, my own judgment and evil passions
I will put in order my actions and my life according to
God’s eternal designs: it is in this way I resolved to
practice. Receive, Lady, this flower, I entrust its
cultivation to your maternal solicitude.