Yes the rose, the queen of flowers, is the world's symbol of love. How surprising to find the loveliest, sweetest, and most fragrant flowers of all blooming upon stems armed with such remarkable sharp thorns. The rose was said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Gradually early Christians came to regard it as the flower of the Virgin Mary. The symbolism of the rose is present in much classical mythology.
Cupid covers the bed on which Mars and Venus make love with roses.
According to Virgil, Venus had a rosy neck and Achilles a rosy hand. The ancient Greeks wore crowns of roses at banquets and a bride entered her husband's house wearing a rose wreath. To this day, the symbolism and poetry of the ages emblematically connects the rose to love, dedicate to women and suggest the transience of beauty. So like ourselves, though someone sees the flowering beauty of our life and self, we only see the stem of thorns. May this day of love, of loving and of lovers shine upon you in a new and renewing way.