April 2: The Feast of Flowers

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is April 2nd, and our story is The Feast of Flowers. On the evening of April 1st, 1513, the governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Leon, and his company of Spanish explorers sailed into the soon-to-be-named Bay of the Holy Cross. He and his crew, however, were looking for something else. A month earlier, Ponce de Leon sailed from Puerto Rico, hoping to explore the unknown lands to the north. As legend has it, he wanted to find Bimini, a mysterious island where the waters grant eternal youth.

By the evening of April 1st, the crew made landfall and believed they might have found that island. They had no way of knowing that the landmass before them wasn't an island at all, but rather the southeastern tip of the future United States.

The next morning, April 2nd, 1513, Ponce de Leon and his men disembarked from their ship. Once on shore, a procession formed. The company's chaplain, carrying a golden cross high in the air, led the way. His fellow priests followed close behind. In their arms, they carried an altar. With kettle drums beat in and bugles blowing, the priests prepared for Mass. And there, on the shore of the Bay of the Holy Cross, they offered the first Eucharistic sacrifice celebrated in the future continental United States.

After Mass, Ponce de Leon formally claimed the new land for Spain's Ferdinand V. He also named the land Florida, or La Florida, supposedly because he'd discovered the place blooming with flowers during Eastertide. In Spanish, Pascua Florida, or Flowery Festival.

Ponce de Leon left Florida several weeks later after exploring its coastline. The following year, back in Spain, the king made him Florida's governor. Not until 1521, however, did Ponce de Leon return to the peninsula, this time with 200 soldiers, farmers, and priests, plus orders to colonize the new land. Unfortunately, death, not eternal youth, awaited Ponce de Leon among the flowers. An Indian arrow struck the explorer soon after he landed in Florida. He died days later in Cuba. The first mass in Florida reminds us that the faith can take root anywhere, even in new, unknown, and challenging places.

Reflect on one area of your life where faith might be new ground. Consider planting a small spiritual habit there, morning prayer, reading scripture, or attending daily Mass. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, April 3rd, for another story of faith and courage in America.