St. Dominic is traditionally pictured in iconography with a stalk of white lilies. This image of a lily accompanies many great Saints who lived virtuous, chaste lives. The flame lily was chosen to both uphold this tradition and incorporate another profound image from St. Dominic's life. Images of St. Dominic are often accompanied by a dog with a torch in its mouth, because of a dream his mother had before his birth,. The dream portrayed the birth of a dog that set the world ablaze, and, through his preaching, St. Dominic did the same.
The flame lily captures both of these traditional symbols in one flower and provides a strong representation of the man whose life, preaching, and order centered on sharing the joy and passion of the Gospel.
