From the desert grew a flower in a lonely barren place  Where life was not predicted in hopeless sterile space  The flower went unnoticed when it first came into sight  Small and struggling seedling alone and filled with fright  The seedling grew into a bud while clinging to its branch  Its world of fallow dryness not promising much chance  The bud was inconspicuous as it opened from the sand  So tiny, so uncommon in forsaken desolate land  Clinging tightly to its plant it shivered through dark nights  While quietly determined to survive its wasteland plight  There seemingly was nothing from which the bud could nourish  But into strength and beauty it opened and it flourished  To the earth's astonishment at creations holy power  The realm of possibility in the blooming of a flower  The blossoms fragrance flowing with sweetness unsurpassed  Filled the breeze with loveliness through desert dry and vast  Now all could come to witness awesome miracle anew  Brilliant beautiful flower with all odds against it, grew  Despite much harsh oppression The Flower of Faith survived  To stand there so victorious so vibrant, so alive!

  Published in "North American Voice of Fatima" Advent-Christmas Edition 2002

Thanks to author Harry J. Gensler, S.J., for "desert flower photo". Harry's Ethics book is available in e-book format -click here.

Patricia C. Montesano 4/3/02

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