Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered
a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking
at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed
than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as
she entered the small village chapel.
As she approached the alter, she remembered Pedro's kind words: "Even
the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." She
felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the
nativity scene.
Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and
all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle
right before their eyes.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores
de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed
each year during the Christmas season.
