Story of the poinsettia

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift topresent the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.







"I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be
acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly.
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 altar, 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.
Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia!

Hope everybody is having a great Sunday