Now in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden...

That's what the Gospel of John says in chapter 19, vs. 41: "And now in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden..." That was hope... missed beauty and a sign of the Father's Love in the midst of a desecrated life. God was there not only suffering, but turning suffering into something beautiful and good through the fire-pit of Divine Love.

Its hard to remember that.

When life gets hardest, I literally just go and plant flowers... its like planting spiritual flowers in my messy, bloody life... Yes, there can be suffering, but we must put our focus on what is positive, good and true and beautiful. Pope John Paul II once said, "Eventually evil destroys itself, but if there is no love present to take its place then evil just comes back under a different name. We must put Love in the place of tragedy, evil, death -and then when evil is destroyed, love will take root and replace it." This was the reason why Pope John Paul II decided to become a priest during WWII and not a soldier. He wanted to create love in the midst of tragedy. We should do the same... focus on the beautiful, the love, the goodness, the truth...

Lesson for today: Just be the flower in someone's crossed life -be the beauty hidden in their suffering, be 'the one' sent to refresh another's soul. Our Lady was the perfect flower reflecting the beauty of the Father in Jesus' suffering -Her pure Love was the flower.

One day last year I was busing from Indianapolis through Chicago. A man sat down next to me on the bus and I could tell he was a father to the children nearby. Half way through the trip little 'Ishba' came up and asked if her sister could switch seats with me so that I could sit by her and speak English. I said, 'Of course!' She proceeded to throw a hundred questions at me. She was a Pakistani refugee coming to Chicago to live for a year with her two sisters and parents. She asked me if I liked Math like she did (no, I don't). She asked what season was my favorite -we both agreed on fall. She asked if I played games because children in Pakistan love playing games. She asked about Christmas. She said that her family didn't celebrate Christmas (they looked Muslim or Jewish with head-coverings) but that they wanted to learn about our Christmas. Her Mom smiled big and her Dad was amused at his daughter's outgoing excitement. She asked me to promise her snow in Chicago (she never played in snow before)... I said I'd pray for it. She asked if I spoke Irdu (her language) and said if I learned it then she could take me back to show me Pakistan someday. At one point she said something funny and I said, 'Oh my goodness!' and she laughed and said, 'I am not goodness. You are goodness. Don't you know that? My Dad said that you love Jesus a lot and that you are very good.' How did they know? My rosary, maybe? At the end she told me her name, 'Ishba' which means 'the rose.' I had been having a challenging day traveling and had prayed for St. Therese to send me roses. She sent me better than a flower -she sent me a 'live one' -a real rose with a child's heart. We promised to pray for each other. And so, in my difficult day Jesus sent me a little Muslim rose who asked me about Jesus. What a gift... she was my 'good Samaritan' -I continue to pray for her and her family. When I get sad I find myself praying for my little 'Ishba' and I smile. She was true joy...

Lord, in the crosses of people's lives, help us to be the flower of your love.