Once There was a Father
Once, there was a father,
Who loved his little girl.
He held her hand and walked to Mass
So she could see the Pearl.
“My darling, there is silver,
My darling, there is gold,
But the greatest price is sacrifice,
The world keeps that untold.
The world can give you silver,
With gold, it can entice.
Diamond, topaz, rubies,
But none can match Pearl’s price.
Sacrifice, gave birth to you.
Sacrifice, it fed.
Sacrifice, it guided you.
Sacrifice, it bled.
For every drop of blood He shed,
Gave us the faith to trust.
And made us rich in sacrifice
To give you Bread not crust.
And for awhile, sometimes, we stray,
Believing not in Creeds.
But when things don’t sustain our souls
Then turn to Pearl that bleeds.”
Failing, father said he wished,
“For every time…a penny,”
He heard the daily words, so rich,
“…be shed for you and many.”
The little girl, she cried,
Raining on his bed a flood.
But father saw her sacrifice,
“Your tears are crystal blood.”
Once there was a father,
Who loved his little girl.
He held her hand for his last Mass
But left her with…the Pearl
Hilary McRee Flanery
