From seed to fruit

CHRIST has been using commonly identifiable and ordinary

things to convey precious lessons that contain rich spiritual and

supernatural dimensions. We know that he spares nothing to adapt

himself to us, if only to recover us from our state of sin, exile and

alienation from God, facilitating our understanding of basic truths

about our faith that are indispensable for our salvation.

            One of these things is the seed which he uses, for

example, to teach us about the duty to be like the fertile ground that

makes that seed bear fruit a hundredfold, (cfr. Mt 13,1-23) or that

its growth depends on God’s grace even if we have to do our part of

watering and caring for it, as in the parable of the growing seed.

(cfr. Mk 4,26-29)

            Christ also talks about the mustard seed as an image of

the Kingdom of God. It may be small, but when it grows it becomes the

largest among the garden plants. (cfr. Mk 4,30-34)

  

            Indeed, the concept of seed is very useful if we have to

consider the many different gifts we have been receiving from God and

from others. These gifts, like the gift of life, vocation, privileges

and honors, commitments, etc., can be likened to a seed that need to

be sown on fertile ground and to be taken care of even if God himself

takes care of them.

            These gifts also will unravel to us their many

potentialities, implications and full consequences that at first we

may not realize or expect. And we should just be ready to handle the

demands and requirements that go with these potentialities and

implications.

            Thus, everytime we celebrate the anniversary of our birth,

vocation, privileges and honor, and the commitments we have entered

into, let us examine ourselves if the seed of these gifts have

conformed to the expectations Christ has made about them.

            Have we been the fertile ground that made those seeds of

gifts grow to flower and bear a lot of fruit? Have we given them the

proper care even if their development depends more on God’s grace for

which we should continually ask?

            Are we ready to face and tackle the demands and

requirements of the actualization of the unexpected potentialities and

implications that they actually involve right from the beginning?

            In the case of the seed of life and vocation, for example,

we can say that everything is already defined there. The genetic code,

so to speak, is already made. But we may not realize everything of its

possibilities and implications at the beginning. And God, the giver of

these gifts, may not let us know all about what are contained or

involved in those gifts at the beginning.

            The unfolding may come in a very gradual process, if only

to give due consideration to the nature, character, limitations and

other conditions of the receivers of these gifts. These receivers have

yet to be properly prepared before a new stage of the seed of gifts is

set in motion. This preparation is, of course, a result of God’s grace

and our effort as well.

            There was once a founder of a Church institution who, when

he received his vocation, at first thought that what God was asking of

him would involve only men. It was only later that he was made to

realize that women are and should also be involved.

            Still later was he able to find a way of having priests in

it after he was also made to realize that priests are needed. Still

much later was that Church institution finally recognized by Church

law fully as it is, as defined by his God-given vocation.

  

            The founder surmised that God was gradually showing him

the content of his vocation so as not to overwhelm him at the

beginning. But at every stage of the development of his vocation, he

did all he can to take care of it. So from the seed, the vocation

flowered and bore a lot of fruit!