Tiny seed to giant tree

What does it take for a tiny seed to someday become a giant tree? This Indian parable says it all:

“Once upon a time there was a little seed. Because it was only a seed, nobody seemed to notice or care. The seed didn’t consider himself very important, either.

One day, the wind picked up the seed and threw it mercilessly into an open field. The sweltering sun beat down on the little seed; rain pounded the helpless seed into the ground; snow and ice trapped the shivering seed for long periods of time. The little seed was broken, confused, and lonely.

Time went by. Then, one day, a traveler came up and sat beside the seed. ‘Thank you, O God, for this place,’ the seed heard the traveler say. ‘Excuse me, what are you talking about?’ said the seed. People had stopped by this little plot of earth before, but no one had ever spoken like this. The seed thought the traveler was making fun of him.

The traveler was startled. ‘Who’s speaking to me?’ ‘Me. The seed.’ ‘The seed? You’re no seed. You’re a tree – a goliath of an oak.’ ‘Really?’ asked the seed. ‘Yes! Why else do you think people come here?’ ‘Why?’ ‘To rest under your shade. Don’t you realize how you have grown?’ It took a moment for the seed to realize what the traveler was saying. The seed smiled for the first time in his life. The years of restlessness and struggle, of brokenness and loneliness, finally made sense to him. ‘I am worth something,’ rejoiced the one-time little seed, now a great oak.” (From Connections, July 2011).

The tiny seed that became a giant oak tree is part of God’s creation. And so are you. And so am I. The Creator’s plan for each one of us is no less than a living, human miracle – if we respond to his plan. Our Lord explains all this in today’s Gospel parable (Mt. 13: 1-23).

I can become the Word of God become incarnate. I can become an “alter Christus” (another Christ) who goes through the human pains and sufferings that he went through out of love for us, so that like him, I can live a new life and reach out to so many people who need me, with my human time, talents, and treasures. This begins with my family, all the way to the community of God’s people. To be loved by God, and to love in return. The one and only meaning of human life. Love hurts. True. But the hurt leads you to love even more.

Many years ago, a spiritual retreat was given to a graduating class in some college in Metro Manila. Among them were four classmates: Jimmy, Oscar, Jun, and Lito (not their real names).

Jimmy went through the retreat, the first in his adult life. It was too spiritually deep for him, and he needed some kind of follow-up. He was hungry for God, but neglected to seek some form of spiritual direction and growth. He lived his life on his own, and much later on, he even got involved in some form of corruption in the government job that he was holding.

In the case of Oscar, he was quite inspired during the retreat. In fact, he learned how to really pray and be close to the Lord. But he failed to keep this up and sustain it in his later life. Years later, he met a tragedy in his life when his business collapsed. He stopped going to Mass and in his heart, he kept blaming God for allowing this to happen, in spite of his best efforts.

Jun, for his part, made a good retreat. He started to live the Word of God after the retreat, but his worldly ambitions and materialistic pursuits were much stronger than his personal conversion to the ways of the Lord. He later went abroad for further studies, and imbibed a high-tech, Godless culture. Such is his lifestyle, up to this point in time.

Lito was also drawn by God to be his disciple. He committed himself to really make the spiritual efforts in becoming a contemplative-in-action. He started a small export business as a way of helping our country. His office and factory employees were well-paid, with generous benefits. In his heart was his compassion for their poor families. He himself married someone who was God-centered like him, and as a couple, they were very devoted to each other, to their four children, and to the parish where they belonged. In fact, Lito was lay-minister and later on was elected as head of their parish council.

Then, one day, without any warning, his ten-year-old son was diagnosed with serious cancer, and after just a few months, he passed away. Just like that! Lito and his family went through a long period of grief and bereavement. His pain was just too much, especially because his son was the only boy among his four children. His longtime dream and plans for his son’s future were suddenly snatched away. But through it all, Lito’s faith became even stronger, and his love for his family and the community deepened even more. From a tiny seed to a giant tree. Amen.