Filipino Seeds

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Matthew 13:23

The parable tells us that the sower scattered seeds. The seeds were distributed among different kinds of ground. Same kind of seeds but different kind of grounds.

Filipinos are scattered all throughout the world.  From the east to the west and from the north to the south, you have a Filipino in place. They were scattered, as they say, because of finding greener pastures.

I believe it’s beyond that. God scattered Filipino seeds for a purpose. He brings them to different places; to different soils to bear fruit.

Last Sunday, our family went to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Flocks crowd the shrine coming from different states and different races. I told my wife about maybe fifty percent of the shrine pilgrims were Filipinos. More than having to say “Kumusta po kayo?” about tens of times in that day, I sensed the gift of faith we have as Filipinos given by God. Filipinos of different age levels, maybe with different work backgrounds, coming from different provinces in the Philippines, walk in faith where God scattered them.  They pray the rosary, they come in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, they line up for confession and they come with family and friends. Filipinos bring what they have from the Philippines, it’s not their skills and it’s not their hospitality, it’s their faith. One tent for the day is the International Office where they displayed country flags acknowledged for their devotion. We may cite our proudest moments in our history as a nation but seeing the Philippine flag shown among other flags gave me an insight – scattered Filipino seeds bear fruits.