Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the Earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
God created the world beautiful. He willed humanity to participate by being responsible stewards.
The encyclical of Pope Francis, “Laudato Si”, underlines our moral responsibility over the creation of God. Our friendship to everyone is highlighted in his exhortation “Fratelli Tutti.”
Ponder on the inseparable meaning of the rain, soil, and seed. “They have watered the Earth, making it fertile and fruitful.” It did not say, “They have watered the seed.”
The reality of the seed to have life, grow and bear fruit is an imagery of vocations too.
Vocation starts from God who sows the seed of vocation. It does not start from magic. Vocations are gifts from God to families and to communities. Hence, the family must be the good soil for the seed to grow. The family must be nourished by the Word of God and sacraments because only then that the family can generate values.
Generation is a noun to mean the action or process of producing offspring; procreation; and the process of coming or bringing into being.
However, in spirituality, generation means not the multiplying of biological bodies but the multiplication of goodness and godliness to the family and community. We cannot pass on values by words but we can generate them into the blood of the family. Values are the natural disposition of goodness and godliness. We generate them.
Authentic education is no longer about transporting the books into the mind of the students. Education is informing, forming, and transforming the heart of the students.
Education without values will form the young to be self-centered, rude, dishonest, materialistic, and gradually, those with meaningless life.
The education of Jesus was told in parables. He did not explain by formulas or by yes or no but by stories.
Authentic education enables humanity to actively participate in the restoration of the fallen creation due to sins. Education must teach the heart through the generation of values.
Pope Francis has seen the need of the young people to be taught not purely by the mouth and the book but by “witnessing accompaniment.” It is dubbed as synodality.
God creates. We cooperate. We generate values. We educate by generating values.
“Some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” (Matthew 13: 1-23)
St. Paul writes to the Romans: “Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:18-23)
Kier Siw-angan, Ricky Yakak, and Jordan Chalapas took the seminary entrance examination before they graduated in senior high school. They studied in different schools but their hearts and souls found joy in one rectory where they served as sacristans, instrumentalists, and errand boys.
Now they are decided to enter the seminary. In case you wish to share your blessings, these gentlemen will give justice to the shared blessings. They will be doing well in the seminary formation.
Reach me at [email protected].
May 8, 2024
