Learning from the Lilies of the field Fr. Elvis H.

Fernandes SFX If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will He not much more provide for you? (Mt 6:30). "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin (Mt. 6:28). Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them (Mt. 6:26). The essence of these words often resonated within me while sitting at the feet of the Eucharistic Lord. My two years stay in the Philippines abounds with experiences of Gods providence and concern. I stepped in the Philippines on the 1st of March 2009. It was a journey from Mumbai to Manila to take up graduate studies in Psychology at De La Salle University. My board and lodge were tentative since i did not make definite arrangements for my accommodation prior to my coming to the Philippines. However, coming to reside in Santa Cruz with the Blessed Sacrament Fathers was certainly in the plan of God. Where is your luggage? - These were words of genuine hospitality and welcome accorded to a stranger in me by Rev. Fr. Froilan Briones SSS, the then Local superior. It was Gods way to teaching me about the lilies and grass of the field and birds of the air. I belong to the Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (SFX), an indigenous missionary congregation founded in Goa, India, in the year 1887 by Fr. Jose Mariano Bento Martins. It is popularly known as the Society of Pilar because its original headquarters was the monastery dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar and its no wonder that i had to be in Santa Cruz Church, Manila, which is also dedicated to Del Pilar. Our Society is constituted of four provinces and a region with over 300 priests working as pioneering missionaries mainly for the evangelisation of India. Gods care and concern continues to inspire me through the Filipino people. Their warmth, faith and generosity motivate me to relish my priesthood. Being in a new place i rarely felt homesick. It was not so because modern technology allowed me instant access to my loved ones, rather, the warmth of the Filipino people. Their cheer and charm keep me in high spirits; their camaraderie and companionship boosts my well-being and their admiration and appreciation become a manifestation of Gods unfailing care and concern. My Faith is stirred by the faith and piety seen in their devotion and vibrant participation in the liturgical celebration and dawn to dusk adoration of the Eucharistic Lord. Their practice of kissing my hands that hold the sacred species makes me feel a newly ordained each day. The words, God loves a cheerful giver are at the heart of every Filipino. The spirit of generosity flows from their value of sharing which is their driving force in sharing their material and other resources with one another. My experiences during my stay in the Philippines enthuse me in my commitment to God and His people. They have given me profound insights into what it means to learn from the lilies, of the field.