Oil Painting on the Wall- holy hour 22

Oil Painting on the Wall

One of the things I love to do regularly is to drive around on a clear day. I would wander on the farmlands or into forests. I enjoy the scenery and never fail to wonder at the prolific landscape. I would have a  panoramic view of the Bay or of  the Sea on one side, and verdant forest or rolling rice

fields on the other side. Anyone who sees this natural beauty cannot but praise God for His

magnificent work of creation.

A priest-friend who is also a widely known painter and sculptor, of the  Society of Saint Paul, visited me one time.While leisurely sipping a drink , he remarked, “I will paint for you an oil rendition of life in a rice field.” I jumped at his offer and modestly suggested, “Make it show the harvesting season, with the farmer directly looking at the viewer.”

Father then narrated this episode in the life of Saint Martin de Porres. Saint Martin was a black Peruvian Dominican brother. While he was walking with his confreres along a field of wheat, a fellow brother pointed out to them that some stems of wheat stood erect while others had heads which were drooping. His companions remarked, “How strange!” Saint Martin replied, “Not at all.” He then invited them to take a closer look, and said, “Come and look at this straight stem. It is empty, but proud. This one that is not straight is full of grain and yet it stooped down; very humble.”

This is also true about life. Those who boast are often lacking in the important things. With them there are sometimes so many words but no actions; too many resolutions but no results.

Father continued his reflection: when we are full we have to stoop down and offer

what we have to others. What we receive from God we can share with those in need. “God
gifted me with the talent to paint, and I will share it with you by making a painting on which

you can always reflect and be inspired,” my priest-friend assured me.
My waiting took three months. A few days before September 10, Father handed to
me a very impressive 3 feet by 2 feet oil painting. It showed a medium built farmer with a

strong body, a long-handled rake resting on his shoulder, leading a huge carabao. A young lad

with sling shot hanging on his chest sat on the carabao, with his left hand loosely handling a

rope. The farmer and the boy looked so alive and were directly staring at the viewer.

“Where did you hang my painting?” Father  called up and asked a few days after. I

replied, “In my study room so that I can always see it and reflect about the farmer.”

The painting truly drove me into many reflective moments. In one of my reflections I found
myself wondering about the character traits of a farmer. I came to the conclusion that there are

three important things a farmer should be.

 

First: A farmer is always prepared and always plans everything. I remember my father who

was a farmer. Before he retired for bed he would always make sure that all the things that he
had to bring to the rice fields were available, ready and properly prepared. He always planned
everything, seeing to it that his implements were working; the cart well fixed and oiled; the

water buffalos were well fed; the ropes, sleds and plowshares had been taken care of and

ready to use; the sickles and bolos well-polished. He saw to it that the food and the thermos of

coffee were well packed. Only when he was satisfied that he had not forgotten anything that

he would go to sleep. Thus in the morning there was no rushing here and there; no last

minute instructions; no emergency situations.

We have many concerns; many worries. We are faced with many tasks needing to be attended

to, completed. We have so many deadlines to meet and assignments to accomplish. In order to

avoid failure and embarrassment we have to plan, and prepare for, everything ahead of time.

Planning requires dedicated time so we have to pause and think of the requirements of the

tasks we have to accomplish: the objectives, the steps to take, the tools needed, the persons

who can assist. While we still have the time we should prepare for anything, or for anybody.

Why? It is because there are things that cannot be done in the “last two minutes.” There are

many things that cannot be bought, cannot be won or cannot be borrowed at the last moment.

There are many things that we have to work for, or even exert extra effort for, or to prepare

ourselves for. While there is still the chance, the time, strength or capacity, we should always

plan and be prepared so that we will not miss any opportunity; so that we will not end up with

regrets; so that we will not be sorry for the missed or lost moment and chance.

Second: A farmer has to persevere, to be patience. It takes time and attention for the seeds to

grow. It takes days for the flowers to bloom, months for the trees to bear fruits. Lots of

waiting and working are applied before harvest time. There would be storms and sunny days.

Trials and troubles can come along the way. Sometimes the harvest is long overdue or is less

than expected. Sometimes the reward and the results are minimal. Sometimes we will not

meet expectation. But we have to persevere. We have to be patient. Some seeds would die;

some will not bear fruits. Birds and rats could eat them before they could be picked. Rain or

strong wind could destroy them. Yet we have to persevere. Some of our workers could be

careless and critical with our work. Some of them could be uncooperative or unproductive.

Yet we should not lose our composure, our patience and our bearing. We get encouragement

from the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, “Nothing much was ever done without much

enduring.”

In exercising perseverance while we wait and work, we show our trust in God. With our

perseverance in enduring sacrifices and weathering and storms in life, we manifest our fidelity

to God. By being patient with careless and critical people, we become charitable to them. We

extend to them our compassion; we show that we still care for them. By being patient and

persevering we show that we depend on Him and leave everything to His mercy and

beneficence. We are confident of His care and providence. And thus we reveal that it is only

God whom we rely on and accept and acknowledge Him as truly the “the master of the

harvest” (Matthew 9:38).

Third trait of a farmer is presence. My father was always on the farm. Every day he would go

there to look over the land, to observe and to do something for the seeds, or for the rice plants.

After a heavy rain or a violent storm my father would take his bicycle to go out to the field to

know and assess the damages. He was always present in his farm; a caring and working

presence. It was not a presence that just loiters or satisfies curiosity. It was not a presence to

be seen, or to be heard. It is a presence that involves solidarity and to make things happen.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta would always say, “Don’t wait for leaders. Do it yourself,

person to person.”

In our life we should not be stingy with our presence, with our word and with our ability to

help. We should not be selective whom we want to see or to be with. We should treat people

equally. We should not favor any group or show preference for cliques. As sowers, we should

always be available and approachable. As sowers, we should always be present, even always

visible. We have to see and search out our seeds, our soil—our people. We must stay with

them and serve them. We must listen and lead them to our divine and provident Sower, Jesus.

We should be with them and be ready for them. We must not hide from them or avoid them.

We must not make it difficult for them to find us, to reach out to us, and to talk to us.

Our divine and provident Sower, Jesus Christ, moved around and met all kinds of people.

Jesus welcomed all. He walked with them. He worked for them. Jesus could save us from a

distance or by a proxy but He chose to be with us and be among us. He came to us. He lived

with us. He served us. He gave us not only His words, not only His examples, not only His

time or talent; He offered His own life on the cross for us. Jesus made Himself physically

present to us. He even assured us of His continuous presence when He promised, “After I

have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to me, so that where

I am, you also may be” (John 14:3).

After finding out where I had placed his painting, Father Armand later texted me, “Hang that

oil painting in your sala where everybody can see it. And they also can reflect and even ask

who is the farmer and the little boy on the carabao.”

“If they will come and ask, I will reveal to them,” I texted back. I will be happy to share with

them the story of the farmer and of Jesus, the Sower.