Parishioners of Christ the King in Tanah Jawa gathered on August 16 for a Mass for the Blessing of Seeds, offering their labor in the fields as a prayerful act of faith and hope.
The Eucharistic celebration was held at St. Agatha substation in Simpang Hatonduhan Sub-district, Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, with about 25 parishioners in attendance.
Parish priest Fr. Parlindungan Sinaga, RD, presided over the liturgy, where seeds to be planted in local farms were presented for blessing.
In his homily, Fr. Sinaga underscored the unity of faith and labor, saying that there is “no fruit from prayer without action.”
“Prayer and hard work must go together in farming,” the priest said, adding that while farmers seek God’s blessing, they must also work diligently to care for their crops, just as faith requires acts of love and responsibility toward others.
The priest cited a Batak proverb, “Aek Godang tu Aek laut, dos ni roha sibaen na saut” (“Just as great waters reach the sea, so too a sincere heart yields genuine goodness”), and the Latin saying “Qui bene cantat, bis orat” (“He who sings well, prays twice”), stressing that prayer is expressed not only in words but also in work and song.
Fr. Sinaga said the blessing of seeds was not merely a communal custom but an expression of ecological spirituality, linking human labor with God’s providence.
“Faith and work cannot be separated,” he added, comparing seeds that require soil, air, and care to faith that must be nurtured through prayer, action, and compassion.
The priest drew from Gaudium et Spes (1965), which describes human labor as sharing in God’s creative action, and Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ (2015), which calls the earth humanity’s “common home.”
He also recalled the Benedictine principle of ora et labora (“pray and work”) and the Franciscan view of creation as brothers and sisters leading to gratitude for the Creator.
For the St. Martinus community, the celebration was a reminder that farming is not only a livelihood but also part of daily spirituality.
Parishioners prayed that the fruits of their labor would bring blessings to families, the Church, and society.
Quoting St. Teresa of Calcutta, Fr. Sinaga reminded the faithful that “we cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
