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Gospel: John 15: 1-8
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today’s Gospel offers two simple lessons in the spiritual life:
Bear fruit, and be pruned.
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The first is the easier of the two: bear fruit.
Do good in the world. Love. Forgive. Be generous, kind, compassionate, merciful. Follow the teachings of Christ.
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The second is more challenging: be pruned.
Most plants have two types of branches – those that are fruitful and those that are withering.
Withering branches are the dark, limp ones. They must be pruned because they sap energy from the vine while bearing no fruit. It’s a fascinating truth: withering branches take energy to die.
I’m sure we can all find a withering branch or two in our hearts, which must be nipped: a grudge, anger, jealousy, selfishness, a certain temptation, or an unhealthy relationship. Things that sap our energy without giving anything back.
Christ, the Divine Gardener, wants to prune these through prayer and the Sacraments.
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Then there are fruitful branches. Even these must be pruned in order to bear more fruit. Meaning, sometimes we have to give up things that are “good” for things that are “great.”
For example, sometimes we need to trim our social or sports schedules in order to make more time for Mass and personal prayer.
We may need to cut back on household expenses in order to give more away.
We may need to nip our appetites to remind ourselves of our deepest hungers.
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Bear fruit. Be pruned.
May Jesus, the Divine Gardener, continue working on our hearts today.
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Image credits: (1) Today Daily Devotional (2) Sword of the Spirit (3) The Artist’s Garden, Claude Monet