Pruned

Today’s Gospel Text: 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.”  John 15: 1-8 (NAB)

Reflection: All that is required for a surgeon to operate upon a person is a good sterilized blade, which is also a primary instrument of surgery.

In major operations he has only to worry about infections and bleeding while the surgery is being performed and then the post operative care, which normally involves healing of the wound through warding off infections.

Likewise a farmer will use the sickle or the knife instead of a scalpel to prune the branches of any tree and even the vine.

He has to prune them wisely so that they may branch out in many places with new shoots which may subsequently flower and produce more fruit and even fruit in abundance.

Today, instead of the scalpel, blades and knives we have new technologies to handle the techniques of cutting and to make things easier, even though all of them may not have fully percolated down to the farmers.

Laser is one of them, which can do things without going through the knife and is faster and easier, with less chances of infection and other complications.

We have a similar sophisticated technology used in the spiritual realm, in the spirit world that surrounds us.  They keep feeding our minds with words that either prune us to destruction and to be ultimately burnt in the fires of hell or the Word that helps us put on new branches and bear much fruit.

Christ Jesus assures us in the gospel passage that his Word prunes us, If we allow him to speak to us: “You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.” (vs. 3)

For the rest and for healthy recuperation and ultimately in order that we may bear much fruit we need to constantly abide in him.

Prayer: Prune us O Lord as we seek to abide in your great embrace and love. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us