Homily: Fifth Wednesday of Easter
Fifth Wednesday of Easter (Jn. 15:1-8) “Don’t Prune Too Much”
Jesus uses a lot of metaphors in the Gospel of John. He uses another one in our reading today. He says, “I am the vine you are the branches.” This was a rich symbol for his listeners.
Grapes were an important crop in Palestine in the time in which Jesus lived. Most of the grapes were used to make wine. The wine was not as potent as we drink today. There was not as much alcohol content.
There were two reasons why wine was a preferred drink. One reason was that you never wanted to drink water in the world in ancient times because a lot of water was not clean, and you would get sick. Cholera was a terrible problem in ancient times. People would drink wine at table from a young age.
Another reason wine was consumed was that it would not spoil. There was no need for refrigeration. You could store wine for long periods of time, and you could transport it easily. So wine was the preferred beverage and growing grapes was a major industry that everyone knew about.
One of the things that needed to be done when growing grapes was pruning or combing the grapes. The vines could start growing in every direction. If a vine dresser did not intervene the grapes could rot on the ground. If the right amount of pruning was done the grapes that remained on the vine were better tasting.
In church circles the metaphor of the vine is very popular. Often it might be used to describe how we need to cut programs or close institutions so that the church might be stronger. It might be dangerous to be too precipitous in this.
When you prune grapes or trim trees sometimes you can go too far, and the plant can be stunted and even die. When we streamline church activities, we might want to ask what will replace the activity I am getting rid of. We need to always be respectful of the work and ministry that has gone before.
Reflection Questions:
- What are the signs that a church ministry has run its course? What is the loving way to acknowledge that fact?
- Am I connected to Jesus? How do I know that?
Dear Parishioners,
I have three funerals this week. Two of the funerals are at funeral homes and one is at church. The three woman who died were all very serious about their faith. I am sure that they are glad that their faith is being acknowledged as they are laid to rest.
We are all aware that there are a lot of people who are not having funerals in our society. Quite often in an obituary it’s the deceased that did not want to have any type of service. It was their wish.
This is a sad situation. Death is a spiritual experience. Just as the dying person needs prayer. The deceased person benefits from our prayers and certainly those who mourn need some closure.
I heard it said once that we can process our grief at the time of a death, or we can try to repress it. One thing is certain which is at some point we will need to express our grief. The hope is that we will do it in a healthy way.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our violent world.
Fr. Mark