Homily Fifth Wednesday of Easter (John 15:1-8) “How Am I Being Pruned?”

 Homily Fifth Wednesday of Easter (John 15:1-8) “How Am I Being Pruned?”

When I was in college, I had the experience of working at a vineyard for a week.  I was staying at a monastery for a few days before I went to volunteer at a camp for special needs children.

The monks working in the vineyard showed me how they cared for the grapes.  We combed the grapes for example which meant we tied the branches up off the ground on wire fencing otherwise the grape fines just would have grown all over the place.

I grew to appreciate how much work went into taking care of grapes and grape vines.  There is an art to raising grapes.  You must watch over the plants making sure that they do not have too much sun and that they get enough water. 

Whenever I hear Jesus use the metaphor that says that he is the vine and we are the branches I think of my experience in the vineyard.  What strikes me at this moment, is that Jesus says in this Gospel that his Father is the vine grower. 

God is watching over us and pruning us.  He is gently lifting us off the ground and tying us in place.  When the time comes, he will bring in the harvest. God is carefully cultivating us.

Right now, in this time of staying at home and not doing the work that I normally do I feel like I am being pruned.  My impatience needs to be trimmed away.  My loneliness needs to be satiated by phone calls and messages from loved ones.  I can kind of grow wild and let all discipline go which is not good.  Some days I feel like kind of slug and I do not want to do anything. I can ask the question if I should care about anything.

I feel like a lot of us are like this.  We are used to a hectic pace and we are not usually sitting around and thinking about ourselves, about the past, about the future.  I pray often that God will bring a fruitful harvest from this time of solitude.  I ask what I can learn from the experience of being planted in one place.  I hope that, in the end, I can be more connected to Christ.

Questions for Reflection:

1. In the past eight weeks, what have I learned about myself. Are there things that need to be pruned away?  Are there gifts that I have that I did not know about before?

2. What have I learned about the people that I live with; my spouse, my children, that I did not know before? Have I been a blessing to those that I live with and in what way?

Dear Parishioners,

            This Friday we will again be saying the rosary at 8:40 a.m.  Please join us in prayer on Facebook.  May is the month when we ask Mary to intercede for us in a special way.  We really need her help this year as we struggle with the COVID 19 epidemic.

            During the last few days, I have been meeting with couples preparing for marriage and talking to those who are trying to receive Easter Sacraments.  They are really struggling with trying to plan.  There is so much uncertainty for those hungering to celebrate rites of passage in their life. The fact that they are unable to do so can be depressing, so hold them in prayer right now.

            Please remember Fr. Matthew today. It is his birthday.  He is far from home and he must live with me. I tell him he will not spend much time in purgatory since he has been quarantined with me. Drop him a card if you get the chance and thank him for his presence among us.  I know he would appreciate the fact that you are remembering him.

May Our Lady and all the angels and saints watch over you today.

Fr. Mark