pruned

acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord; John 15:1-8

"And everyone who does he prunes so that it bears more fruit."

The Good Lord is never satisifed with the fruit that is produced. He wants more. He doesn't want more for the sake of having more; he wants more so that we can reach our full potential and be who we were made to be.

So he prunes us.

How does this pruning take place.

It is a practical matter of everyday living and breathing.

For instance, we will have opportunities to practice patience today, either on the highway or in our families, dealing with our parents or siblings; maybe in the grocery market or at the hair salon or even on the basketball court. That opportunity where ever it shows its face is a pruning.

We will have opportunity today to reachout to those who are different, those who rub us wrong, those who annoy us in some form or fashion. Again, where ever this takes palce, this too is a pruning.

We will have opportunity to be warm and giving, whether it is as simple as getting the mail, taking out the trash, picking up after ourselves; this too is pruning.

Our personality is always being challenged to improve in those small ways; this is the pruning that Jesus desires so that our potential can finally be actual.

What does that fruit look like?

Pope Benedict in a homily in the Holy Land spoke these words in regards to the vocation and calling of the dignity of women in our society, but I believe it is the vocation and dignity of every person who allows himself to be pruned so that he may blossom anew a fruit of everlasting sweetness, one that savors eternal delight:

we are called to be "bearers of love, teachers of mercy, artisans of peace bringing warmth and humanity to a world that too often judges value of a person by the cold criteria of usefulness and profit."


We are called to bear love, teach mercy, and be artisans of peace so that warmth might be felt in our world. This is the product of pruning, this is how we "bear much fruit and become[his] disicples."

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, let us remember her message to the world: pray the rosary daily, pray for the Pope, and make reparation for sinners, offering sacrifices, so that all might be converted and come to know and serve our Heavenly Father.