Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - St. Vincent Ferrer, OP - Dominican Friar and Itinerant Preacher
[Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8]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.
Although many people are surprised when I tell them, Texas has a fairly large wine industry! The Austin region has several wineries and the industry is especially noticeable around Fredericksburg and other Hill Country communities. Wineries are also prominent way out in West Texas, where most people expect to find cotton, oil derricks and sagebrush! Grapevines are, therefore, not an unusual sight from Central Texas on to the west. I'm sure the folks who work in the vineyards would say that Jesus is simply pointing out good "viticulture" and using the image for good pastoral and theological purposes! Vines need work if they are going to be productive, and if the root or trunk becomes diseased, it has to be removed quickly. Anyone who raises roses or certain other trees or plants knows that pruning can have a beneficial effect. Many of us have had the experience of cutting through an invading vine like Kudzu at the root to get rid of it and letting the foliage dry before pulling it out. The pruning mentioned by Jesus is a lifelong process! The last line about being "already pruned" does not refer to a permanent situation for the disciples! This image is placed within the Farewell Discourse at the last supper, and Peter's denial is still ahead! The flight of the disciples from the garden is coming up. Thomas' doubt of the Lord's presence is still to come! For all of us, the "pruning" goes on through the many times we fall and get up again! There is also "pruning" in the discipline that a good spiritual life demands. What is central in all of this is the connection with Jesus. As he will say a little further on in today's gospel, "without me you can do nothing." It really depends on how good a wine we want to become! AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
113 ms
4
