John 15:1-8

Being Productive…

What does it mean to be productive? And how does that definition differ based upon the task or subject matter involved?

Oftentimes, productivity is judged based on things that can be measured or compared. However, the most impactful or most productive things in life are not necessarily widely valued by society, nor can they always be measured or necessarily seen.   

In the Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Easter (John 15:1-8), Jesus says, “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.” (verse 5). Jesus is providing an image that can be used to reflect on both the tangible and the non-tangible.

Think about personal interactions you have had over time and how they have impacted you. We all have experiences where what someone says or does, or doesn’t say or do, has affected us in one way or another. Where or what is the fruit of these experiences? What was in your heart at the time, and what’s happening now as you recall them?

Jesus says, “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 15:7-8).

Consider Jesus’s words in this Gospel as an invitation to contemplate how we, as human beings, treat, engage, and communicate with each other, and what comes of it. What fruit is being nurtured and growing out of the way we are with each other? How is love reflected? And what tweaks or changes might be appropriate so that the Way does not get lost along our way?

Moving forward, how might Jesus’s words better inform your thoughts, actions, and decisions? What is it that you desire? Spend some time praying with this and whatever insights are revealed.

The human heart is always drawn by love. – St. Catherine of Siena

The True Vine…

The Self-revealing of the Word is in every dimension – above, in creation; below, in the Incarnation; in the depth, in Hades; in the breadth, throughout the world. All things have been filled with the knowledge of God. – Athanasius of Alexandria

Looking out the kitchen window, a splash of pink amidst the green catches my eye. I turn back to what I am doing for a moment before realizing what that color is. As I look out again, more intently this time, I feel amazed at the way these blossoms have come into existence.

A few years ago, we planted a sapling. For the most part, since then, it looked more like a twig in the ground than a tree. Along the way, it seemed that it was not going to take. Often, we thought maybe it was on its way out. Still, we watered, fertilized, and staked it for support and so it would grow straight. It grew, and eventually produced some leaves, but largely retained the appearance of a twig in the ground, only taller and now with a little green.

Seeing the blossoms leads me to re-visit the journey. It is interesting how the little signs along the way, at the time they occurred, did not seem big enough. For example, there was growth and there were some leaves here and there, yet the recurring theme seemed to be “not what’s expected.” Looking at the blossoms now, I feel grateful that we gave it more time, kept trying, and did not give up.

Thinking about the world today and the circumstances that abound, maybe, deep down, and all around, at a level that we do not even know, we are learning to trust what we cannot see, or cannot yet understand. The question remains, do we desire truth, and do we have the patience and perseverance to receive it?

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 every one 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