The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
My husband and I began little monthly fasts a year ago. It started for a specific prayer intention, where every month we would decide what to abstain from things like sweets, unnecessary purchases, television, sarcasm—small discomforts or challenges to offer up. Much to our surprise, the Lord started showing us our poverty with each new challenge. We realized that we had begun to fill our lives with things that may seem good, but ultimately keep us from turning to God and supporting one another.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says
"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.”
Pruning can seem counterintuitive: why cut off a seemingly healthy part of the branch? If a branch is not pruned, though, it can weaken and bear poor fruit.
We are asked to look at the areas of our lives that need pruning. We give our hearts and our time to so many things. Our fasts made me realize that I had begun to depend on a “little treat” to get me through the day, or how I might cover up an opportunity of connection with a sarcastic reply.
Christ tells us “remain in me, as I remain in you.” I feel distant from the Lord and realize it is not Him who has withdrawn, but me. Every time I cover up little disappointments or frustrations or even boredom with band aids that leave me feeling more isolated, I have created another branch that is pulling away from the vine.
Jesus is inviting us into deeper trust in Him. Pruning these little branches of self-reliance feels uncomfortable, but God doesn’t want to just “fix” our problems or bad days: He wants to transform them.
Lord, help me to “get out of the way” and let You prune the areas of my life that need it. Give me the grace to stay close to You and to bear fruit for Your Kingdom.
Regina Gray, LPC-A works as a mental health counselor in Austin, TX. She specializes in working with survivors of trauma and abuse, utilizing art and creative interventions to help her clients process their experiences. Regina and her husband are avid Survivor fans, and when not watching a new season, they can be found hiking, playing board games, and marveling at their squishy son, Ezra.