There are two grape vines in my parents' back yard. They have been there for many years now. The neighbours on either side of my parents' home planted these vines in their own yards but with time the vines have grown through the fences, and in recent years there have been copious harvests of grapes. In the early years, the vines did not bear much fruit, but each year, as Autumn arrives, the vines are pruned - right back to the original plants, and each spring, the vines spring forth with new shoots which intertwine their way along the fences. With the heat of the summer sun, these vines eventually bear fruit, and what luscious fruit it is.
I thought immediately of these grape vines when I read today's gospel passage. Jesus taught his disciples: I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower (Jn 15:1). He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and any one that does, he prunes so that it bears more fruit (Jn 15:2).
Like the grape vines in my parents' yard, we need to remain connected to Jesus. We need to keep contact with him, because it is he who is at work within us, reaching out through our hands to touch the world with his compassion and looking upon the world through our eyes in order to share the gift of his compassion with those who are in need. All we need to do is to realize that it is Jesus who is at work in us. He will take care of the pruning, the fertilizing and everything involved in caring for the vine, and he will put us in places where we can reach out in his name to touch the world with kindness, love and joy.
Have a great day.
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