ABIDE IN ME

Today we had the gospel about the vine and the branches.

Today I am also dedicating this post to our Faith Sharing group at St. Basil's.  And I'm trying something new.  I'm making my first video! 

But first John's gospel for today:  "Abide in me as I abide in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing"  (John 15:4-5). 

This gospel is beginning to grow on me!  

Almost immediately following our faith sharing there was an unexpected, joyful, intimate recitation of the Holy Rosary to mark the beginning of Mary's month of May.

What a difference a graced 20 minutes of quiet abiding can make. 

Later that same evening a memory stirred.

I remembered my old Jesuit spiritual director asking me to help him "tie a tree branch". Actually it was more of a shrub at the time.  It's much bigger now.  The tree was in the front yard of the rectory where we would meet for spiritual direction. 

This memory was aided in it's arrival by my current Basilian spiritual director telling a story during this week's faith sharing; one about his father and him pruning an oak tree in his front yard back home. 

Abide

Blessed

Connected

Through life and death

Timing

Lessons old and new 

I am grateful for spiritual directors old and new.

Cb


 
Picture of the actual tree Fr. Doug+ SJ and I tied

Amen!

 


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