the Ultimate Expert at Pruning

Homily for May 3, 2015 (5th Sunday of Easter)
Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

Back in January I was blessed to escape our Midwestern chill for a few days and visit our Capuchin interprovincial novitiate in Santa Ynez, California. It’s located in a mountainous and semi-arid region that many have found is well-suited for growing grapes. As a result, San Lorenzo Friary is surrounded by a number of vineyards; and several years ago the brothers themselves decided to plant their own.

During the course of my visit, I had an opportunity to view the vineyard and talk with Br. Jerry, one of the friars who oversee it. He reminded me of how much hard work is required to develop the grapes that will one day be transformed into an aromatic and flavorful wine: clearing soil, planting, keeping pests away, irrigation, pollination, fertilization and of course, pruning—lots of pruning. Br. Jerry noted with pride and gratitude that a local vintner, a friend of the friars, was pruning their vines that afternoon. He admired the efficiency with which this expert worked: he knew exactly what and how much to prune.

God the Father, whom Jesus refers to as “the vine grower” in John 15, is the ultimate expert at pruning us. It is God, who as Psalm 139 so poignantly recalls, knit us together in our mothers’ wombs, knows when we sit and when we stand, understands our thoughts, and is familiar with all our ways (vv. 13, 2, 3). It is God who, through the mystery of the Incarnation, united the divine self with humanity in the person of Jesus, the true vine who bids us as his disciples to remain in him and to bear fruit, especially the fruit of love.

That love, John exhorts us in our second reading, is not to be merely “in word or speech” (though those don’t hurt) but also “in deed and truth.” Our works of love make our words of love real. When Saul came to the disciples in Jerusalem shortly after his conversion, they were understandably wary. All they could remember was what they had previously witnessed: that he was at war with them. Wasn’t he the one at whose feet those stoning Stephen had piled their cloaks (Acts 7:58)? Hadn’t he entered house after house, dragging out men and women and handing them over to imprisonment (Acts 8:3)? It was only when Barnabas personally vouched for Saul and attested to how boldly he had proclaimed the gospel in Damascus that they welcomed him. They needed to be pruned of their prejudices to give him a chance.

While it happens throughout our lives, much of the critical pruning that we experience happens when we are young. Our parents, teachers, coaches, bosses and others act as God’s shears, sharing their experiences, giving us advice, and disciplining us when necessary. Good vintners know that for the first 2-3 years, vines should not even be allowed to produce fruit because they need time to strengthen their root systems and branches in order to bear the eventual weight of the grape clusters. Similarly, whether it is in the classroom or the ball field, it is important not to place unrealistic responsibilities or expectations on children when they are young lest they become overwhelmed. With patient cultivation and pruning, they will bear fruit soon enough.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, well-tended vines can produce fruit for 30 years or more. We pray that God will give us the grace to be ever more fruitful, along with the openness, humility and graciousness to accept being pruned along the way. +