From Vineyard to Bottle

PRUNING SEASON

For a person who tends a vineyard, the pruning of the vine is essential in order to foster a quality crop.  Unattended vine will produce fruit, but of low quality and eventually may break and cause the vine to be uprooted.  It is thus with parable of the vine grower in today's Gospel reading, who prunes away the deadened branches so that the vine may produce quality fruit.

I am familiar with pruning away old branches having grown up in an agricultural area that was the home of olives, almonds, plums, peaches, and walnuts. Each year the farmers would head out to the orchards with their workers usually after the crops had been picked and prune the trees.  The old growth would be collected and burned in heaps sending up plumes of smoke throughout the area of the orchards. As a child I would also help with the pruning our own olive trees and peach tree. Up an down the ladder to prune the dead growth which would be bundled up and discarded. When needed an application of a black tar-like substance would be applied to prevent the exposed cut from disease. The shears were always washed as well to preserve the integrity of the tool.

THOSE PRUNING SHEARS

For those familiar with gardening, one of the essential tools is the pruning shears. The gardener armed with the shears heads into the garden trimming flowers, rose bushes, and vegetable plants so that the plants may produce beautiful flowers and sumptuous fruit. The old vines and branches are discarded as well.  Once pruned the plants seem to proliferate. As a tomato grower, I am always pruning away the bottom part of the plant as in will invariably sprout little shoots that become prolific if not cut away, thus producing dense foliage but little fruit.

This brings me back to Gospel. God as the vine grower who prunes away our deadened growth. When we are burdened with heavy fruit which comes in the form of bad habits, vices, and the like we gradually become uprooted from our foundation which is God, the giver of life. The fruit which we produce is not tasty, but bitter. One can readily identify with this if you have ever bought grapes at the market, only to go home take a bite and immediately shake with disgust with the sour taste. It is perhaps like this when we at our worst project the fruit of hatred, resentment, and a unloving spirit towards others. I have been through these times and in retrospect I am amazed that people that people tolerated me.  I was coming out of the ground roots and all that is until Eternal vine grower stepped in - pruning away those defects of character and habits that prevented me from producing good fruit.
Even what seems at times good fruit can be deceiving as one might be involved with work to the extent that it becomes all consuming, keeping us from truly carrying our mission. In time this fruit will turn bitter as well as the branches continue to sprout resembling the many tasks we take on, but not producing anything of quality.

BURNING THE DISCARDS

Discarding the cut growth into the fires parallels the need for daily examination and attending the sacrament of reconciliation as often as we can. Perhaps being reminded by our loved ones about the parts of our behavior that seem to bring out the worst in us is a prompting to do some personal pruning. It is quite easy for me to minimize a defect until it is brought front and center by someone close to me. But this alone doesn't make it easy to cut off the growth, this only comes through prayer. Other than that the behavior is much like the suckers on a tree or plant that continually sprout up from the trunk, taking away the ability to fully grow.

GOOD WINE

I am thoroughly convinced having gone through a considerable pruning that God intends that I produce good fruit and for that matter wine that is of good quality. I need that pruning periodically as something in my life seems to be taken away so that I can refocus on the need for God. I need to remain in Jesus in order to be productive not in a worldly sense, but spiritually.  Not much of a wine drinker I do enjoy a good wine occasionally and I understand the work it takes to get from the vine to the bottle.  We are as such pruned, picked and bottled so that we can pass on good spirits to others.

Brief Thought on the Good Shepherd

THE HOMILY

Our visiting pastor Fr. Bill gave a most beautiful homily today about the Good Shepherd. He told us that he did some research recently on shepherds and came across this tidbit. A shepherd would break the legs of a stubborn sheep who wander of persistently. Once done he did not leave the wounded animal, but instead would carry the sheep on his shoulders until it was healthy to be back moving around with flock. Fr. Bill said at the time of Jesus' teaching that most people would be familiar with this information as there were many who labored in the fields caring for the animals.

THE TAKEAWAY

I found this particular insightful as many people struggle with addiction of many sorts or become over dependent on someone in an unhealthy manner. When the drug of choice, the work, the game, or the individual is removed, the person becomes paralyzed and lame in a sense. God has taken away the legs or leg so that person can no longer stand or become dependent on themselves and their unhealthy behavior. The person may feel empty, weak, and vulnerable. It is at this point with God's infinite grace that he hoists us up on his ever-so-powerful shoulders and carries us (see the Footprints in the Sand poem below). 

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Carolyn Joyce Carty 1963

The Journey of the Sheep

REMINISCING

In my youth our family would frequently visit some friends who lived on a large sheep ranch. Frequently we would venture out on the ranch and visit with the herders who were Basque and Mexican. These men would shepherd the sheep up into the hills as the animals foraged for food the recently sprouted grass from the winter and spring rains. When the grasslands had been grazed the sheep were then transported up to central Oregon where the sheep would then graze for the summer.
During this time I was always amazed that these men were able to keep track of the sheep as they foraged in the wooded areas of Oregon, rarely losing a lamb. Only once in a while would a wolf actually kill one of the herd. The men themselves were rugged living on their own with their sheepdogs in their small trailers, moving every so often as to find a new grazing area.  The sheep seemed ever so docile following the commands of the herder and bark of the dogs. If one began to venture off the herder would send his dog to bring it back.

Today's gospel passage brought back those memories. The shepherds were ever so aware when one of sheep began wandering off much like Jesus who is constantly watching us and through the Holy Spirit working in others brings us back. Even though they were hired hands they became responsible for the flock they herded with such diligent care. They made sure the sheep were guided to pasturelands that were verdant and water supply was near. When they moved it was because the source of food had been depleted. 

Jesus also guides us in such a way as we move through life. When we have our fill we are gently guided to move on whether it be in relationships, work, activities and even in spiritual life. We are given what we need. We are fed the spiritual food of the Mass. We move with the herd through life yet we each take different steps much like the each individual sheep that maneuver the path to their destination.

TEMPTATIONS ABOUND

Yet there are those who wander off and are consumed by the wolves. Sometimes these wolves are dressed in sheep's clothing, luring us under false pretenses to get closer, to follow their lead. These as we know are the temptations of the world, the glamour, the pleasures, the fame. For some us we may have ventured down these roads and found temporary fulfillment, but sooner or later the Good Shepherd sought us out with his staff and brought us back or it may have been the shepherd's dogs that rounded us up or the consistent barking that awakened us up to come back. For those familiar with sheep, maybe the it is the bells that consistently ring reminding us where the flock is, or to warn us of danger, all which keeps us close to Christ.

FINAL THOUGHTS

During the spring the sheep were sent to the barn for shearing, taking off their thick coat, and leaving them rather exposed to the warming temperatures as the climate changed from spring to summer. It is much like us who through Lenten season attempt to take all the sin that weighs us down and be exposed as we are left to the world and yet completely dependent on the Jesus for guidance. Through Easter experience even though we might be raw and cold, we are warmed by the resurrected Christ. We become renewed and the process begins all over again as we process through the year, hopefully more aware the Good Shepherd as venture down the path with the flock.