Most of those who fail to experience the joy of the Lord have refused to take up a cross

“The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment.”

Scripture Text: (PS 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5)
R. (see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

What is true in the gardening world is true in the spiritual world. There is a spiritual dynamic that must be in place for the fruit of Christian life to be manifested. Without this flow of life from God to Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit and to all Christians, there can be no spiritual fruit. St. John tells us, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”(Jn 15:5)

God (the soil) has created all the resources we need to be faithful disciples (fruitful branches). Jesus Christ (the vine) has released that creative love of God by his death and resurrection; the Holy Spirit (sun, air, water) surrounds us with the power of God and the life of Jesus Christ. Let us stay connected to the true vine and the vine grower. When we are connected, God can do the work through us to produce the “fruit”. We stay connected to the “vine” through daily prayer, Mass, Confession, scripture, devotions, and a strong faith community.

Mother Teresa used a great analogy to illustrate this relationship and we will end today’s reflections with it: “When you look at the inner workings of electrical things, you see wires. Until the current passes through them, there will be no light. That wire is you and me. The current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, to produce the light of the world, Jesus, in us. Or we can refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread.”

So the moral of this little story is - Stay connected!