BEING PRUNED THROUGH DETACHMENT - 05/18/22 (Wednesday of the 5th Week of Easter)

John 15:1-2,6-7

1 Jesus said to His disciples: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine grower. 2 He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit.

6 Anyone who does not remain in Me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051822.cfm

For more information on the Optional Memorial of Saint John I, Pope and Martyr, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/may-18---saint-john-i-pope-and-martyr/

Blessed Wednesday! Jesus Christ is the True Vine. This is important because it is only by being attached to Him that we can bear fruit. Those who do not bear fruit are the people who commit grave sins. These are the sins that make us separate from our union with God, and according to our Lord, they will be in danger of the fires of hell if they remain in this state of grave sin without any repentance. Unfortunately, there are many temptations and wrong ideologies in the world that make it difficult for many to follow Christ. Some examples of these grave sins include the sins of flesh or the sexual sins. We should recognize the importance of rejecting the temptations that intend people to engage in a sexual act outside of marriage, an act that only seeks satisfaction and not the purpose of having a child who is created in the image of God, and lustfully fantasizing people either in their minds or though different media.

In our culture today, it seems as if people no longer meditate on the reality of heaven and hell, and this is one of the traps that make many people stumble in their faith, either knowingly or unknowingly. In order to remain in Christ after falling to these grave sins, it is necessary to repent for them and to seek the sacrament of confession. By choosing God over the pleasures of the world, one also chooses to remain in Him, bear fruit, and be saved from the fires of hell. At the same time, God doesn't just want us to simply bear fruit. He wants our faith to bear even more fruit. Our Lord desires us to be saints who persevere in life of holiness. As such, if we are already in the state of grace, or if one desires to be in this state, it is helpful for us to allow God to prune us through detachment. 

It's good to stay away from occasions of sins and to reject the temptations through our prayers. At the same time, we should remember that when we are tempted, most specially with sins of lust, the devil shows us pleasures for us to easily commit sins. As such, it is necessary to allow God to prune us through the grace of detachment by depriving ourselves of pleasures. One example is by avoiding the tendency to look at the pictures of someone, at the body parts of someone or at the appearance of someone, especially if they have immodest clothing, for the sake of seeking satisfaction. Even some of the saints practiced mortification of the eyes by always looking at the ground or at the Tabernacle, where our Lord resides, in the Church, so they would not be easily distracted as they were praying and for them to reject the pleasures that were shown to them during such temptations.  

The more we recognize our weaknesses, the more we should persevere in humility and dependence on God. Jesus is telling us to remain in Him by asking Him in prayers. It's not necessarily about temporal goods, but He is reminding us that our faith will only bear fruit abundantly if we ask graces from Him to persevere in virtues and avoid sins. It is also necessary for us to have the disposition of staying away from occasions of sins, rejecting impure and sinful thoughts, and discerning God's will on how we can imitate the saints and be more detached. The temptations we experience are there to purify our souls and for us to be reminded that our hearts should be filled with the love of God alone. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic