July 17, 2011

• On Being Pruned

   

  John 15:2

  “He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.”

  6/25/11

   

  God has, in the past several years, selected those branches in me that bore the most fruit and, out of love for me, invited me to offer them freely to His shears that they might bear even more fruit.

  

  First He beheld how my heart swelled in love for Laura (think back to the Mystery Girl “saga” of Xanga yesteryears) and the fruit this “branch” bore. But He saw, in His wisdom, the fruit that same branch could bear if I would offer it to be pruned. And though the pain was nearly the death of me, I could never have foreseen the fruit that has come of it thus far. All because I said “Yes” to Christ offering His very own Bride, the Church, to love as I would my own, I am already the father of many daughters (older and younger than myself!), the son of so many mothers (again, older and younger than myself!) and brother to countless sisters. But ever and always my Bride will be eternally young, eternally virgin, will bring me joy, will call me to be all the man I can possibly be, will demand my very life day in and day out, will grant me so many children through baptism to care for, protect and raise, to feed with the Bread and Wine that grants them everlasting life…I could never have imagined at the time what fruit I would bear by letting God prune that one branch, and I have never known a greater joy.

  

  He asked of me the branch upon which I bore nearly every friend, including my best friend (who now will soon be betrothed to Christ!), and He pruned nearly every single one of them away, but never in all my life have I been surrounded by so many true friends. Wherever I go in the world now there are people who know me at least to some degree, will help me and care for me. And I have made so many friends within and without the Order as well, so many I cannot keep track of them all. As before, I could not imagine earlier how many friends would be granted me when I permitted God to prune that branch of me; I lost all my high school friends save one (though two more have, by His grace, begun to sprout anew) and in their stead a whole army of friends have filled in the gap.

  

  He asked me for my family, and likewise I cannot believe how He has replenished me by granting me so many more mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and even in His mercy He has renewed or deepened many existing relationships I had with my kin.

  

  He has even asked for seemingly silly things, such as my past love of Star Wars, in order to prune it and turn that interest into an even deeper love for and fascination with the ancient Catholic faith, the sacraments and so much else, that my pursuits might not only be for my benefit but the benefit–ETERNAL benefit!–of others as well.

  

  He most recently asked for me father (whenever my father, brothers, friends and I play Settlers of Catan, one must ALWAYS wear a silly hat)…

  

  …and lastly He has asked to prune away my childhood home of 25 years, now to be put up for rent as my father moves away.

  What has God given me in place of my father and my home?

  Himself.

   

  How could I have even imagined?

   

  • 10:36 pm
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