Tag: john15:1-2

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CONVERSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – ‘ … For us, … it is always the time for cutting; it is always necessary. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the true vine and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that bears not fruit, He will take away and everyone who bears fruit, He will prune it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” – John 15:1-2

REFLECTION – “I must warn each of you about His vine, for who has never cut back everything that is superfluous in himself, to the point of thinking that there is nothing more to cut? Believe me, what has been cut, grows back – the vices that have been chased away return and we see tendencies, which had gone to sleep, waking up again. It is, therefore, not enough to cut one’s vine once; rather, we have to do it again and often and, if possible, even without ceasing! For if you are sincere, you ceaselessly find in yourself, something to cut… Virtue cannot grow among the vices; for virtue to develop, we must prevent the vices from increasing. So suppress what is superfluous, then the necessary will be able to spring up.

For us, … it is always the time for cutting; it is always necessary. For I am sure that we have already left winter behind us, we have left behind the fear without love, which introduces us all to wisdom but which does not let anyone grow in perfection. When love comes, it chases away that fear, just as the summer chases away the winter… So may the winter rains stop, that is to say, the tears of anguish that arise because of the memory of your sins and the fear of judgement… If “the winter is over” and “the rain has stopped” (Song 2:11)…, the sweetness of the spring of spiritual grace shows us, that the time has come to cut our vine. What else is there for us to do other than to become entirely committed to this work?” – St Bernard (1091-1153) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 58 on the Song of Songs).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, maybe delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – “Holiness is like a sculpture”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter C, Gospel: John 15:1-8 and the Memorial of St Rita of Cascia (1386-1457) and St Julia (5th Centrury) Martyr

“I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower.   He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit and everyone that does, he prunes so that it bears more fruit” … John 15:1-2

REFLECTION – “Holiness is like a sculpture.   Leonardo da Vinci defined sculpture as “the art of removing.”   The other arts consist in adding something – colour to the canvas in painting, stone on stone in architecture, note after note in music.
Only sculpture consists of removing, of taking away the pieces of marble that are in excess, so that the figure can emerge that one has in mind.   Christian perfection is also obtained like this, by removing and making useless pieces fall off, namely, desires, ambitions, projects, carnal tendencies that disperse us and do not let us finish anything.
One day, Michelangelo walking through a garden in Florence saw a block of marble in a corner protruding from the earth, half covered by grass and mud.   He stopped suddenly, as if he had seen someone and turning to friends, who were with him, exclaimed:  “An angel is imprisoned in that marble, I must get him out.”   And, armed with a chisel, he began to work on that block until the figure of a beautiful angel emerged.
God also looks at us and sees us this way – as shapeless blocks of stone.   He then says to Himself:  “Therein is hidden a new and beautiful creature that waits to come out to the light, more than that, the image of my own son Jesus Christ is hidden there, I want to bring it out!”   We are predestined to “be conformed to the image of his son” (Romans 8:29).
Then, what does He do?   He takes the chisel, which is the cross and begins to work on us. He takes the pruning shears and begins to prune us.
We must not worry ourselves thinking of what terrible crosses He may send us! Normally, He does not add anything to what life presents us in terms of suffering, effort, tribulations.   He makes all these things serve for our purification.   He helps us to not waste them.”…Father Raneiro Cantalamessa OFM – Preacher to the Papal Householdjohn 15 1-2 i am the true vine - one day michelangelo - fr raneior cantalamessa 22 may 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of us.   Then enable us to offer it to You and indeed, to offer ourselves and all we have and all we are, to You.   When You bring us sufferings to mould us closer and make us more like You, help us to accept them and offer them back to You.   Following Your divine Son, let us pick up those crosses in peace and love.   St Rita of Cascia, you prayed so earnestly to give yourself totally to the Lord and suffer for Him, please pray for us, amen.st julia pray for us 22 may 2019st-rita-pray-for-us - 22 may 2017