May 5-6, 2012
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:26-31 First John 3:18-24 John 15:1-8
Our unusual Spring weather has allowed for an eruption of growth upon the hillsides of South Orange County. What may have appeared as dormant patches of dry ground are now sprouting grasses, mustard and all sorts of native flowers. Within our own tended gardens, roses are blooming, vines are climbing and the foliage is becoming lush, in many cases thanks to our care, pruning, hoeing and soil preparation. As we pass into the mid-point of the Easter Season our Scriptures speak to the growth/expansion of the early Church through the efforts of St. Paul. Keeping in mind that he had previously been the most ardent of those who persecuted early disciples of Jesus, we hear that the Jerusalem disciples did not trust him and were ‘afraid of him’, presuming he was a spy with ill intentions. The early Church needed to be convinced, through his own suffering, that he was the real deal. The Gospel is a downright horticultural dream, Jesus using imagery of branches, pruning, bearing of fruit and the importance of being well rooted. Over the last 14 years our own Community of Corpus Christi has experienced hefty growth, being well watered by the Holy Spirit and having enjoyed the peace and tranquility of stability. With the approach of Pastoral transitions it seems that pruning season is upon us…and now we know what the roses in our Parish garden must feel when the rose team trims them down to nothing in early January of each year! But the same rose garden is again abundant with color and vitality, beckoning us to rest amidst its scents and allures.
It seems we have been given a very close-at-hand example of what the Holy Spirit is doing within our midst, having experienced exuberant growth, now the Garden of Corpus Christi needs some tending/pruning so that the next phase of exuberant growth can produce even more vibrant color and life. The imagery used both in Scripture and even here in this Worship Aid all make perfect sense….on an academic level or when we are talking about somebody else’s garden needing pruning…it becomes unsettling when it is our turn and the garden is US. But…this is when faith ceases to be a theory and becomes real…unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies…..if you wish to be my disciple, pick up your cross and follow me…..whoever loses their life will live….etc., etc. It is Springtime in South County….and here at Corpus Christi, another way of viewing all this transition is simply God tending a garden in which he takes great delight. (Oh, by the way, the same stuff goes on in each of our personal/familial lives as well…..how has God been pruning YOUR garden?)
Welcome to the new month of May and all that it brings! Next weekend being Mother’s Day you are reminded that the special cards by which to enroll your own moms, living or deceased, in the May Masses are available on the Concierge Shelves. The Bulletin has news of assorted Women’s, POPs and Youth events drawing near, please make sure you take a copy as you depart. Don’t forget to occasionally take a stroll through our Rose Garden or along the outdoor Stations of the Cross walk….these are lovely days to enjoy the benefits of pruning…and by which to remember that you are loved. FKB
