John 15:1-8
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
I chose today’s Gospel passage for my Solemn Profession in 2000. It weaves together several themes that can all be found in implicit and explicit form in the Rule of St Benedict. At its simplest the Vine is an image of community: a disparate group of people, in various stages of growth, all bound together and nourished by Christ. The pruning that the text speaks of happens in so many ways in ordinary monastic living. You don’t know it at the time, but every branch of self-will that is being cut away, is making room for something new to grow.
When you embark upon monastic life you have offered your life to the vinedresser. At his disposal he has the tools of Scripture, the Rule of St Benedict and every member in your community. With these tools he sets about cultivating the vine of your life. There will be days when the baking sun of monastic life just feels too much and you are convinced that you will wither. Then will come the gentle rain of the wisdom and kindness of others and some growth looks possible. Tiny fruit grows. All of this is possible when you have the courage to root yourself in Christ.
How can you root yourself in Christ this week?