Deacon Tom Writes,
"Simple Abundance"
In
the gospel we hear the story of the “Vine
and the Branches” that, not surprisingly, contains a message quite suited
for us today. That message is this: if we live our lives trying to discern
God’s Will for us and see ourselves connected with and dependent upon one
another, a life of simple abundance awaits us. Not an abundance of the material
“stuff” this age of consumerism has spawned upon us, but rather, an abundance
of those necessities that matter most for our overall “well-being”: mental,
physical, spiritual, emotional and yes, even material!
We
begin our journey to pursue the rich abundance the gospel speaks of in earnest
when we realize that it is lacking in our lives. Simple abundance is a matter
of choosing to live well-balanced lives that contribute and enhance the
“well-being” of others. It is what
Jesus taught his disciples to do when he said they must put others first and be
the servants of all. This is the hardest challenge Christians face and, make no
mistake about it, it is in actuality a… “dying to self”.
For
most of us this doesn’t describe the current state of our spiritual journey.
John’s gospel today reminds us that God calls us to “bear much fruit”, but we settle for so much less. Think about
it!!! Would our God, who through
Christ promised to raise us from the dead and share eternal life with us not
also want us to experience some simple joy and happiness during this life that
has more than its share of sadness and sorrows? I am sure that God wants us to have these good things and
more, but we often settle for the glitter and trinkets, far lesser “stuff”.
God
has truly set a banquet before us. It starts in this life and comes to completion,
perfection in the next. We know that we
can do nothing without him, nor should we want to. For God desires to be a
part of our life’s journey so he can fill us with his joy and peace, fruits
that matter. And, he waits
for us until that day comes when he, the harvest master, gathers to himself the
rich harvest of the fruit of our lives.
May
our harvest be abundant and may the harvest master welcome us into his kingdom
as his good and faithful servants.
Enjoy
the day!
Deacon
Tom
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