John 5:1-4
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
In these few short words, Jesus explains the way to spiritual progress is through Him. Our job is to say yes, to surrender.
When we remain in Christ, we acknowledge that God is the source of all that is good, including the good that He calls me to do.
So often we struggle and make no progress, then in frustration we wonder why.
The answer is simple. What is it that I am afraid to lose? What the Lord offers is so much more than anything I have. So let go! What is it that I am afraid of?
-Deacon Michael Bickerstaff
"Daily Reflection: The Vine and the Branches"
I know that answer for me: it's the fear of being alone. All the things of this world that I chase, I chase hoping to win the affection and approval and esteem of others. There's a deeply rooted childhood wound that underpins that. And still, the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit calls me, reminding me of my God who longs to live ever more deeply in me. And Jesus Who wishes to express His Divine Life through me. I imagine that I'm sometimes so afraid of lonely, dark places that I remain interiorly oriented to a lonely, dark place in my own spirit (cf. John 3:19). And yet, in the face of this fear, the Master of the Universe has already blazed a searing light within me, breathed His Spirit upon me, injected His own Life inside of me.
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| St. Gregory the Holy Approaches the Throne of Christ (Altar Icon, detail) St. George Antiochan Orthodox Cathedral |
O Holy God, Who rests among His saints and is.
O Holy God, Who rests among His saints and is.
O Holy God, Who rests among His saints and is.
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