Our actions reveal ourselves to each other. How we act arises from our response to external events and how we internally interpret them. Sometimes our actions are fueled by our own negative thoughts and causes a response to others we may regret. How many times are we hurt by something our children or spouse said to us and we responded in kind, an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth? Maybe we acted unkindly to a neighbor because he or she is not keeping up their yard or getting on our nerves. Interactions with our co-workers may cause some disagreements and involve responses of anger. How about the response: my way or the highway? We all have been there. These things challenge us at the core and our negative responses do not help bear much fruit within our relationships or with our Lord.
Jesus reminds us that he is the vine, and we are his branches. When we follow the word he gave us, we are pruned. However, to keep the vineyard fruitful it must be pruned regularly. We too must be cleansed/pruned regularly when our actions cause us to fall away from being in good relationship with our Lord. We are all part of the same branch. If we build up negative things in our lives then we keep the sap of the vine from flowing. This sap is the loving grace of Jesus flowing into us. We become disconnected from the vine and wither, bearing less fruit.
So, how do we prune ourselves so our actions can be a revelation of our love for God? We can start by tending to our relationship with him. We can come together as a community during Mass. We are fed by his word and fed by the gift of himself through the Eucharist. He speaks to us through scripture and reminds us that his way will support and empower us. Jesus shares his very life with us and is with us as we receive his body and blood. When we are reminded of the way, the truth, and the life, we can become aware of those negative thoughts. Our actions become aligned with those of his commandments and these actions will reveal our love for God.
