Rough Patches, Pruning and Good Fruit

"The reason I stopped going to Mass is because God never heard my prayers. I prayed very hard but God somehow chose to ignore my pleas during a very rough patch me and my family went through."

This is one of the many reasons I hear people give for not going to Mass anymore. There are variations to the theme: "God punished me," "why does He allow me to go thorough this?"

I asked similar questions whenever my wife offered words of hope as we were in danger of losing our home. "What good is prayer and doing all these Catholic things if I am still have to deal with no income and a bunch of creditors on my back?"

Well... Yeah! Why?

I couldn't help but remember how I felt during those endless days, weeks and months as I listened to the Gospel this past Sunday. This is from the Gospel of John where Jesus describes Himself as the True Vine. "I am the vine... Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."

What really got me thinking was right at the beginning of the reading: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit." (emphasis mine).

Fruit growers will selectively and very carefully prune their trees regularly. Pruning ensures that the tree grows correctly, that fruit-producing buds receive the right amount of sunshine, and that the branches holding the fruit are strong enough to hold them.

If the tree looks unpromising or fails to yield any fruit is removed to make space for one that does.

When you go through your rough patches consider that the Father is pruning you. He sees so much potential in you that He wants to make sure you get just enough sunshine, that your spiritual growth is on the right path, and that your heart will be able to sustain all the good fruit that you will eventually yield for His greater glory.