Guided reflection:

Remember, Jesus is spending his last times with his disciples. Every word is important. This metaphor uses a vine to represent Jesus; the gardener/pruner is God; and we are the branches. We will die if we do not stay connected to the vine, and we will not be as fruitful as we could be if we do not yield to the pruning! The goal of our lives is to produce fruit. Jesus wants our joy, our fruitfulness to be complete. Bottom line Love God, means you Love Jesus, Love Jesus means you love others; love others means we love God... and the circle continues. Pay attention – Love one another! How are you going with that? What needs to be “pruned” in you to make you more fruitful?

Guided prayer:

“I want to abide in you, O God. I want to be fruitful for you. Do what you need to do in me so I can mature and be connected to the source. Show me where my connections are weak. Amen”