Throughout April the dandelion flower was in full flower. Here the seeds have all matured and are ready for new pasture.

Thought For The Week resumes tomorrow Tuesday after the Bank Holiday Weekend

Thought on Monday – May – 04/05/2015

The following reflection is by Jane Mellett


As with all good vine growers, God cares for his crop, nurturing it, pruning it, giving it all it needs so that it can grow and reach its full potential. We are no doubt the branches. What does it mean to be a branch? Branches must be connected to the vine or they bear no fruit. Even those branches that do bear fruit, they need pruning so that they can grow and bear even more fruit. As we are all too well aware, productivity seems to be the measure of success in the world today, in our education systems, in the workplace, in economics; we are measured by what we produce. Is Jesus really adding on the pressure in this Gospel passage by telling us that he wants to see results or else!?

Perhaps we can read this passage in terms of connectivity. Think of your most intimate friendships and relationships. You don’t measure their weight in terms of produce do you? But you do want to stay connected right? It is this closeness, this intimacy that Jesus calls us to: ‘abide in me’. Are you connected or disconnected? If the connection is strong, then fruit bearing comes naturally and people will see the Gospel in our lives and in the way we respond to the world. If we are connected, all manner of things are possible for us.