Reaching Out

I love gardening in the spring. The beauty of the sun shines upon the seedlings as they appear to reach out to absorb the sun’s warming rays. Then the rain refreshes and replenishes the seedlings as they grow and blossom, always reaching toward the sky.

For me, gardening is more than a hobby, a way to commune with nature. It’s communing with heaven’s Almighty. Truly, our earth cannot survive without the sun and rain, nor can we flourish without God’s graces and blessings.

Our Savior reaches out to us as the Light of Life and the source of Living Waters. Therefore, like little seedlings, let us reach out to Heaven. Let us open ourselves to all that our Lord has to give so we may become extensions of Christ.  “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit…” said our Lord [John 15: 5].

The Light of Life

As the sun illuminates the earth, the Son of God is the Light for our world. In Christ, we see God’s love—divine love that shines upon us. Do we turn toward this love’s light and absorb it into our being so that we can grow and be fruitful in the eyes of God? Or do we turn away?

If we turn away, we deny ourselves the nourishment that only our Lord can provide. “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me,” said Jesus [John 15: 4]. Grafted to our Lord helps us all to flourish.

Together, we bear many fruits such as charity, patience, and peace, which we are called to share. By sharing what our Lord shares with us, we can branch out to reach those who have greater needs than our own. Doing so, we are disciples of Christ, glorifying God. “For every tree is known by its own fruit.” [Luke 6: 44]

The Living Waters

So long as we are united with our Lord, we are never without the sustenance of God’s love. We are never without faith. We are never without hope. Like the rain, our Lord pours forth the Holy Spirit. “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink,” said Jesus [John 7: 37]. The more we take in the grace of the Holy Spirit, the greater our fulfillment.

“The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory.” [CCC 1832] Remember, our original sin was washed away in our Baptism as the Holy Spirit was poured upon us. However, we are still prone to temptations.

Whether we turn toward sin or toward our Lord is the choice we make in our hearts. Our decision determines what we produce with our lives. “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” [Luke 6: 45]

Therefore, as we approach Pentecost Sunday, let us do so with an open heart. The graces and blessings we receive by way of our Lord’s Spirit will help us to be bountiful with one another.  Dear Lord, as you reach out to me, help me to branch out with your love to others. Amen.