Learning to Remain with a Restless Heart

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

     Jesus said to his disciples:
     “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.
     You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
     Remain in me, as I remain in you.
     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.
     I am the vine, you are the branches.
     Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
     because without me you can do nothing.
     Anyone who does not remain in me
     will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
     people will gather them and throw them into a fire
     and they will be burned.
     If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
     ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
     By this is my Father glorified,
     that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”


     “I would argue that the last five minutes of your holy hour are the most important minutes of your holy hour.”

     My ears perked up as my friend shared his revelation to my bible study.

     “Think about it. What are most people doing the last five minutes of their holy hour? Packing up? Thinking about how they’re going to spend the rest of their day once they walk out the chapel? … You signed up for a holy hour, the full hour. Don’t waste the last five minutes you have in front of Jesus.”

     As I sat back, I began to think about all of the times I had mentally or physically checked out of my holy hour - and there were many. All of a sudden, excuse after excuse flooded my mind.. 

     You had somewhere to go and needed to account for time.
     You finished your prayer routine faster than you thought you would, so it’s okay that you leave early.
     You didn’t leave, you just started packing up. 

     But in hearing myself try to make all of the excuses as to why I struggled in the final five minutes of my holy hour, I realized something - I have a problem remaining with Jesus.

      Remain in me, as I remain in you.

     It only takes eight words for Jesus to make it abundantly clear that His love is an unwavering one. He is willing to abide with us in our trials, stay vigilant when we grow weary, protect us from any harm that could come our way and encourage us to continue growing, even when it’s difficult. The question we are then faced with asking ourselves is if we are committed to giving Christ the same kind of love - a love that remains. 

     We live in a world that has forgotten what it means to remain. We get bored in seconds and constantly seek entertainment that will hold our attention. If it doesn’t automatically solve the problem, try something else. If it’s too hard, push it to the backburner; you’ll get to it eventually. The problem with this way of thinking is that if we are always seeking the painless and simple alternative, how are we ever going to root ourselves so that we have a chance to grow?

     I asked myself this question, and others like it, as I began the process of understanding what it means to truly love God in the way He loves me. Whether it was by meditating on the Cross, praying before the Blessed Sacrament or commuting from place to place, I became aware of the ways I refused to remain and I, slowly but surely, began to let the Lord root me in Him and prune the parts of my life that lacked fruit. It didn’t take long for me to realize that one of the best decisions I could make was choosing to not run after something but to remain constant in Someone.

     This week, I encourage you to pray with this upcoming Sunday’s Gospel and allow yourself to really hear the words of Jesus: “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” How does the word “remain” stir your heart? How can you remain in Christ throughout the week?

 
About the Author: Nicole Jones is the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Red Stick Catholics) at the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Nicole grew up in Baton Rouge and started getting involved with ministry after experiencing a deep conversion of heart at a high school bible study at Our Lady of Mercy parish. During her time as a mass communication student at LSU, Nicole became more involved with Christ the King Catholic Church and Student Center. It was there that she felt the Lord tugging on her heart to dive deeper into ministry and apply for her current position at the Diocese. When Nicole isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her dog, Indy, and baking the world’s best chocolate chip cookies.

Who is your favorite superhero: Choosing a favorite superhero is like having to choose a favorite child… Professor X, because he has the coolest powers. Captain America, because of his virtue. Spider-Man, because who doesn’t think Spider-Man is the coolest?

What is your favorite smell: The smell of a bakery that sells fresh bread. Any carb will do, really...

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The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at [email protected].