GIVING ONE’S BEST

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Wednesday after Easter is, “Giving One’s Best.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about grapes and vines.

I find it fascinating that Jesus makes observations about all sorts of things – besides carpentry. In fact, he doesn’t say that much about carpentry – other than building your house on rock and not on sand – and don’t start something you can’t finish.

He seems at times to be a “wannabe” farmer – because he makes lots of observations about the land – sheep and goats - planting and plowing -  uprooting weeds and harvesting wheat. In today’s gospel we hear all about grapes and grape vines – and making sure life runs through the vines and produces lots of grapes.

GIVING ONE’S BEST

To have the best grapes, one must know soil and where to plant. To have the best grapes one must know about pruning and cutting – so as to end up with an abundant harvest.

But grapes are only the first step. Picking the grapes and then making wine are further steps – and I assume that the best grape growers make the best wine.

I don’t drink but I do enjoy watching the wine moment in rich restaurants – [I prefer Fuddruckers]. Someone orders wine. The waiter brings out a bottle. The person choosing the wine is asked to sniff it - test it – taste it - before choosing it.

When I was younger – way before I got diabetes - I would get either ginger ale or Doctor Pepper at a restaurants. They are the same every time. But wine – wine varies. So there is something in trying to come up with the best tasting wine.

And that’s the bottom line for my sermon thought for the day – to want to be the best we can be as me – as Christian – as friend – as family member – as God’s good servant – in all those things we do at home, at work, and in all our circles.

BRAHMS

I was looking up different things about grapes and vines and wine last night. I was thinking that I need to make homilies less abstract and to use more examples. In a book of anecdotes I found the following story. It’s about Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), the famous German musician, a composer of lots of songs and choral works.

Once upon a time Brahms was invited to a dinner. The host brought out some of his choicest bottles of wine from his wine cellar. He announced to Brahms, “This is the Brahms of my cellar.” It was an old, special, rich bottle of wine which the host poured into the composer’s glass. Brahms scrutinized the wine closely, inhaled its bouquet, took a sip, and then put down his glass without comment. The host asked, “How do you like it?” Brahms responded with a murmur, “Bring out your Beethoven.” (1)

CONCLUSION: TO BE HONEST

Each day we bring we bring ourselves to many tables. The call is to bring out our best.

If you’re like me, I don’t always bring my best self to every situation. Sometimes it’s a question of energy levels. Sometimes it’s a question of laziness. Sometimes it’s a question of who else is at the table.

To be better I need to realize this. Then I need to go down into my basement – my inner room – and discover Jesus there in newer and newer prayer – to meet Jesus in challenging and more challenging ways – becoming more and more one with him – and as Paul puts it – to become more and more Christ. (2)

To be our best, we become one with Christ – eating his body, drinking his blood – becoming more and more Christ.

Now that’s a marriage feast. To be humble, we need to know we can be better than our everyday self. We need to know about the call to wed, united, married to Christ in newer ways. All you married folks who are well married – know the difference between going it alone and going it as a team.

That’s what the gospel of John is telling us early on. Pushed by Mary at Cana, Jesus began all this – and billions have been on the vine ever since. (3) So the message I would push this morning is that if we will be giving our best if we become more and more Christ.


NOTES

(1) Clifton Fadiman, General Editor,  The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto, London, 1985, page 75

(2) Galatians 2: 20; Romans 8: 9-11; Colossians 2: 6-7; Ephesians 4: 17 to 5: 33

(3) John 2: 1-12