By Karen Sheehy
John 15:1-2. I am the true vine and my Father is the winegrower. He prunes away every barren branch, but the fruitful ones he trims clean to increase their yield.
Untitled by Bill Williams via Unsplash
It takes approximately 400 grapes (1 cluster) to fill a bottle of wine.
In Mid-October, I attended the WINE Conference in New Orleans. It was an amazing, faith-filled day focused on the boundless love and mercy of God. Over 400 women, enough “grapes” to fill one bottle of wine, gathered to sing, pray, worship and celebrate God’s beautiful design for each of our lives! On display were many facets of discipleship which are imperative for spiritual well-being and personal growth in holiness. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and as such, we must surrender to God, the ultimate grower and source of all that is good in our lives. It is only through perfect trust in God that we can produce maximal harvest for the Kingdom.
Why WINE? Wine has always played a pivotal role in the Celebration of the Mass as it is transformed into Christ’s Sacrificial Blood of Atonement. The gathering of God’s People, into One Body in Christ, is much like wine making, for both are a labor of love. God, the perfect grower, loves us, works for our good, and gives us the gift of salvation. Crushed and pressed, we die and rise with Christ to new life through the Sacrament of Baptism. Impacted by concupiscence, we must constantly seek God’s healing graces, made available in the Eucharist and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we are called to harvest in God’s vineyard of the New Evangelization. To learn more about W.I.N.E. and how you can become a laborer for the Lord, please visit http://womeninthenewevangelization
About the Author:
Karen Sheehy is a devout Catholic, wife, mother, motivational speaker, author, blogger and developer of spiritualsafariguide.com, your passport to a world of spiritual inspiration and understanding. Spiritualsafariguide.com contains a weekly “virtual” pilgrimage blog, multiple charitable outreach opportunities, an on-line store, informative reading material, and listing of upcoming events. All proceeds go to her non-for-profit organization entitled, The Healing Eyes of Mercy, which directly benefits Christians in Rwanda, Haiti and the Holy Land. https://www.spiritualsafariguide.com
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