John 13:20
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
I grew up in a rural part of Osceola County, about 20 minutes west of Disney World, right in the heart of the Florida citrus industry. Orange groves were a normal fixture of the rolling sand hills that I lived by, and the shadowy pine flats with their thick carpet of saw palmettos divided these strange rows of citrus. The seasons of the year were punctuated with their corresponding activity in the "groves". Spring was officially announced when the nights smelled of the sweet fragrance of orange blossoms wafting through the cool night air. Winter was in full swing when the migrants appeared with their rickety ladders to reach the golden orbs suspended in midair by their green stem. Also, I saw trees grow from their small little fragile graft into big strong trees. Of all the things I saw citrus farmer do grafting trees was the most amazing. Two different plants became one, and the fruit the tree bore was sweeter and juicer for it. It's the same with us and Christ, through our Baptism we are grafted onto Christ himself, and now the Holy Spirit exists in us. Be open to God, accept his Word, and know from that he resides in you.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Deacon Joshua Bertrand, Theology IV
Home parish: USF Catholic Student Center / Corpus Christi
Did you know...
My home town is Kissimmee, Florida. I graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in History. I'm currently studying Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. I will be ordained a priest August 15th, 2020 in the Cathedral of St. Jude in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
