A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (15:1-8)
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 everyone 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.”
REFLECTION: Jesus’ statement in today’s Gospel, that He is the true vine, highlights that He is, the source, the nutrient of life and spiritual power for us, if we call ourselves His followers. As followers of Jesus, we are compared to branches attached to the vine, Him, representing our dependence on Him for life, in order for Jesus to live in us. Staying connected to Jesus is crucial for bearing fruit. This means being in communion with Him through prayer, studying His word, and obedience.
One of our purposes in life is to bear fruit. But not just any fruit, that will be sour, insipid, dry, etc. Rather, fruit that is sweet and abundant. A fruitfulness that has positive impact of a life in Christ, consisting of virtues like love, compassion, and forgiveness, as well action, to serve others and promote good outcomes in the world.
This fruitfulness cannot be produced on our own, we cannot nourish ourselves. We cannot do it apart from Jesus. It can only come as a result of being connected to Christ, and God the Father, as the vine-grower, prunes the branches (us) to help them bear sweet and abundant fruit. This connection, which Jesus offers us, abiding in Christ, requires following His commandments. Not some of them but ALL!
Our human nature is one that when we do work, we want to see results, meaning fruitfulness, as in today’s Gospel. However, we need to be careful and not look to be fruitful for our own satisfaction but rather, to bring glory to God, and rewards for those who persevere, in their relationship with Christ, will come from our heavenly Father, our Spiritual Gardner, when we least expect it.
Now, just like our connection with Jesus can help us to be fruitful, we can also have consequences when we are unfruitful. If we are the branches, and are not connected to the vine, the branches will wither, dry up, eventually die, and will need to be cut off, removed. These are the consequences of neglecting Christ.
Those of you that grow or tried to grow plants in your backyard or in a pot inside your homes, can relate easily to the illustration Jesus is teaching us in today’s Gospel. I have plants in my backyard (see the image I provided) where I need to check their health constantly, because at times some of the plants are attacked by insects and eventually wither and kill a plant, if not nourished to good health by another source. The same is TRUE in our lives. Some of us may get attacked by sinful temptations that if we don’t call on Christ to help us, the sin will enter in us, and eventually will cut us away from Christ. He will no longer abide in us and the ending will not be a positive one.
Let us also, not forget that pruning the branches is not only necessary, but a requirement, in order for the branches (us), to become stronger, as we stay connected to Christ, for our spiritual nourishing and growth. Life’s challenges/pruning in our lives, can help us become stronger branches/followers of Jesus Christ, like a branch connected to the vine.
In summary, Jesus’ teaching today tells us, that a fruitful Christian life is possible only, through a close and abiding relationship with Jesus, where His followers (us) are connected to Him as branches to a vine, allowing His life and power to flow through us. May we always hold on to Him, who is our vine.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: As you tend your spiritual garden, do you remain in Jesus, whatever the season is? If need to, fight to remain in Him, by prioritizing the things of the Kingdom, so you may produce fruit by remaining where you are fed, as God prunes you to make you more abundant for His Glory.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
