Sunday, April 28, is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Mass readings: Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8.
The Lord presents us in today’s Gospel with four basic principles that assist us in being better, more fruitful disciples. Let’s have a look.
Purpose
Christ says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit …”
The purpose of a vine is to bear fruit. What are the fruits that the Father seeks? Surely justice, righteousness and holiness are chief among them. The Letter to the Galatians speaks of them in this way: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (5:23). Yet there are some branches that, though they take nourishment from the vine, do not bear fruit. They harm the vine by drawing strength away from the fruit-bearing branches. Severed branches will be gathered and thrown into the fire. What’s the takeaway for us? Without the stability of abiding on the vine, we can get “carried away” by worldly things and ultimately be cast into the fiery suffering of hell, ruled by the prince of this world, Satan.
Pruning
“[A]nd every [branch] that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you,” Our Lord continues.
Most of us who have cared for roses know how important pruning is. Without this careful and necessary cutting, the rose bush grows long and gnarly. It expends its strength more on the branches than on the flowers.
Little by little, the flowers become smaller and less beautiful; the leaves lose their beauty, shape and color, becoming smaller and lighter green.
Eventually, the rose bush looks little better than a weed. Pain and pruning are part of the Christian journey.
Pruning gives way to greater glory; God the vinedresser knows what He is doing.
Persistence
Jesus also says, “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.”
In this short Gospel, the word “remain” occurs seven times. Do you get the point?
Remain means to abide habitually. It speaks of stability and persistence.
It is clear that a branch must always stay attached to the vine, or else it is doomed to wither and die. It must be attached to the vine 24 hours a day x 7 days a week x 365 days a year.
Nothing could be clearer in this analogy than this truth.
Produce
“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,” Christ further instructs.
Note that this is linked to a kind of fruitfulness in prayer that comes from the Father’s good pleasure. Why is he pleased to answer our prayers if we abide? Because he can trust us with his blessings. In effect, he can say, “Here is someone who is close to my Son, who habitually remains with him and abides with him. Yes, here is someone I can trust with blessings.”