Fifth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 53
Lectionary: 53
When Saul arrived
in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,
but they were all afraid of him,
not believing that he was a disciple.
Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,
and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord,
and that he had spoken to him,
and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem,
and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.
He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,
but they tried to kill him.
And when the brothers learned of this,
they took him down to Caesarea
and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.
It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
but they were all afraid of him,
not believing that he was a disciple.
Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,
and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord,
and that he had spoken to him,
and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem,
and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.
He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,
but they tried to kill him.
And when the brothers learned of this,
they took him down to Caesarea
and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.
It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
Responsorial PsalmPS 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of
your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
“May your hearts live forever!”
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
“May your hearts live forever!”
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 21 JN 3:18-24
Children, let us
love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God
and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit he gave us.
but in deed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God
and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit he gave us.
AlleluiaJN 15:4A, 5B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 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 every one 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.”
“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 every one 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.”
Scripture Study
May 3, 2015 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Happy Easter! This weekend we celebrate the
Fifth Sunday of Easter. The theme of the readings this week is belonging. The
first reading is a case study in not being able to go it alone. Paul, who
became perhaps the greatest missionary the Church has ever had, was unable to
even get started without help from other believers. The second reading reminds
us that our faith must have practical, real life consequences. Without action,
talk about faith like talk about anything else is cheap. The Gospel reminds us
that we can do nothing alone. We must remain in and with Jesus in order to bear
the fruit for which the Father is looking. If we remain connected to the Vine,
Jesus Himself will bring about our fruitfulness.
First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 9: 26-31
26 When he arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,
but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the
apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that
he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name
of Jesus. 28 He moved about freely with them in
Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they
tried to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned of this,
they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.31 The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at
peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the
consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
NOTES on First Reading:
* 9:26 There is a difference in the tradition
expressed here and the story as told by Paul in Gal 1:13-24 and in 2 Cor
11:32-33. The greatest difference is the absence in Acts of the three year stay
in Arabia related in Gal 1:17. This, of course, would greatly change the
timetable of events and probably implies that Luke is using an already existing
Pauline legend or cycle of stories as his source rather than the letters of
Paul.
* 9:29 Here as in 6:1-7, the Hellenists were
most probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek and not necessarily Jews
from the diaspora. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke primarily Hebrew
or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. It has also been taken to stand
for the traditionalists among the immigrant Jews of Jerusalem.
* 9:31 In context, the period of peace enjoyed
by the community is implied to be due to the change in Paul’s career. This is
in contrast to the previous time of persecution at his hands. In the section
from verses 31-43, Luke introduces two different traditions concerning the
miracles worked by God at the hands of Peter as he was making a tour of places
where the Christian message had already been preached. The towns of Lydda,
Sharon, and Joppa may well have had Christian communities that were made up of
believers of both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds.
Second Reading: 1 John 3: 18-24
18 Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and
truth.19 (Now) this is how we shall know that we
belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him 20 in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our
hearts and knows everything. 21 Beloved, if (our)
hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God 22 and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his
commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And his
commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in
them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave
us.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 3:18 John frequently uses words like “Little
children” as forms of address that are meant to express pastoral love for the
people to whom he writes. For John and many early Christians the truth of one’s
words of faith was visible in that person’s genuine love of and care for the
poor expressed in the sharing of their material goods.
* 3:19-24 Living a life of Christian love and of
faith in Jesus assures us that we are abiding in God no matter what our
feelings may tell us. Our confidence in prayer and trust in God’s judgment is
based on our obedience. This obedience is not limited to but certainly includes
our strong belief in Christ and love for one another.
* 3: 19b-20 Alternate translations for this
passage are: “we shall be at peace before him in whatever our hearts condemn,
for . . .” or “and before God we shall convince our hearts, if our hearts
condemn us, that God is greater than our hearts.”
* 3:23-24 This is a summary of the commandments
given in typically Johannine form. This is probably John’s version of the
double command of love given in Mark 12:28-31. For John “to believe” in the Son
whom God has sent is equivalent to loving God.
* 3:24 In 2:27, the “anointing” that one
receives upon entering the community has been pointed to (John 3:5). The Spirit
is the substance of the anointing and will be both a pledge of things to come
(Rom 8:14; 2 Cor 1:22) and the power bringing it about as it inspires true
confession which unmasks false teachers (1 John 4:2-6).
Gospel Reading: John 15: 1-8
1 “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. 3 You are already
pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 If you remain in
me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done
for you. 8 By this is my Father glorified, that you
bear much fruit and become my disciples.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 15:1-16:4 In this long discourse on the union
between Jesus and his disciples, His words become a monologue going beyond the
immediate crisis of His departure from their midst.
* 15: 1-17 This section is similar to John
10:1-5 in resembling a parable. Vineyards and vines occur often in the Old
Testament as symbols for Israel. Vineyard is used in Isaiah 5:1-7 and then in
Matthew 21:33-46. Vine is used in Psalm 80:9-17; Jer 2:21; Ezekiel 15:2;
17:5-10; 19:10; and Hosea 10:1. The identification of the vine as the Son of
Man in Psalm 80:15 and Wisdom’s description of herself as a vine in Sirach
24:17 serve as a further Old Testament backdrop for the application of this
figure to Jesus. While secondary, some Eucharistic symbolism was also probably
intended here (See Mark 14:25 where the expression, “the fruit of the vine” is
used.)
* 15:1 Jesus uses the word, “true,” to indicate
a contrast with the symbolism of the past. He is the true vine in which the
symbolism is fulfilled
* 15:2 This verse contains a word play on two
related Greek verb (“takes away” and “prunes”). Tradition speaks of pruning
away useless or fruitless branches (Jer 5:10; Ezek 17:7). This may have been
aimed at those Christians who sought to “hide” their faith in persecution
(12:42-43).
* This parenthetical remark may be looking back
at 13:10 with the intention of reassuring the disciples that they were not
going to be pruned away.
* 15:4-6 The language of the vine merges with
the language of indwelling that is used in the farewell discourses (14:10-11,
20). The Eucharistic overtones that are present in both may have helped to
bring about this combination.
* 15:6 This refers to the common practice of
drying the branches on the wall of the vineyard after they were cut off and
using them later for fuel.
* 15:8 The disciples are now representatives of
Jesus in the world and as such are seen as glorifying the Father as Jesus did.
Meditation: "Abide in me, and I in
you"
Why does Jesus speak of himself as the true vine?
The image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews since the land of Israel was
covered with numerous vineyards. It had religious connotations to it as well.
Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the
Lord"(Isaiah 5:7). Jeremiah said that God had planted Israel "as
his choice vine" (Jeremiah 2:21). While the vine became a symbol
of Israel as a nation, it also was used in the scriptures as a sign of
degeneration. Isaiah's prophecy spoke of Israel as a vineyard which "yielded
wild grapes" (see Isaiah 5:1-7). Jeremiah said that Israel had
become a"degenerate and wild vine" (Jeremiah 2:21). When
Jesus calls himself the true vine he makes clear that no one
can claim their spiritual inheritance through association with a particular
people or bloodline. Rather, it is only through Jesus Christ that one can
become grafted into the true "vineyard of the Lord".
Jesus offers true life - the abundant life which comes from God
and which results in great fruitfulness. How does the vine become fruitful? The
vine dresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Vines
characteristically have two kinds of branches - those which bear fruit and
those which don't. The non-bearing branches must be carefully pruned back in
order for the vine to conserve its strength for bearing good fruit. Jesus used
this image to describe the kind of life he produces in those who are united
with him - the fruit of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Jesus says there can be no fruit in our
lives apart from him. The fruit he speaks of here is the fruit of the Holy
Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or
non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit
requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we
abide in him and allow him to purify us. Do you trust in the Lord's abiding
presence with you?
"Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and
do. Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom.
Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me
ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as my All."
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
SUNDAY, MAY 3, JOHN 15:1-8
(Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24)
SUNDAY, MAY 3, JOHN 15:1-8
(Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24)
KEY VERSE: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower" (v 1).
TO READ: Few cultivated crops are richer in symbolism as the vine in the bible. The prophet Isaiah used this metaphor when he spoke of Israel as a vineyard that had been nurtured and cared for by God, the vinedresser, yet failed to bear fruit. Jesus used the image of the vine and the branches to talk about the community he had founded. The vine and the branches need one another. Just as a branch gets its sap from the tree, so we derive our life only from God. Jesus declared himself to be the true vine whose Father was the vinegrower. Jesus' Church would be the new Israel who would bear good fruit only when united to him. Withered branches, which separated themselves from the vine. would be cut off; they were only good for fuel for the fire. Good branches would be pruned in order to increase their yield. Jesus spoke this discourse at the Last Supper. The "fruit of the vine" that Jesus gave us is his life-giving presence in the saving cup that nourishes the faithful.
TO REFLECT: Is my ministry in the Church fruitful or unproductive?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, prune any dead wood in my life so I may eternally abide in you.
Sunday 3 May 2015
5th Sunday of Easter. W.
Acts 9:26-31. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people—Ps 21(22):26-28, 30-32. 1 John 3:18-24. John 15:1-8 [Ss Philip & James].
Acts 9:26-31. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people—Ps 21(22):26-28, 30-32. 1 John 3:18-24. John 15:1-8 [Ss Philip & James].
Readings
Jesus employs the
metaphor of the vine and branches to describe the intimate relationship between
himself and his followers.
Apart from the vine, a
branch can do nothing but wither and die. So it is for our spiritual life if we
fail to nurture our relationship with Christ.
During winter, pruners
cleanse the dead branches from vines to foster new growth in the coming season.
As with any relationship, our relationship with Jesus can fluctuate like the
seasons. Our hearts can grow cold for various reasons and we can enter
a spiritual winter.
Such times are ideal for
cleansing, for letting go of those dead areas of our lives that fail to bear
fruit.
Such cleansing may take the form of reconciliation, daily prayer or spiritual conversation or direction. Whatever form it takes, we can be certain that the grace of God will ensure a bountiful harvest come spring.
Such cleansing may take the form of reconciliation, daily prayer or spiritual conversation or direction. Whatever form it takes, we can be certain that the grace of God will ensure a bountiful harvest come spring.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Acts of Kindness
|
Don’t believe, sisters, that assistance consists only in giving
medicines and food to the sick. There is another type of assistance that must
never be forgotten, and it is the assistance of the heart that adjusts and
enters in sympathy with the person who suffers and goes to meet his needs. –St.
Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus
May
3
Sts. Philip and James
Sts. Philip and James
James, Son of Alphaeus: We know nothing of
this man except his name, and of course the fact that Jesus chose him to be one
of the 12 pillars of the New Israel, his Church. He is not the James of Acts,
son of Clopas, “brother” of Jesus and later bishop of Jerusalem and the
traditional author of the Letter of James. James, son of Alphaeus, is also
known as James the Lesser to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee,
also an apostle and known as James the Greater.
Philip: Philip
came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called
him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about
whom Moses wrote” (John 1:45).
Like the
other apostles, Philip took a long time coming to realize who Jesus was. On one
occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and wanted to give
them food, he asked Philip where they should buy bread for the people to eat.
St. John comments, “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what
he was going to do” (John 6:6). Philip answered, “Two hundred days’ wages worth
of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (John
6:7).
John’s
story is not a put-down of Philip. It was simply necessary for these men who were
to be the foundation stones of the Church to see the clear distinction between
humanity’s total helplessness apart from God and the human ability to be a
bearer of divine power by God’s gift.
On
another occasion, we can almost hear the exasperation in Jesus’ voice. After
Thomas had complained that they did not know where Jesus was going, Jesus said,
“I am the way...If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on
you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6a, 7). Then Philip said, “Master,
show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Enough! Jesus
answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know
me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9a).
Possibly
because Philip bore a Greek name or because he was thought to be close to
Jesus, some Gentile proselytes came to him and asked him to introduce them to
Jesus. Philip went to Andrew, and Andrew went to Jesus. Jesus’ reply in John’s
Gospel is indirect; Jesus says that now his “hour” has come, that in a short
time he will give his life for Jew and Gentile alike.
Comment:
As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons—the divine power to love like God.
As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. They learned, gradually, that these externals were sacraments of an even greater miracle inside their persons—the divine power to love like God.
Quote:
“He sent them...so that as sharers in his power they might make all peoples his disciples, sanctifying and governing them.... They were fully confirmed in this mission on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:1–26) in accordance with the Lord’s promise: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for me...even to the very ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). By everywhere preaching the gospel (cf. Mark 16:20), which was accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the apostles gathered together the universal Church, which the Lord established on the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ Jesus himself remaining the supreme cornerstone...” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 19).
“He sent them...so that as sharers in his power they might make all peoples his disciples, sanctifying and governing them.... They were fully confirmed in this mission on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:1–26) in accordance with the Lord’s promise: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for me...even to the very ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). By everywhere preaching the gospel (cf. Mark 16:20), which was accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the apostles gathered together the universal Church, which the Lord established on the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ Jesus himself remaining the supreme cornerstone...” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 19).
Patron Saint of:
Uruguay
Uruguay
LECTIO DIVINA:
5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (B)
Lectio:
Sunday, May 3, 2015
The image of the true vine, that is, Jesus
The pressing invitation to remain in Him
in order to bear the fruit of love
John 15: 1-8
The pressing invitation to remain in Him
in order to bear the fruit of love
John 15: 1-8
1.
OPENING PRAYER
Lord, You are! And this is sufficient for us, to live by, to go
on hoping every day, to walk in this world, not to choose the wrong road of
being closed and lonely. Yes, You are forever and from all time; you are
constant, O Jesus! Your being is our constant gift; it is an ever ripe fruit
that feeds and strengthens us in You, in Your presence. Lord, open our heart,
open our being to your being; open us to life with the mysterious power of your
Word. Help us to listen, to eat and savour this food for our souls, which is
indispensable for us! Send us the good fruit of your Spirit so that He may
bring about in us that which we read and meditate about you.
2.
READING
a) To place the passage in its context:
These few verses are part of the great discourse of Jesus to his
disciples during that intimate moment of the last supper and they begin with
verse 31, chapter 13, and proceeding up to the end of chapter 17. This passage
has a very tight, deep and inseparable unity, unequalled in the Gospels and
sums up the whole of Jesus' revelation in his divine life and in the mystery of
the Trinity. It is the text that says that which no other text in the
Scriptures is capable of saying concerning Christian life, its power, its
tasks, its joys and pains, its hopes and its struggle in this world in the
Church. Just a few verses, but full of love, that love to the very end that
Jesus chose to live for his disciples, for us, even to this day and forever. In
the strength of this love, the supreme and definitive gesture of infinite
tenderness, which includes all other gestures of love, the Lord bequeaths to
his disciples a new presence. A new way of being. By means of the parable of
the vine and its branches and the proclamation of the wonderful verb remain,
repeated several times, Jesus initiates his new story with each one of us
called indwelling. He is no longer with us, because he is going back to the
Father, yet he remains within us.
b) To assist us in the reading of the passage:
vv. 1-3: Jesus reveals himself as the true vine, which brings
forth good fruit, excellent wine for his Father, who is the vinedresser and who
reveals to us, his disciples, the braches, that we must remain united to the
vine so as not to die and so as to bear fruit. The pruning, which the Father
accomplishes on the branches by means of the Word, is a purification, a joy, a
chant.
vv. 4-6: Jesus passes on to his disciples the secret of being
able to continue to live in an intimate relationship with him; that is by
remaining. As He lives in them and remains in them and is no longer external to
them or with them, so also they must remain in Him, inside Him. This is the
only way to be completely consoled, to be able to hold on to this life and bear
good fruit, that is, love.
v. 7: Once more, Jesus bequeaths the gift of prayer in the heart
of his disciples, that most precious and unique pearl, and he tells us that by
remaining in Him, we can learn true prayer, the prayer that seeks insistently
the gift of the Holy Spirit and knows that it will be granted.
v. 8: Once more, Jesus calls us to Himself, asks us to follow
him, to be always his disciples. The remaining brings forth mission, the gift
of life for the Father and for the neighbour; if we really remain in Jesus,
then we shall also really remain in the midst of our brothers and sisters, as
gift and as service. This is the glory of the Father.
c) The text:
1-3: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that
does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made
clean by the word that I have spoken to you.
4-6: Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you
are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he
is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown
into the fire and burned.
7: If you abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for
you.
8: By this my
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
3.
A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER
As a branch, I now remain united to the vine, my Lord, and I
abandon myself to Him, I allow myself to be overtaken by the sap of his silent
and deep voice, which is like living water. Thus I remain in silence and stay
close.
4.
A FEW QUESTIONS
to help me remain, to discover the beauty of the vine, Jesus; to
lead me to the Father, to allow Him to take over and labour in me, certain of
His good labour as loving vinedresser; and to urge me to enter into the life
blood of the Spirit to meet him as the only necessary thing that I must seek untiringly.
a) "I am": it is beautiful that the passage begins
with these words, which are like a song of joy, of the victory of the Lord,
that He loves to sing all the time in the life of each one of us. "I
am": He repeats this infinitely, every morning, every evening, at night,
while we sleep, even though we are not aware of this. In fact, He really is at
our disposal; He is turned towards the Father, towards us, for us. I meditate
these words and not only listen to them but allow them to penetrate me, my mind,
my innermost memory, my heart, all my feelings and I ruminate on and absorb his
Being into my being. In this Word, I now understand that I am not, unless I am
in Him and that I cannot become anything unless I remain in Jesus' being. I try
to enter into the depths of my being, overcoming fear, crossing the darkness
that I find there and I gather those parts of my being, of myself, that are
most lifeless. I take them delicately and bring them to Jesus and I hand them
over to his "I am".
b) The vine recalls to mind wine, that precious and good fruit,
and also recalls to mind the covenant that nothing and no one will ever be able
to break. Am I willing to remain in that embrace, in that continuous yes of my
life thus woven into his? Together with the Psalmist, shall I too raise the
chalice of the covenant, calling on the name of the Lord and saying to him,
yes, I too love you?
c) Jesus calls his Father the vinedresser, a very beautiful term
that carries all the force of the love dedicated to working the land. It
expresses a bending over the earth, a drawing close of body and being, a
prolonged contact, a vital exchange. This is precisely the Father's attitude
towards us! However, St. Paul says: "The farmer who has done the hard work
should have the first share of the harvest" (2 Tim 2: 6) and St. James
reminds us "See how patient a farmer is as he waits for his land to
produce precious crops" (Jas 5: 7). Will I, the land, disappoint the
patience of the Father who cultivates me every day, turns me over, gets rid of
the stones, nourishes me with good fertiliser and builds a hedge all round me
to protect me? To whom do I give the fruits of my existence, of my heart, of my
mind, of my soul? For whom do I exist, for whom do I decide and choose to live
every day, every morning, when I wake up?
d) I follow the text carefully and underline two verbs, which
occur frequently: "to bear fruit" and "to remain". I
understand that these two realities are a symbol of life itself and are woven
together, each depending on the other. Only by remaining is it possible to bear
fruit and, really, the only true fruit that we as disciples can bear in this world
is precisely to remain. Where do I remain every day, all day? With whom do I
remain? Jesus always makes the connection of this verb with that wonderful and
enormous particle: "in me". Do I console myself with these two words
"in me", that is am I inside, do I live in the depth, do I dig in
search of the Lord as one digs for a well (cfr. Gn 26: 18) or for treasure (Pr
2: 4), or else am I outside, always lost among the ways of this world, as far
as possible from intimacy, from a relationship from contact with the Lord?
e) Twice Jesus reminds us of the reality of his Word and reveals
to us that it is his Word that makes us pure and it is his Word that leads us
to true prayer. The Word is proclaimed and given as a permanent presence within
us. It also has the ability to remain, to make its dwelling place in our heart.
However, I must ask myself, what ears do I have to listen to this proclamation
of salvation and goodness, which the Lord addresses to me through his Words? Do
I allow room to listen in depth to that which the Scripture speaks to me all
the time, in the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms and the apostolic Writings? Do I
allow the Word of the Lord to find me and overtake me in prayer, or do I prefer
to trust in other words, lighter, more human and more like my words? Am I
afraid of the voice of the Lord who speaks to me urgently and all the time?
5.
A KEY TO THE READING
As a branch, I seek to be ever more one with my Vine, that is,
the Lord Jesus. Here and now, I drink of his Word the good sap, seeking to
penetrate ever deeper so as to absorb the hidden nourishment that transmits to
me real life. I pay attention to the words, the verbs, the expressions Jesus
uses and which recall other passages of divine Scripture and, thus, I let
myself be purified.
The meeting with Jesus, the "I am"
This passage is one of the texts where this strong expression
appears, an expression that the Lord addresses to us in order to reveal
himself. It is wonderful to walk through the Scriptures in search of other
texts similar to this one, where the Lord speaks of himself to us directly, of
his deepest essence. When the Lord says and repeats infinitely in a thousand
ways, with a thousand nuances "I am". He does not do so in order to
annihilate or humiliate us, but only to stress forcefully his overflowing love
for us, which desires to make us partake of and live that same life that
belongs to Him. When He says "I am", He is also saying "You
are" to each one of us, to each son and daughter who is born into this
world. It is a fruitful and uninterrupted transmission of being, of essence and
I do not wish to let this be in vain. I wish to welcome it and welcome it
inside me. So, I follow the luminous trace of the "I am" and I try to
stop at each step. "I am your shield" (Gen 15: 1), "I am the God
of Abraham your father" (Gen 24: 26), "I am the Lord who led you and
still leads you out of the land of Egypt" (cfr. Es 6: 6) and from the
hands of every Pharaoh who will threaten your life, "I am He who heals
you" (Es 15: 26). I allow myself to be enlightened by the force of these
words, which fulfil the miracle they speak of; they fulfil this miracle to this
day, and for me, in this lectio. Then I go on reading in the book of Leviticus
where at least 50 times this affirmation of salvation is found: "I am the
Lord", and I believe these words and hold on to them with my whole being,
my whole heart and say: "Yes, indeed the Lord is my Lord, He and no
other!" I note that the Scriptures probe ever deeper. As the journey
continues, gradually, the Scriptures penetrate me and lead me to an ever more
intense relationship with the Lord. In fact, the book of Numbers says: "I
am the Lord and I live among the people of Israel" (Num 35: 34). "I
am" is in the present, He who does not draw apart, does not turn his back
to leave; it is He who cares for us from close by, from the inside, as only He
can do; I read Isaiah and I receive life: 41: 10; 43: 3; 45: 6 etc.
The holy Gospel is an explosion of being, of presence, of
salvation; I run through it letting John lead me: 6: 48; 8: 12; 10: 9. 11; 11:
15; 14: 6; 18: 37. Jesus is the bread, the light, the gate, the shepherd, the
resurrection, the way, the truth, the life, the king; and all for me, for us,
and so I want to welcome him, know him and love him, and I want to learn,
through these words, to say to him: "Lord you are!" It is this
"You" that gives meaning to my I that makes of my life a
relationship, a communion. I know for certain that only here can I find full
joy and live forever.
The vineyard, the true vine and its good fruit
God's vineyard is Israel, a beloved vineyard, a chosen vineyard,
a vineyard planted on a fertile hill, in a place where the earth has been
cleared afresh, hoed, freed of stones, a protected vineyard, worked, loved,
large and one that God himself has planted (cfr. Is 5: 1ff; Ger 2: 21). So
loved is this vineyard that the beloved has never ceased to sing the canticle
of love for her; strong notes yet sweet at the same time, notes that bear true
life, that go across the ancient covenant and come to the new covenant in even
clearer notes. At first it was the Father who sang, now it is Jesus, but in
both it is the Spirit who is heard, as the Song of Songs says: "The voice
of the dove is still heard… and the vineyards spread fragrance" (Sgs 2:
12ff). It is the Lord Jesus who draws us, who takes us from the old to the new,
from love to love, towards an ever stronger communion, even to identification:
"I am the vine, but you too are in me". Hence it is clear: the
vineyard is Israel, is Jesus, is us. Always the same, always new, always chosen
and beloved, loved, cared for, protected, visited: visited by rain and visited
by the Word, sent by the prophets day by day, visited by the sending of the
Son, Love, who expects love, that is, the fruit. "He waited for the grapes
to ripen, but every grape was sour" (Is 5: 2); in love, disappointment is
always round the corner. I stop here at this reality, I look inside me, I try
to discover the places where I am closed, dry, dead; why has the rain not come?
I repeat this word that echoes often through the pages of the Bible: "The
Lord waits…" (see Is 30: 18; Lk 13: 6-9). He wants the fruits of
conversion (cfr. Mt 3: 8), as he tells us through John, the fruits of the word
that hides the listening, the welcoming and the self-control, as the synoptics
say (cfr. Mt 13: 23; Mk 4: 20 e Lk 8: 15), the fruits of the Spirit, as Paul
explains (cfr. Gal 5: 22). He wants us "to bear fruit in every good
work" (Col 1: 10), but above all, it seems to me, the Lord waits and desires
"the fruit of the womb" (cfr. Lk 1: 42), that is Jesus, in whom we
are truly blessed. In fact, Jesus is the seed that, dying, bears much fruit
within us, in our life (Jn 12: 24) and defeats every solitude, every closure,
opening us wide to our brothers and sisters. This is the real fruit of
conversion, planted in the earth of our bosom; this is to become his disciples
and, finally, this is the true glory of the Father.
Pruning, a joyful purification
In this passage of the Gospel, the Lord shows me another way of
following Him, together with Him. It is the way of purification, of renewal, of
resurrection and new life. It is hidden in the term "pruning", but I
can better discover it, throw light on it thanks to the Word itself, which is
the only master, the only sure guide. The Greek text uses the term
"purify" to point to this action of the vinedresser in his vineyard.
Certainly, it is true that he prunes, cuts with a knife sharpened by his Word
(Heb 4: 12) and, sometimes, wounds us, but it is even truer that it is his love
that penetrates ever deeper in us and thus purifies, washes, refines. Yes, the
Lord sits as washer to purify, to make splendid and luminous the gold in his
hand (cfr. Mal 3: 3). Jesus brings a new purification, the one promised for so
long by the Scriptures and waited for the Messianic times. It is no longer the
purification that took place by means of cult, by means of the observance of
the law or sacrifices, only a temporary purification, incomplete and
figurative. Jesus brings about an intimate, total purification, one of the
heart and conscience, the one sung by Ezekiel: "I shall purify you of all
your idols, I shall give you a new heart…When I shall have purified you from
all you iniquities, I shall bring you back to your cities and your ruins will
be rebuilt…" (Ez 36: 25ff. 33). I also read Eph 5: 26 e Tt 2: 14,
beautiful and rich texts, which help me better enter into the light of grace of
this work of salvation, of this spiritual pruning that the Father works in me.
There is a verse in the Song of Songs that can help my
understanding more, it says, "This is the time for singing" (Sgs 2:
12), however, it uses a verb that means also "pruning, cutting" as
well as "singing". Thus pruning is the time for singing, for joy. It
is my heart that sings before and in the Word, it is my soul that rejoices for
my faith, because I know that through this long but magnificent pilgrimage in
the Scriptures, I too will take part in Jesus' life, I too will be united with
Him, the pure, the holy, the immaculate Word and that thus united to Him I
shall be washed, purified with the infinite purity of His life. Not for me
alone, not in order to be alone, but to bear much fruit, to grow leaves and
branches that do not wither, to be a branch together with many other braches in
the vine of Jesus Christ.
6.
A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER: PSALM 1
A meditation on the joy of one who lives by the Word and, thanks
to the Word, bears fruit.
Res. Your Word is my joy, Lord!
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. Res.
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. Res.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Res.
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Res.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. Res.
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. Res.
7.
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, I still see the light of your Word. The healing force of
your voice still rings in the depth of my being! Thank you, O my Vine, my sap.
Thank you, O my dwelling where I can and wish to remain. Thank you, O my
strength to do, to carry out every task; thank you my Master! You have called
me to be a fruitful branch, to be fruit of your love for humankind, to be the
wine that makes the heart rejoice. Lord, help me to realise this blessed and
true Word of yours. Only thus can I live truly and live truly as you are and
remain. Lord, let me not err so that I wish to remain a branch in your vine
without the other branches, my brothers and sisters. It would be indeed the
sourest and most displeasing fruit.
Lord, I do not know how to pray. Teach me Yourself and let my
most beautiful prayer be my life, transformed into a bunch of grapes for the
hunger and the thirst, for the joy and company of those who come to the vine,
that is, You. Thank you for being the wine of Love!
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