Cycle B - Year I:

9 May 2021: Sixth Sunday of Easter

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

Second Reading: 1 John 4:7-10

Gospel: Please Read John 15:9-17

"A new commandment: love one another!"

In this journey of life we have two choices to make: to become a leader or just be a follower. The presence of both, the leader and followers, makes our journey enjoyable, focused and meaningful.

Two Sundays ago our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a clear measure of a good leader in His own description of Himself as the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd, He says, "lays down his life for the sheep." (Jn 10:11) Thus, good leaders are those who inspire us by their examples of caring, self-giving and compassionate leadership.

This Sunday's Gospel speaks about what to be expected of the followers as well. On the sixth Sunday of Easter we hear Jesus speaks about how to measure those who want to follow Him as the Good Shepherd.

Jesus gives His disciples a new commandment, a new way of living in order to be worthy of following Him as their leader. So Jesus says to them: This is my commandment: love one another as I love you!" (Jn 15:12)

What does this new commandment mean to us? Let us look up to our Lord Jesus again for wisdom and advice.

True love is really sacrificial. That means love gives all to the beloved. There is no greater proof in love than to sacrifice one's life for the sake of another. Jesus proved His love for His disciples by giving His very life for them, through His death on the cross. And so, we too can prove our love for God and for one another when we embrace the way of the cross in our journey through this life.

We, therefore, should strive to be merciful toward one another because Christ showed mercy even to those who crucified Him: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Even so, we realize that we can never outgive God in love, because He has loved us without measure. For in God's love, we find the fullness of grace, life, peace, and everlasting joy.

In practical application, Jesus is really telling us to get out of our isolation, go forth, and bear fruit by following our Lord's commandment of love. In other words, all those who profess to love Jesus will obey His commandments and teaching because they enable us to make the love of God real in our lives.

Perhaps, one of the most spiritually destructive ideas that has infected the world today is the fallacy of claiming to love our Lord Jesus Christ while at the same time ignoring, and even rejecting, the commandments and teachings of His Church. It is simply "double talk"!

The real test and testimony of our love for a person lies in our acceptance of what that person we love holds dear. Because authentic love means cherishing and honoring what the person we love cherishes and honors. That is what our Lord Jesus is telling us today: "You are my friends if you do what I command you." (Jn 15:14) And Jesus commands us to "love one another".

Finally, when we love one another as Christ loved us, we become like mirror, magnifying the love of God and radiating it outward to others as well.

As we celebrate the mystery of Christ's love in the Holy Eucharist, let us pray to remain in God's love so that we can bear fruit through our love for one another.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

 Cycle B - Year I:  

2 May 2021: Fifth Sunday of Easter

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 9:26-31

Second Reading:   1 John 3:18-24

Gospel:  Please Read  John 15:1-8

"I am the vine, you are the branches!"

"Do we need God in our lives?" Well, it is a question that we can debate endlessly. But even with our boast that we have conquered the universe (did we really?) when powerful wrath of nature strikes man remains helpless in the face of destructive forces much greater and stronger than our humanity.  Because in the midst of calamities, natural or man-made, we are all at God's mercy.   Even during this pandemic, the enemy is invisible and too small for our eyes to see, but it brought humanity to its knees for the second year now.

The message of this Sunday's liturgy reminds us that we are no superman, even in our own planet.  Our Lord uses the allegory of the vine and the branches to deliver a timely message to us all.

First, let us put ourselves in the scene of the Gospel narrative to appreciate better the message of the Gospel. In Jesus' time the land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards. Thus, the image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews.  So Jesus used this practical reality to catch the attention of His listeners to the message He wanted to convey.

Now, a short lesson on planting vine.  To make the vine fruitful, it needs the caring hand of the vinedresser by carefully pruning the vine so that it can bear good fruit.  Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches --those which bear fruit and those which do not bear fruit.  The secret is to carefully prune back the non-bearing branches in order for the vine to conserve its strength for the branches that bear the good fruit.

Thus, the growers of the vineyard took care of the healthy growth of the vines.  When branches did not yield fruit, they were cut off and dried on the wall of the vineyard to be used later as fuel.

Today's allegory has an intimate tune.  Jesus is actually preparing His friends for the mission and reminds them that without Him they can do nothing.

In the Gospel story, our Lord Jesus uses the image of the vine to describe the kind of life He produces in those who are united with Him.  He then introduces us to the great mystery of God sharing His life with us: "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." (Jn 15:5)

Thus, the central message of the Gospel is simple and clear. Jesus is telling us that the very core of our existence is to be connected with Him. We need Christ as surely as a branch needs to remain in the vine.  And we are either fruit bearing or non-fruit bearing.  There is no in-between.  In other words, we must be fruitful.  From a vine we look for grapes, and so from a Christian we look for a Christ-like behavior.  We must always do good, and this is the meaning of bearing fruit.

In sum, the Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in Him and allow Him to purify us.  It is through our Lord Jesus that we are reconciled with the Father.  We need God's grace and strength that we may do good and be able to face the trials and suffering in this life.  Do we believe and trust in the Lord's abiding presence with us?

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!