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!