Thought for the Week

5th SUNDAY OF EASTER in YEAR B

1st Reading: Acts 9:26-31
2nd Reading: 1 John 3:18-24
Gospel Reading John 15:1-8

Homily by Fr. Gavin Gomez

Last week we had the image of the Good Shepherd, this week we have the image of The Vine. These images of the shepherd and the vine relate to everyday experiences of the Israelite community in Jesus’ time, yet today, these images still help us to reflect on what the Risen Christ means for us today.

Last week we were called to follow the Good Shepherd who continues to guide us through our day-to-day lives and, that a close relationship with Jesus will help us to recognise the voice of the Good Shepherd, who is alive and with us every moment of our lives.

This week we reflect on Jesus Christ who is the “True Vine”, but why the True Vine and not just the Vine? In the Old Testament the image of the Vine was first given to Israel, but, unfortunately, Israel broke its covenant with God many times by worshiping false gods and following pagan practices forbidden by God. Israel just could not keep God’s commandments and so they were unfaithful to His Covenant.

In Jesus, a True Vine is sent by the Father and, through his intimacy with the Father, Jesus revealed the Father. He said “if you know me, you know my Father …when you see me you have seen the Father …. The Father and I are one”.

Jesus was totally obedient to the Will of the Father even to moment of his death. Now, the person of Jesus, our model of inspiration, who was physically with us, is now eternally living among us.

Just as in nature life flows through the grape-vine to the its branches giving life to its branches, so to does life flow through Jesus Christ to all those who believe in him. Jesus draws life from the Father and this
life-giving gift is given to us who attach ourselves to the True Vine and this is how the lives of the faithful are preserved.

In nature, a branch of the grape-vine that has life flowing through it produces grapes, so to when we are attached to the life-giving True Vine, we too can produce a plenitude of good fruit through Jesus working in us.

Jesus said in an earlier pericope, “I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself … even greater works … because I am going to the Father … what ever you ask for in my name I will do”.

The truth we receive from image of the True Vine is that we should remain with Jesus because in doing so we will receive the fullness of life and its fruitfulness.

This attachment to our Lord Jesus Christ can be nurtured and nourished through prayer, sacramental life and participation in the Christian community.

When we really believe that Jesus is living with us, we become aware that we are intimately united with Jesus living within us. This awareness can then lead us to become more Christ-like, and then we begin to experience a change in our lives. St. Paul explained this to the Philippians as, “… we change so that Jesus, who is living within us, begins to be revealed in us”.

In the 1st letter of John, in today’s 2nd reading, it says that “whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him”. The commandments are: believe in his Son, Jesus Christ and love one another. In doing so, it says, that God will give that person whatever is asks for because that person is living the kind of life that God wants.

Another way of putting this is that if we really want to be attached to the True Vine we must believe in Jesus Christ and love one another as Jesus did. The type of love referred to here is a real and active love that expresses the love that this person has for God.

Jesus expressed his intimate love for the Father through his active ministry. St. Paul, after his conversion, having experienced the Risen Christ, expressed his intimate love for Jesus Christ through his missionary activity and with God’s spirit working in him, this resulted in the conversion of many to the Christian faith.

So, we are given today the image of the True Vine, Jesus, from whom the fullness of life and fruitfulness flows. And, in the context of being called to remain with Jesus let us reflect on these words from Jesus in today’s gospel “make your home in me as I make mine in you”.

14th May 2006

Previous Thoughts for the Week
7th May 2006
30th April 2006
23rd April 2006