Remain In Me

From the Camino de Santiago

I love a good visual image to help me understand the truth don’t you? In today’s gospel Jesus gives us one of those unforgettable images to remind us of the heart of the matter. “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.” Raise your hand if you have ever experienced spiritual pruning. I have. It’s a time when the Lord cuts us back a bit or completely and lets us rest or experience dormancy so that we can grow. Times of pruning can be painful and hard to understand, but today’s gospel can be of great comfort to know that God is in control and working it out in us so that we can bear even more fruit for His glory. It’s so easy for me to see this on the other side of pruning and not so easy when I’m in the midst of a season of being cut back or desolation. This is when and why faith is so very important. Faith is what grafts us into the vine and the stronger the faith the stronger the hold into the very heart of Jesus. It is there that we can endure any amount of pruning and God only prunes us because He wants so much more for us. He is loving and patient and tender and kind and so He only prunes us according to what we have the grace to endure. Again, faith is a huge part of this for it is how we open ourselves up to the infinite amount of grace offered to us through the very vine we are a part of. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. Raise your hand if you want more of any of these. I know that I want more and so I will pray for an increase in my faith so that my hold on the vine can endure all the pruning that God needs to do in me. Jesus says to us today, “remain in me.” I love the idea of being “in” him. That is a good thought for us to ponder today. What does being in Jesus mean? And do you want the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control to increase in your life?

I have a story that demonstrates the fruits of remaining on the vine. Yesterday I took my memory care sweethearts to our Catholic communion service and my friend Doris is on a severe purée only diet (she can only swallow food that has been blended down like baby food). Even a little crumb of Eucharist will make her choke and it's grave kind of choking. She always gets so sad about it and was desperately raising her hand to please receive communion. The Extraordinary Minister asked me what to do. Prompted by Jesus, whom I had just received, and was still in my mouth (the vine and the branch were one), I went to Doris and gave her a blessing, then I pointed to my mouth indicating that Jesus was there, and I simply kissed her. The look on her face when she realized that she just received Jesus through one holy kiss was one that I will never ever forget. The fruits of joy and peace and goodness and great love oozed out right then and there and the space between us became sacred. She exclaimed in her very hard to understand voice, “I love you!” and she just started kissing my hands in gratitude for the gift of Jesus’ kiss. “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.” Doris’ faith had her strongly grafted onto that vine of grace, and having just come off a time of pruning from being so sick and unable to “do” anything, I was fortified to follow the nudge of the Holy Spirit to share Jesus with my sweet and faith-filled friend. God wants so much more for us and that is why He sent His son. Jesus holds onto to us, becomes one with us, and he fortifies us so that we can thrive and in our thriving we help others to remain on the vine that gives life. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 15:1-6

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
"Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved."
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question. 
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law."

The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5

R.(see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 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.

Gospel JN 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 everyone 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."