Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B April 29, 2018

First Reading
Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31
Paul is accepted by the apostles at Jerusalem.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22:26-27,28,30,31-32
The whole world shall praise the Lord.
Second Reading
1 John 3:18-24
God commands us to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another.
Gospel Reading
Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches. John 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."
Background on the Gospel Reading*
Today’s reading from the Gospel of John is part of Jesus’ discourse at the
Last Supper. Recall that John tells the story of Jesus’ Last Supper
differently from the other Evangelists. In John’s Gospel, the Last Supper
begins with Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus then provides them
with a series of instructions. We call this section the Last Supper
discourse or Jesus’ farewell discourse. In these chapters of John’s Gospel,
Jesus instructs his disciples about the importance of following his example
of love and service, about the gift they will receive when Jesus sends them
the Holy Spirit, and about their relationship with Jesus and with the
world. The Last Supper discourse concludes with Jesus’ prayer for his
disciples.
Today’s Gospel reading is taken from middle of the Last Supper discourse.
Jesus speaks about his relationship to his disciples. In his metaphor of
the vine and the branches, Jesus is referencing the Hebrew Scriptures. In
the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel is the vineyard, and Yahweh himself tends the
vineyard. One of the primary themes of John’s Gospel is to show Jesus to be
the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.
In this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples that his relationship with
them will not end after his death; he will remain with them always. This
unity between Jesus and his disciples is the basis for their ability to
continue to do the work that he began. Similarly, Jesus’ presence with us
through the Gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to continue the work of love
and reconciliation that he began.
Jesus also teaches his disciples about the importance of the words he has
taught to them. Just as Jesus will remain in the disciples, so too will his
words. We come to know Jesus through the Scriptures, the living Word of
God. Our commitment to be Christ’s disciples is sustained through God’s
Word. This commitment is also strengthened by our life of prayer and
nourished by the Eucharist. Through the Eucharist, Jesus dwells in us,
remains with us, and transforms us so that we might bear fruit in his name.
We observe many people who act in ways that show their commitment to serve
their neighbor. Christians and non-Christians feed the hungry, care for the
sick, shelter the homeless, and give alms to the poor. These actions become
acts of Christian discipleship when they are motivated by our relationship
with Jesus. Whatever the immediate results, Jesus promises us that these
actions will bear fruit when we undertake them in his name.
Family Connection
The goal of our life of prayer is to increase our awareness that Jesus
lives with us always. Prayer is more than a dialogue with God; prayer is a
lifting of our minds and hearts to God so that God might dwell and act
within us and through us. The pinnacle of our life of prayer is our
communion with Jesus in the Eucharist. Through this sacrament, we receive
Jesus himself, and he remains with us. Our life of prayer and our union
with Jesus will lead us to fruitful service to others.
Place a plant in your gathering space. Invite everyone to look at the
plant, noting the connection between the plant and its leaves. Talk about
the integral connection between all the parts of a healthy plant. Introduce
today’s Gospel by saying that Jesus talked about his relationship to his
disciples using this metaphor. Read today’s Gospel, John 15:1-8. Talk about
the ways in which we are invited to relate to Jesus as his disciples
today—prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, and so on. When we do these things,
Jesus promises to remain with us and to lead us to serve others well. Pray
together that we will continue to be attentive and open to Jesus as he
works in our lives today. Pray together the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love.

Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings