Today's Gospel Reading - May 6, 2012 with Reflection

1ST READING - Acts 9:26-31
P S A L M - Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
R: I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
2ND READING - 1 John 3:18-24
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.


John 15:1-8


1 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. 3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 4 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. 5 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. 6Anyone 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

ARE YOU THREATENED OR ENCOURAGED?

For us, the image of the vine and the branches might not say much since we do not see vineyards every day. But in Israel, vineyards can be found everywhere; they were and still are part of the landscape. Not only that, the prophets of old had often used the image of the vineyard or of the vine as a symbol for Israel. “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel,” Isaiah says in chapter 5 of his book. And all in Israel knew about the great bunch of golden grapes in front of the Holy Place in the Temple of Jerusalem.


It was and still is not easy to cultivate vine that bears plenty of grapes. Much pruning is necessary to cut away fruitless branches so that they will not drain away the strength of the plant. Several times a year, fruitless branches are cut away and burned. It’s interesting also that the wood of the vine is burned because it would serve no purpose. It was, by the way, the only wood that was not admitted to be donated for the sacrifices in the Temple.


This little background tells us that Jesus knew very well what He was talking about. The parable of the vine and the branches is threatening as well as encouraging. It is threatening if we are like the branches that do not bring any fruit, when we are indifferent and don’t care about our spiritual life and do not practice what God tells us. It is threatening if we think we could live a life disconnected from Christ, from His Church and from the sacraments.


But the parable is encouraging as long as we try all we can to remain united with Christ, with His Church and treasure the sacraments. It encourages us to seek this unity especially in the Eucharist where the graces and blessings — the life-giving sap, to use the image of the vine — flow from Christ into our very being. It encourages us to seek daily spiritual nourishment by reading the Sacred Scriptures since, according to Jesus, we do not live from bread alone but from every word that comes from the mouth of God.Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD


REFLECTION QUESTION: What can you do to strengthen your spiritual lifeline with God?


Lord, let me never forget that without the nourishing grace of the sacraments and Your Word, I would die spiritually and be unable to bring the fruit You expect from me.


Sts. Marian and James, pray for us.

   

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