By Lisa Greey –
This is a great reading as we are fully in the season of Spring, and quickly heading into Summer. We’ve seen the trees go from dead and lifeless to budding and finally blooming. There’s a street by my house that is lined with these big trees that form an arch in the middle of the street. It’s my favorite street in town, but it was an eyesore during the winter. It seemed like overnight the green leaves appeared and I’m back to enjoying my drive through the little grove! All this serves to help us dive into the Gospel today, believe it or not!
Jesus is the vine, and God is gardener. Where do we fit in? We are the branches. We are connected to Christ and cared for by God the Father. When did we become connected to Christ? Through our Baptism, of course! At this moment original sin was removed, and we were reunited to our true family in Christ. What’s the plus of being connected to Christ? The fruit! Jesus tells us, “Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit … Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither.” What kind of fruit are we talking about here? Spiritual fruit – like virtue, joy, peace, strength in times of trial, prayer, good relationships. These things can only come about if we are connected to Christ. Sure, there are plenty of other fruits the world can offer – like money, power, fame and success. But are these the fruits that truly make us happy? Are these the fruits that come to our aid when things get rough? No, only Christ and the fruit of life connected to him can bring us happiness and support.
The branches connected to Christ become his followers, his disciples. Jesus tells us today to remain in him. Think about how intimate this call us – to be with Jesus at all times, in all places. Our challenge today is to live our baptismal call with commitment and conviction so we don’t wither but instead bear “much fruit” over our lifetime.
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