Fifth Sunday of Easter
In Sunday’s Gospel once again, Jesus is speaking in parables, or telling a story. He did this often. He understood that those He was speaking to would have an easier time listening and understanding His message. What is that message for you and me today on this 5th Sunday of Easter? If you know anything about vines and branches and fruit, we can see where Jesus was going with this story.
A grapevine is a shrub that produces long vines, each of which can produce clusters of grapes. Left to themselves, grapevines will mainly produce vines and leaves with few grapes. Only with careful pruning can the gardener coax them into producing large clusters of plump grapes. With careful attention and the right conditions, they will produce an abundant harvest. The vine is the root of this whole shrub planted firmly in the ground.
Jesus tells us He is the vine, and we are the branches. He tells us that we are called to bear fruit, and in order to do that, we must remain in Him. In other words, our whole lives and beings must be rooted in Him as we are called to be a light, to bring others to Jesus. Staying rooted in Him, having Him as our anchor if you will, is not just to benefit those we encounter in our day to day lives, and the world we live in, but it benefits you and me as well. Jesus also is the gardener, who coaxes and prunes the branches for growth.
Jesus is often times pruning, or cutting away, things in our own lives that are not good for us or that stand in the way of our relationship with Him. We must trust in that process and that what the Lord is doing is a good thing for us, even when we don’t understand. God always has our best interest at heart and longs to make our lives better.
We are reminded through this parable that we are not alone, and that we cannot do this alone. We need God! We are also reminded that we are nourished by the presence of Jesus in our lives.
How can we stay connected to Him? How can we abide in Him? First and foremost, through daily prayer. Raising our hearts and minds to Him each and every day, going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist, surrounding ourselves with people who will encourage us on this journey and remembering that we have a God who loves us and wants to be a part of our daily life. Then we will bear much fruit and be the light in this world that is so desperately needed!
