Fifth Sunday of Easter

Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today’s Gospel of John comes from the last supper discourse. When Jesus was saying this people were in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. They would be visiting the temple for their sacrifices. On the archway leading to the temple were enormous images of vines plated in gold as icons of the Promised Land. So by calling himself the true vine Jesus indicates that he is the true vine of the true temple.

We are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life. “For in Him we live and move and have our being”

Jesus doesn’t say that we can do some things pretty well but you need me to help now and then. He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

So this image of the vine and branches is not a random and superficial analogy. It’s a reality. No believer can achieve anything of lasting value independently of Christ Jesus.

It’s more than simply following the teaching of Jesus because Jesus is more than just a teacher. We need to live in him. We need to be routed and grounded in him. We need to be grafted on to him. This we do through our faith, the life of the Church and participating in the sacraments.

All evangelisation, any apostolic mission, any catechesis and any devotion is pointless without being routed in Christ. If it’s coming just from us it will bear no fruit and die.

Some denominations may ask you are you saved? They see it as a one off decision and event. This is completely contradictory to this passage of scripture. We can be cut off from the vine by choosing to sin. Faith plus continual good works are needed and God is the one to decide if we are saved or not.

Saint JP2 reminds us that Jesus wants to live his suffering and his joys through us. So as Jesus suffered so must we.

We hear that God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. But the vine dresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Jesus promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us.

Of all plants the vine needs most attention. It’s completely opposite to the olive tree which needs almost no attention in terms of pruning. This is one of the reasons why Jesus chose this analogy. God needs to continually tend to us. He doesn’t just leave us.

So pruning is necessary in our spiritual lives. That means removing all parts that are unnecessary in case they distract from the growth of the fruit.

The Vinedresser's pruning knife is the Word of God. That’s why he says to his disciples you are pruned already. In other words they are primed with knowing who Jesus is and what he has said to them personally.

But spiritual pruning for us can take many forms. It may be sickness, hardships, or loss of material possessions. For some it is the loss of a loved one or grief in a relationship. Or it may be a combination of difficulties. Detachment from aspects of this world. The problems He permits are designed to develop us so we can bear more fruit. We have to see the challenges as opportunities for spiritual growth.

Knowing the Father's love and concern for us should change the way we look at such trials. He doesn’t want us to experience problems and struggles for no purpose. Whatever the pruning the effect is the same – to help improve the quality of our fruit.

So do we look at trials and problems as pruning done by God? Or do we become disillusioned and complain? Perhaps we even feel God doesn't really know what He is doing. Or we blame him.

If we can look past the pruning process to the final goal we would see that God wants us to live life to the full. He knows what’s best for us – the question is do we really trust him?

As St Paul reminds us it not I that live rather it is Christ that lives in me. Do we truly believe this? By remaining in Christ as part of the vine we can allow our lives to flourish and much fruit for his kingdom.