Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Today, we begin the fifth week of Easter. Our Scripture readings of the past four weeks gave us inspiring and challenging thoughts, calling us to be Easter people. Easter people are called to go on into the uncertain future trusting that he risen Lord will meet them on their journey, to trust in the mercy  of God and to be merciful just as our heavenly father is merciful, to be filled with God’s peace and be channels of his peace for the world and to be vigilant and watchful just as the Lord is as our good shepherd.

 

Today, the fifth Sunday of Easter calls us to be fruitful and reminds us that our fruitfulness as disciples of Jesus depends on our connection with Jesus our master. Our first reading tells us that the early Christians experienced fellowship in Christ which helped them to overcome their fears of persecution and give witness to Christ and care for one another.  It was their union with Christ that enabled them to accept Saul the persecutor who had become Paul the missionary, the proclaimer of the good news of Jesus. The second reading of today tells us that those who are in Christ and those in whom Christ remains must love one another in spirit and in truth, in word and in deed. If our love is real, in word and in deed, we know that God is in us and with us, the spirit of Jesus lives in us and that our hearts are pure. This enables us to be fruitful in Christ by being caring, compassionate, loving and generous people!

 

In the Gospel reading of today, Jesus offers us the beautiful image of the Vine and the branches to reflect on our oneness in him and how that oneness enables us to be fruitful as his disciples. Fruitfulness of the branches of the Vine depends on their union, their connection with the Vine. Just as the branches become fruitful only in the Vine, we become fruitful only in Christ, in our union with him. We must live in his spirit to bear fruit and give a witness of our life in the world.

 

The Vine itself does not bear fruit. The Vine bears the branches and feeds the branches, and the branches bear the fruit. This means that we must constantly be fed by the “word” of Jesus and the “bread” of life and “cup” of compassion that Jesus offers. Enlightened by His word and nourished by the Eucharist, we will be fruitful in giving witness to our Christian life. The second reading of today from the first letter of St. John tells us that those who are in Christ and those in whom Christ remains must love one another in spirit and in truth, in word and in deed.  If our love is real, in word and in deed, we know that God is in us and with us, the spirit of Jesus lives in us and that our hearts are pure. This enables us to be fruitful in Christ by being caring, loving compassionate, and generous people! This will be the fruit and the sign of our communion with Christ and community.

 

To read more of this Sunday’s reflection, please click on the link below…