5th Sunday of Easter (B) 28th April 2024

A Reflection by: FR SIJI JOSE, SSP, SOCIETY OF ST PAUL. - Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Today is fifth Sunday in Easter time and as notice all three readings speak about producing fruits in the Lord by continuous abiding with the Lord. We shall meditate on each these readings separately, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we have the life journey of St Paul after his dramatic conversion on way to Damascus and how his life changed completely. After his encounter of the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, how he was transformed from Saul the persecutor, to Paul the preacher of the good news. Indeed, so fearsome was Paul’s reputation that when he came to Jerusalem the disciples were afraid to meet him. We also notice the role of Barnabas in integrating Paul to the Jerusalem community. And yet despite all this we know how Paul went on to do mighty deeds for God and his Church. He truly bore much fruit and he could do so because he remained in Christ and in the Spirit. He bore good fruits because he was a “deeply crafted and rooted branch” in Christ, the true vine. Paul bore abundant and lasting fruits in the mission of Lord. Our lives may not be as dramatic as Paul, yet we are called to produce the fruits for the Lord. The Gospel passage for today is part of the last discourse of Jesus delivered to the disciples at the Last Supper- was a form of farewell address delivered on the eve of his death. Its purpose was to console and strengthen them to face the ordeals of the coming days. He told them not to be troubled in their heart but to trust in God. Today’s passage describes the intimate union that must exist between Jesus and his followers, under the image of vine and its branches. His Father is the vinedresser who will encourage the good branches and cut off the useless ones. The fruit produced by the vine and the branches, by Christ and his followers, will be to God’s eternal glory. In Biblical tradition, the vine is well-known biblical symbol of God's people- the psalmist pictures God as vine grower: "A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it." ( Ps 80:8) Israel was pictured as the vineyard of the Lord and the Jews as the branches of God’s vine. The passage is a call to strengthen our relationship with Christ in order to continue to live in Him. The type of relationship that should exist between us and Christ is illustrated using what is natural to us. That is, the relationship between a vine and it branches. No branch can have life or bear fruit on its own, unless it is firmly attached to a tree. Likewise, in our spiritual life and journey as Christians, we cannot do without being firmly attached to Christ the vine, in whose name we were baptized and initiated in the sacraments. We are created, and called to remain in Christ for a purpose, and this purpose is, to bear durable fruits in him. The first part of the passage stresses the necessity of abiding in Jesus. The Lord invites us to abide in him, and he will do so again several times during his discourse. If we pay close attention to all the words of the Lord, we will soon note that Jesus insists on precisely this point: He will not abide in us unless we first abide in him. Jesus says: “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Therefore it is absolutely necessary for the disciples to abide in Jesus. Those who do not abide in him will not be able to bear fruit and therefore they will be cut off. The second part of the passage emphasizes what happens to those who abide in Jesus as well as those who do not. The goal of discipleship is not just simple relationship in itself. The real goal is the fruit that such a relationship produces. For discipleship to bear fruit there must be mutual abiding between Jesus and his disciples. Those disciples who do not abide in Jesus cut themselves off from their source of life. They will be like the branches which wither and die as they are not attached to the vine. At the same time, it is not enough to be an ordinary branch on the tree. It also must produce much fruit. It is not just enough to be a Christian and fulfil one’s religious duties etc.. but we should be one who follows the commands of Jesus to love his neighbour The reading from the First Letter of Saint John shows us why we need pruning and transformation: his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. To love one another is only possible with pruning and transformation. As we are told over and over in the Scriptures: it is easy to love those who love us but not easy to love those who are our enemies. The command of the Lord is clear: Love your enemies as yourselves. My sisters and brothers, let us ask for this grace first and foremost abiding with Lord the true vine and allow the Lord of pruning and transformation every day...