Jn. 15:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Today, we hear another I am statement from Jesus in which he says “I am the true vine.” We are reminded from this image Jesus presents that the source and summit of the life we have comes from Jesus, the true vine. In order to be strengthened and bear fruit, we must always come back to Jesus, the Vine of life. In prayer and through the gift of the sacramental life do we receive the nourishment from Jesus as the Vine to nourish our roots that will wither if not firmly connected to His will. Our life in the Spirit finds its nourishment from Jesus and in holy scripture. We are also reminded that we must continuously come back to Jesus as the Vine in which all spiritual and corporal works of mercy are rooted in Jesus, the Lord.
Today, let us ask God for the grace to be firmly connected to the Vine so that we will bear much fruit. Amen.
StreetEvangelist 