My Dear People,

Today we have the true vine discourse. What is of importance to us is that the branches remain united to Jesus, the “true vine.”  This is a very important example. Jesus illustrates that anyone who is not with Jesus will wither and die. A branch not attached to the vine will die. The branch needs nutrients from the vine, so that no matter how far away it is, as long as it is attached, it gets its nutrients from the source--the vine.

The vine imagery relates to wine, and there are strong parallels between this discourse in John 15 and the bread of life discourse in John 6. (We will be reading this discourse for five Sundays this summer). Both are filled with a motif of “remaining” in Jesus. We can regard these two discourses as a complementary pair, one which primarily engages the image of “bread” and the other which engages the image of the “vine,” the source of wine. These are the two Eucharistic species: bread, and wine! These two discourses are based on the Eucharist. It is particularly through participation in the Eucharist that we “remain” in Jesus, though not to the exclusion of prayer and the other Sacraments. 

Using the metaphor of a vine and a vine-dresser, Jesus makes several striking points about the life of discipleship: “He (the Father) takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit.” Here, “fruit” refers to spiritual fruit, which would be growth in holiness, virtues, and good works. It is impossible to (not) grow in holiness without also producing good works, because holiness does not take root in us without changing our behavior. 

Jesus is saying that those who are in Christ but refuse to grow in holiness, virtue, and good works will be removed from Christ. This is a frightening thought, but similar to one articulated by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the ones who do the will of my Father. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?  Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you!” (Matt 7:21-23). Thus, the danger of lukewarmness and spiritual sterility is real. It is dangerous! We must guard against it for the sake of our salvation.   

“And everyone that does, prunes the vine so that it bears more fruit.”

Pruning, a cutting and trimming process, obviously can be painful for the tree. Jesus is saying that those who are disciples will experience a kind of disciplinary process from the Father so that they will grow in holiness. This disciplinary process can be painful.  

Branches are trimmed. The tree then expends effort to grow more branches. Sometimes those who serve the Church actively feel a similarity with a growing vine.  Likewise, ministries, projects, or pastoral efforts fostered with much effort suddenly can be cut off for various reasons. We might question: “Lord, why did this happen?” This can lead to discouragement, but we must view it as a pruning process and seek to bear fruit in other areas.

“Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”  How true this is! Only what is achieved with Christ within us will last. Things done through human will and human desires will fade. Here John articulates what Paul expresses: “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives ‘in’ me” (Gal 2:20). For this reason, it makes no sense to cut ourselves off from sources of communion such as prayer, Adoration, the sacraments, etc. and expect our lives still to have any kind of eternal significance. 

One of the most powerful passages of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on holiness, Gaudete et Exultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), was about this need to “remain in Jesus.” 

So, let me ask you: Are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord’s presence? Do you calmly spend time with Him and bask in His gaze?  Do you let this fire inflame your heart? Unless you allow Him to warm you with His love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness? (no.151)

Returning to the words of Today’s Gospel. “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you.”  Because, we remain in Jesus and His words remain in us, we will desire what He desires, and our will will be united to His; such that “whatever we want” will only be His will, and His will, will invariably be done. We enter into a total abandonment to divine providence. 

So how do we know if we are saved? We can, at least, have confidence that we are in Christ and He is in us when we see tangible signs of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  Signs, such as those mentioned in our readings: willingness to be “bold” for Christ, love in “deed and truth” for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the bearing of “good fruit” (holiness, virtue, good works) for the glory of the Father. These signs give us assurance of our salvation. 

[Passages from  Reflection on the Sunday Mass Readings for year B by John Bergsma]

Yours  in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente