INTRODUCTION
Today’s Scripture selections emphasize the need for Christians to abide in Christ as a condition for producing fruits of kindness, mercy, charity, and holiness.
FIRST READING:Acts 9:26-31
The conversion of Paul (or the vocation of Paul as many prefer to refer his new experience of faith because he was already a believer in Judaism) was one of the most reckoned post resurrection events. Today’s page from Acts 9, describes the aftermath of his transformation from a pronounced enemy of the early Church to a renowned instrument in God’s hand, chosen to sow the seed of faith on the soil of the Gentiles. The beauty of the narrative is that it was the risen Lord himself who identified him as a potential productive tree and pruned away the old man in him and filled him with a new life (the light that shone on his eyes was a symbol of purity that that gathered his old life into a scale that later fell off giving him a new vision) entirely dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel. At first Paul preached in Damascus for “a long time” (v 23), but when he came to Jerusalem the seat of the faith, the disciples weren’t convinced and at first were filled with fear. What transpired with his acceptance into the community entails that there is no shortcut to the faith. Every faith must be born in a community and must be accredited in a community through a witness. Paul might have received a new life but it would have had no meaning without its expression in and with the community of brethren. It was Barnabas who stood as a testimony and confirmed the authenticity of his conversion.
A further detail of the passage showed how the the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews), sought to kill him. That was the beginning of his passion of purification for the many evil committed as foretold by the risen Lord to Ananias who hesitated to welcome him to his home as a purification for his evil past: “I myself will show him how much he must suffer for my name” ( Acts 9: 16).
Paul’s transfer to Tarsus should not only be read simply as an escape from being assassinated. It was a divine move through which the fire of evangelization will be ignited to in the land of the Gentiles. He would have done less if he were to remain in Jerusalem.
SECOND READING: 1 John 3:18-24:
The New American Bible states that some members of John’s early Christian community were advocating false doctrines, by refusing to accept the full Divinity and full humanity of Jesus; by disregarding the commandment of love of neighbor; by refusing to accept Faith in Christ as the source of sanctification; and by denying the redemptive value of Jesus’ death. Hence, John says in the opening sentence in today’s reading, “Little children, let us love in deed and in truth and not merely talk about it.” John is criticizing pious Christians who are comfortable with their petty hatreds and uncaring indifference, as though such attitudes were acceptable behavior for those saved by Christ. The next sentence, “His commandment is this: We are to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and are to love one another as He commanded us,” summarizes best the essence of Christianity and disapproves extreme ideological positions like those threatening the Church today, namely:
(1) dogmatic conservatism, which makes creedal orthodoxy the only criterion; (2) fideism in which all that matters is “accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior;
(3) liberalism, which reduces Christianity to living peacefully with others.
The concluding advice, “keep (God’s) commandments,” invites us to a transformed life, flowing from a mutual, intimate relationship between God and each of us individual believers — our union with Him in His love. It follows that we must love each other with the same selfless, sacrificial, forgiving love with which Jesus Christ loved, and loves, us; indeed, that is His command to us. John also teaches us that personal assurance of salvation doesn’t depend on intense religious experience (being “born again”), or dramatic charismatic expressions among believers (like speaking in tongues, healing, or handling poisonous snakes). Rather, we are saved because we are members of Christ – of His Church, the community gifted with God’s “Spirit,” in which the Holy Spirit’s presence is demonstrated by the members’ genuine, active, loving concern for each other. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
GOSPEL: Jn 15:1-8
Today’s Gospel scene is situated in the context of the Last Supper while Jesus addresses a solemn “adieu message” to his apostles. However John 13 to 15 contain a block of the messages of Jesus to his apostles as final recommendations and instructions on how they ought to be when he is no longer bodily or physically present. Using the parable of the vine and its branches today, Jesus assures them that the life-giving Spirit Whom He will send to them, will be present and active within and among them. The use of vine and its branches to teach his apostles shows Jesus’s rabbinic quality. Vine is a local plant that was very much familiar with his audience:
Israel as God’s vine and vineyard: There are numerous Old Testament passages which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps 80:8-16, Is 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ez 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hos 10:1. “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel,” sings the prophet Isaiah in his song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7). “Yet I planted you a choice vine” is God’s message to Israel through Jeremiah (Jer 2:21). “Israel is a luxuriant vine,” says Hosea (Hos 10:1). The vine is part and parcel of Jewish imagery and the very symbol of Israel, serving as an emblem on the coins of the Maccabees. One of the glories of the Temple was the great golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place. But the symbol of the vine is never used in the Old Testament apart from the idea of degeneration and infidelity deserving of Yahweh’s severe punishment. That is why Ezekiel says that it should be burned in the fire (Ez 15).
Jesus claims that he is the true vine: Since Israel has become a degenerate vine producing bitter wild grapes, Jesus makes the unique claim that he is the true and ideal Vine and his disciples are the living and fruit-producing branches. He clarifies his statement, explaining that his Heavenly Father is the Vine-grower (v. 1), he (Christ) is the Vine (v. 5), his disciples are branches (v. 5) and those who do not abide in him are useless branches, suitable only to be cut away and thrown into the fire (v. 6). Jesus is the true Vine, because the old vine, the original chosen people, was succeeded by the new Vine, the Church, the Mystical Body whose Head is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:9). To be fruitful, one must be joined to the new, true Vine, Christ. It is living the life of Christ, the life of grace, which gives the believer the nourishment which enables him or her to yield the fruits of eternal life. This image of the Vine also helps us to understand the unity of the Church. St. Paul explains that we are Christ’s Mystical Body in which all the members are intimately united with the Head and united to one another (1 Cor 12:12-26; Rom 12:4-5; Eph 4: 15-16).
Pruning an essential part of growing fruit-producing branches: In the vineyards in Palestine, pruning was done in late fall or early winter because pruning in spring or summer caused excessive bleeding that weakened the vine. Dead branches were cut away to save the vine. Other branches were pruned so that they would bear more grapes than leaves in the next growing season. John describes God as the Vine-grower who has planted a vine, Jesus. The Father removes every branch that bears no fruit and prunes the other branches, so they may bear more fruit. Jesus tells his apostles that they have already been pruned by the words he has spoken to them. He refers to the announcement that he will soon be leaving them by his death on the cross. The apostles will not feel the full impact of this “pruning” until Jesus is actually taken away from them in death. Eventually, they will be pruned of all attachment to the things of this world, so that they may be ready to attach themselves to the things of Heaven. It is a sorry sight to see that some of us just come to Church Sunday after Sunday in search of spiritual “handouts” or just to “fulfill our Sunday obligation,” but give little or nothing back God in loving service to their brothers and sisters in the Church and in the local community. They are like fruitless, leafy branches, draining life from the trunk without giving anything in return.
Abiding in Christ means that God has to be inside us and we have to be inside God. We abide in Christ by drawing near to God and by experiencing His being near to us, that is, by living every moment as He has commanded us to do, with the radiant presence of Christ all around us. This life of intimate union with Christ in the Church is maintained by the spiritual helps common to all the faithful, chiefly by active participation in the Liturgy. Those of us who do not abide in Jesus will wither and be thrown away, just as withered branches are thrown into the fire to be burned. “Many scholars see the references to being ‘apart from the Vine’ as references to the beginnings of splinter groups within the Johannine community, and possibly to the beginnings of heretical groups which were leading people astray.” (Dr. Watson). Fruit-bearing in Christian life is not of our own independent and unaided making. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us trims and prunes us, teaching us Himself and reminding us of what Jesus taught. It is He who enables us to love Him and to keep His words (John 14:24, 26).
LIFE MESSAGE:
1) We need pruning in our Christian life: Cutting out of our lives everything that is contrary to the spirit of Jesus and renewing our commitment to Christian ideals in our lives every day is the first type of self-imposed pruning expected of us. A second means of pruning is practicing self-control over our evil inclinations, sinful addictions and aberrations. Cordial mingling in our neighborhood and society with people of different cultures, races, religions and orientations enables us to prune away our selfish, judgmental, prejudicial tendencies so that we can treat others in our society with Christian charity and openness. Jesus prunes, purifies and strengthens us by enabling us to face with courage of our Christian convictions the pain and suffering, contradictions and difficulties which He permits to enter our lives.
2) Let us abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us:
The four Gospels teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus and how to abide in him as branches abide in the main trunk of the vine and draw their life from the vine. Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily and meditative reading of the Bible, and selfless, loving acts of kindness, mercy and mutual loving forgiveness enable us to abide in Jesus, the true Vine, as fruit-bearing branches. (Fr. Anthony kadavil)
3) No one is so bad to be chosen:
God can chose anyone, anytime and anywhere to accomplish his plan. When in the book of Samuel God told the young David of his interest not just in him but in the whole of his household, he David proclaimed: “King David then went in, sat down in Yahweh’s presence and said: ‘Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my lineage, for you to have led me as far as this?” (2 Samuel 7:18). I am sure Paul would have had much testimony to give after being chosen despite his rough past. God has plan for everyone of us and no one is excluded in his design of salvation. We are not too bad to be chosen. So to those who feel that they have lived a rough past or who think they are no more acceptable to God, let the story of Paul be a living testimony that God has a plan for you. You are too important not to be noticed by him. He loves you. He cares for you. He can change your story. He waits for you on your road to “Damascus”. On that dark path where you usually make an unpleasant choice that affects the life of others negatively. His light is capable of penetrating the hidden part of our lives and to bring out the best in us. Let us not worry if we are not doing it right now, for the power of the Risen Lord is made available for us. From our Damascus road, He lead us into Jerusalem of testimony among our brethren.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father forgive us our failings and renew your Spirit within us, so that we may be a light that shines in our world filled with darkness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
