"I am the vine and you are the branches . . ."
Acts 9: 26 - 31
1
Jn 3: 18-24
Jn 15: 1-8
Have
you ever wondered about your family tree?
Your ancestry or geneology? Exploring past generations of grandparents,
great-grandparents, and generations as far back as possible of folks we’ve
never met to whom we are related makes for fascinating study. We hope the good
genes of the past were passed on to us and we somehow reflect the virtues or
fame of our ancestors.
Wouldn’t
we want to be descended from famous royalty rather than infamous bad guys? We would love to brag a bit about my great –great-
great- grandfather who fought courageously in the Civil War or farther back
signed the Declaration of Independence or at least knew someone who did. Or what about coming over on the Mayflower
with the early Pilgrims? For some there
may be a revelation farther back.
Last
year, after a Sunday Homily in which I pointed to the example of St. Thomas More
as an illustration of heroic virtue, one parishioner came up to me and humbly
shared a discovery about her family tree. She was related to the saintly Thomas
More through her mother’s side of the family. There’s an ancestor anyone of us
would be proud to have. It is all about
relationship, shared life and our identity as a people.
This
Sunday we hear of a well-known image that Jesus used – that of the vine and the
branches. “I am the true vine and my
Father is the vine grower . . . I am the vine, you are the branches . . .” (Jn
15: 1-8). It is an agricultural image with which Jesus’ audience would have been
immediately familiar. The image of the
vineyard was another name for the ancient people of Israel.
To
our minds, if we live anywhere near grape growing country and bountiful
vineyards, as we do here, this familiar metaphor may bring to our taste buds
rich Cabernet’s and dry Chardonnay’s. But this is about much more than one’s wine
tasting palate.
In
a true sense it is about our spiritual family tree and about the very source of
life that flows from Christ to every one of us when we remain loyal to our
faith. As Jesus reminds us: “Whoever
remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do
nothing . . . “(Jn 15: 1-8).
Grafted
on the vine of Christ and in forever relationship to one another through
baptism and a shared common faith, we draw life and produce fruit (good works
and virtue) abundantly in a way that no other relationship can do for us.
The
fruit produced are lives of holiness, goodness, virtue, courage, charity. But it is also clear that this is not about “Jesus
and me.” It is very much about “Jesus
and we.”
Have
you ever noticed that when speaking of this fruit we never speak of “a grape.” We always refer to them as “grapes.” What
could you do with a grape?
In
the plural sense and in bunches at the grocery store we find them bagged and we
know that one makes fine wine only through the juice and fruit of many
grapes. Only through a joint effort of
many grapes, many hands, and many hours of painstaking care and experience does
one bottle bring joy to its’ tasters.
In
the same way, our first reading for this Sunday (Acts 9: 26-31) reveals the
excitement of the early Church as the Holy Spirit bore much fruit among
believers: “The church . . . was being built up and walked in the fear of the
Lord and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.” Not just a few but in the thousands.
Jesus’
image of the vine and the branches brings hope to every one of us who find
ourselves in those moments of isolation, doubt, lukewarmness, or in times when
we struggle to love the Church that may appear to be producing scandal rather
than holiness.
Yet,
in three ways, it seems to me, we draw life as Christians: from Christ, in Community, and in our sacramental
life we are joined together like
branches on the vine. For us
Christian/Catholics we are blessed with a rich and lively spirituality.
In
Christ we draw life from the branches
of faith as he makes himself present to us through the relationship we share
with our brothers and sisters in community. In the sacraments,
particularly in our weekly celebration of the Eucharist the Church comes together
and we share fellowship but most importantly the very mystical presence of the risen
Christ as we break bread when we eat his body and drink his blood. That life, his life, flows through us like
blood through a body or water in a river.
How
and where do I see myself as connected to Christ and my faith community? Do I
treat the Eucharist as merely a private devotion or do I find myself moved to
deeper love and desire for Christ-like service to greater humanity? To remain faithful to Christ may sometime mean
we have to pay a price for discipleship. How strong am I connected to endure?
Much
food for thought on this Easter Sunday.
More to come . . .
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