Gospel 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. 0You 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.”
Homily
Now that I am older I remember words and phrases that my Father used. One of them by which he exhorted us to good behaviour was; “Remember that you are a Harris” The Harris name had to be held high and respected and so we were often exhorted to good behaviour and to hard study.
Some drug manufacturers have capitalised on order cheap viagra amerikabulteni.com the benefits of these herbs in giving solutions to male sexual concerns. These factors introduce numerous levels of poisons viagra free sample into the system. Pfizer’s patent on sildenafil will expire sometime between 2011-2013 and in the interim, their patent in England as a PDE5 inhibitor to oppose the activities and functions of this body enzyme in levitra uk order to restrict its actions from enhancing the blood pressure level. Hence, it is always recommended to see generic levitra online amerikabulteni.com a medical professional before taking any drug.One myth about tadalis 20 mg is that it is cheaper than other ED drugs in the market with attractive marketing strategies as though there is no alternative to their drug. The Gospel reading for today ends with the phrase; “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” Jesus, like my Father often did with us, was exhorting the disciples to good Christian behaviour so that the Father would be glorified. It was important for the disciples to understand that the Father’s name must always be praised and as disciples it is important for us also. That praise must not come simply from ourselves, the disciples, much more than that it must come from others and this because of our way of being. Our way of being must therefore foment and build the unity which was God’s primordial gift and is God’s ongoing desire for humanity.
Today the Gospel passage reminds us of the way in which we can achieve that unity and bear fruit so that the Father’s name may be glorified. Jesus tells us that “he is the vine and we are the branches.” All of us know that branches only bear fruit if the sap flows through the trunk into the branches. Moreover good agriculturists know that if they want the branch to bear plentiful fruit, the branches must be pruned. Superfluous twigs and leaves must be removed so that the energy of the plant is directed, not into supporting superfluous twigs and leaves but into producing fruit. Jesus is aware of this and so continues his comparison by telling us that “every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” The tool which the farmer uses to prune trees is a pruning knife; Jesus tells us that the pruning knife of the Father is “the word that I spoke to you.” It is that word, “sharper than a two edged sword”, which relieves us of the superficialities of life, and keeps us focused on the essentials. Cutting is always a painful exercise, especially for the one who is being cut. Pruning is never pleasant. To be pruned by God’s word means accepting the pain of giving up the self; it means listening carefully to what others have to say; it means the ability to see another’s idea as being more suited to a specific circumstance than one’s own, it means allowing oneself to be guided by the Spirit given to us, so that we be led into total truth.
To accept the word spoken to us by Jesus is to accept Jesus himself without whom we can do nothing of truly lasting worth. It is to take Jesus as our model, not only in the glory of the Resurrection but also in the pain of the Cross. And so Jesus exhorts us, “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.” As we do battle with the seductiveness of raw power, the word spoken to us by Jesus reminds us that leadership must always be conceived in terms of service; that “love is not tit for tat”; that all authority is given so that God’s plan for the world, as described in the creation story [cf. Gen. 2] be facilitated. God’s plan for the world, as this scripture passage from Genesis reminds us, is the fourfold harmony that each person is meant to achieve; Harmony with God; with others; with nature and within oneself.The Gospel passage ends with two important assertions, assertions which we see fulfilled so often. Leaders may do many good things. Infrastructure may be developed, education promoted; health looked after, but if the yearning for harmony is not satisfied, such leaders are very soon rejected. In the words of the gospel “people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.” Here is T&T the ideal of “one love” is still very much alive. The problem for us is finding persons to achieve it. The second assertion is that true discipleship is seen in the fruit of harmony. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Prayer
All powerful and ever loving God, we thank you for the leaders in the world who have truly sought to unite peoples and institutions and country. We thank you for those who put themselves above partisan politics and selfish interests and who relying on the wisdom which comes from you the only true God, have tried to bring harmony to their institutions and countries. They are truly your disciples. As we face the seductiveness of power which often disguises itself as a desire to serve, help us to root ourselves in your Word, so that we may be pruned of the superficialities of life, so that we may concentrate on bringing your plan for our families and institutions and the world into reality. United to you always, may we be agents of unity and of its fruit which is harmony. “By this will the Father be glorified, we will bear much fruit and become your disciples. “We ask this through your Son Jesus and Mary our Mother. Amen.
