Gospel John 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.”
Homily
On the day of my episcopal ordination, my eldest brother said to us that he was sure that our long deceased father was looking down at us from heaven and telling St. Peter and the others “That’s my boy.” Parents are always very proud of their children when the children are successful in their chosen career. Parents see the successes of their children as related to their own success. They say to themselves; we must have done something right. I am also very certain that our heavenly Father is also very pleased when his earthly children are successful in life.
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Jesus, before his passion and death told his disciples; “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.” Jesus’ glorification was his passion and death on the cross; not the physical crucifixion because many people were crucified at the time of Jesus, but the reason behind the passion and death. By his passion and death Jesus restored to the human race, to all humanity the possibility of life with God, with the Father. It was for this that humanity was created and after the sin of Adam and Eve; this possibility was lost. In his passion, death and resurrection, Jesus became the true and lasting hero for all humanity. He was glorified; and the since the purpose for which humanity was created was now restored the creator of humanity was also glorified. St. Paul reminds us however that we have to make up in our bodies what is lacking to the cross of Christ. Possibility now has to become reality and this occurs when you and I are able, like Christ, to accept the suffering which comes from being faithful to what God asks and then join our sufferings to those of Christ for the salvation of the world. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” What is the fruit which God asks of us? It is precisely that of helping others to achieve their eternal salvation. We do that by announcing as Jesus did the God news of a loving and merciful God, not only by what we see but by the witness of our lives. By helping others to experience the love and mercy of the Father, by helping them to want to spend their eternity with God, and by praying for them, we help them on the road to salvation. The purpose of God’s creation is thus fulfilled and God is glorified. When we do this we become other Christs in the world, we are truly his disciples.
Today then let us thank God for all the saints, our heroes in the faith who by their generous and merciful lives helped others to experience the love and mercy of the Father and helped them to want to spend their eternity with God. They are disciples of Jesus Christ par excellence; they glorified the Father. We are called to imitate them.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, through his obedience your Son Jesus won for us all the possibility of salvation and so restored for us the ultimate purpose of creation. In this You were glorified. Help us your adopted sons and daughters to imitate your Son Jesus in his obedience so that we may become his authentic disciples and so continue to give you the glory and honour that is your due. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our mother and Jesus your Son. Amen
