In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the true vine that
God intended Israel to be-the source of divine life and wisdom
for the nations (see Sirach 24:17-24).
In Baptism, each of us was joined to Him by the Holy Spirit.
As a branch grows from a tree, our souls are to draw life from
Him, nourished by His word and the Eucharist.
Paul in today's First Reading seeks to be grafted onto the visible
expression of Christ the true vine-His Church. Once the chief
persecutor of the Church, Paul encounters initial resistance
and suspicion. But he is known by his fruits, by his powerful
witness to the Lord working in his life (see Matthew 7:16-20).
We, too, are commanded today to bear good fruits as His disciples
so that our lives give glory to God. Like Paul's life, our lives
must bear witness to His goodness.
Jesus cautions us, however, that if we're bearing fruit, we
can expect that God will "prune" us-as a gardener
trims and cuts back a plant so that it will grow stronger and
bear even more fruit. He is teaching us today how to look at
our sufferings and trials with the eyes of faith. We need to
see our struggles as pruning, by which we are being disciplined
and trained so that we can grow in holiness and bear fruits
of righteousness (see Hebrews 12:4-11).
We need to always remain rooted in Him, as today's Epistle tells
us. We remain in Him by keeping His commandment of love, by
pondering His words, letting them dwell richly in us (see Colossians
3:16), and by always seeking to do what pleases Him. In everything
we must be guided by humility, remembering that apart from Him
we can do nothing.
As we sing in today's Psalm, we must fulfill our vows, turning
to the Lord in worship, pro-claiming his praises, until all
families come to know His justice in their lives.
