Let us commit to being vibrant branches!
On this 5th Sunday of Easter, Jesus shares a profound truth with us. In
today’s Gospel, using imagery, Jesus proclaims, “I am the vine, you are the
branches.” This metaphor is rich in meaning and joins the temporal with the
eternal and the physical with the spiritual.
The vine and branches are a unity; they cannot exist in isolation. The lifegiving sapof the vine sustains the branches, enabling them to flourish and bear fruit.
Similarly, our connection to Christ is essential. It is the source of our
spiritual vitality, enabling us to bear the good fruits of love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As branches, we
are reminded that apart from the vine, we can do nothing of eternal value.
In today’s world, we often hear the expression, “I am spiritual but not
religious.” Jesus challenges us to reflect on the nature of our spirituality.
Spirituality that is removed from Christ, the source of true life, is likened to a
branch cut off from the vine. It may live for a while but eventually it will wither and
die. Jesus invites us to “remain” in Him. He is our home, a place of comfort and
security. It is within this spiritual home that we find reprieve from the noise and
chaos of the world. Here we reconnect with our true selves and our loved ones;
here we find peace and rest.
While home is where we learn the foundational virtues that mold our
character, these virtues are meant to be carried into the world. Echoing the
Responsorial Psalm, “I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people,” our
faith is not to be lived in isolation but in communion with others. The parish
family serves as an extension of this home. It is where we gather to give thanks
and pray to God and are nourished by the Word and the Sacraments which
enable us to go forth and witness the love of Christ in our lives. While we may
wander from our spiritual home, taking pride in our self sufficiency and personal
successes; nevertheless, Jesus is the source of our life, and without Him, our
efforts are fruitless.Fr. Dominic Toan Tran, Pastor
We must tend to our spiritual lives with the same care as a gardener tending
to his vineyard. We must prune away all that is dead and inhibits growth by
letting go of our vices, excesses and anything that separates us from God’s love.
This pruning, though challenging, allows us to grow and bear fruit in our spiritual
journey. This Easter season, let us commit to being vibrant branches on the vine
that is Christ and nurture our spiritual lives so that we may bear abundant fruit.
As branches on the vine that is Christ, our greatest strength and most profound
joy is found in remaining in Him, who is our source, sustenance, and salvation.