Fruit Growing

John 15.1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: 1‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.’ 

Daily Reflections

Sunday 10 May

Fifth Sunday of Easter  •  John 15:1-8

The comparison of God’s people to a fruitful vine is as old as Israel itself (see Ps. 79(80):8). Jesus takes up the analogy but develops it in a different direction, using it to teach that he is the true vine, his heavenly Father is the vinedresser and those who believe in him are the branches on the vine. 
Picking up on this rich and important image the fathers from the Second Vatican Council wrote: ‘The church is God’s farm or field (1 Corinthians 3:9). In this field the ancient olive tree grows whose holy roots were the patriarchs and in which the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles has been achieved and will continue to be achieved (Romans 11:13-16). The church has been planted by the heavenly farmer as a choice vineyard (Matthew 21:33-43, Isaiah 5:1). The true vine is Christ who gives life and fruitfulness to the branches, that is, to us, who through the church abide in Christ, without whom we can do nothing’ (Lumen gentium 6). 
The work of the Father, as the vinedresser or gardener, is to prune the vine’s branches. Branches which produce fruit need pruning to encourage even more fruit to grow. The Greek word St John uses for ‘prune’ is kathairo, from which our words ‘cathartic’ and ‘cleansing’ derive. What does this mean for us today? How can we cause this teaching to take root in our lives? How, in short, do we grow in holiness? For this is really what today’s Gospel is about. By remaining in Christ we are committing ourselves to being made holy. 
God’s ultimate goal and purpose is that we are holy as he is holy. The key to being holy, however, is that we must want to be holy; we must want to be pruned. We need to cultivate a vision of what it means to be holy. Our problem with holiness is that we think that holy people are dull, boring, unadventurous and not much fun. The opposite is, in fact, true: the holy are those who are learning to live life to the full – full of joy, hope and confidence in God. 
‘How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing…it is irresistible. If even ten per cent of the world’s population had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before a year’s end?’  (C.S. Lewis) 

Acts 9:26-31  •  Psalm 21(22):26-32
1 John 3:18-24  •  John 15:1-8