READINGS FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B, SUNDAY 28TH APRIL, 2024.
First Reading: Acts 9:26-31
Psalm: 21
Second Reading: 1 John 3:18-24
Gospel: John 15:1-8
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM.
JESUS CHRIST, OUR TRUE VINE
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B. Today’s reflection focuses on Jesus Christ, Our True Vine. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5). These figurative expressions show that in every relationship connectedness is very important. By using these expressions, Jesus teaches us the significance of being connected with him in order to bear fruit in abundance. It means that we cannot take relationship for granted. We need love, time and care to sustain a relationship. The heart of a relationship is love.
The Second Reading today explains that God is love and whoever lives in love, lives in God. The commandments of God are these: “that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as He told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that God lives in us by the Spirit that He has given us.” If we remain united to Christ by putting our faith in him, we will draw spiritual strength from him. This will enable us to obey God’s commandment of love, loving one another as Jesus commanded us. (1 John 3:18-24).
In the Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: “as a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.” (John 15: 1- 8).
Today’s First Reading explains how the apostles yielded abundant spiritual fruits as a result of their intimate bond with the Risen Lord. Saul’s encounter with the Risen Lord, transformed him into a fruit-bearing branch. As a result of his encounter with the Risen Lord, Paul became an Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul dedicated his entire life to the proclamation of the Gospel which yielded fruit in abundance. (Acts 9:26-31).
We are invited to abide in Jesus Christ. Abiding in Christ enables us to produce fruits of love, compassion, kindness, holiness, care, peace and joy. We are all called to this intimacy and no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Risen Lord. We are invited to remove from our lives everything that is contrary to the Spirit of the Risen Lord. This pruning requires an encounter with the Risen Lord and the renewal of our commitment to Christian ideals and values. We are called to abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us. We need to draw life from the true vine. This will help us to show genuine love and care in our relationship with others.
Our world today needs an authentic relationship based on true love and care. Through our love for God, we are urged to express our love for each other as God has loved us. With Jesus Christ on our side we will not be lost, we will bear fruit and our hearts will experience the joy of the Risen Lord.
May the Holy Spirit help us to accept the changes we need to make in our lives to become true followers of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit also help us to recognise that the joy of our hearts is in God our true vine, for cut out from Him we can do nothing. May Jesus Christ our true vine reign in our lives now and for ever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.