Fifth Sunday of Easter – April 28, 2024  Yr B- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Remain on the Vine to yield greater fruit

Readings: Acts 9:26–31 • Psalm 22:26–27, 28, 30, 31–32 • 1 John 3:18–24 • John 15:1–8

     We all certainly appreciate the beautiful grounds of our parish. Our St. Agnes Garden Angels know very well the value of pruning, fertilizing, mulching, and watering to jump-start the growth of a plant, tree, or bush. That’s why the metaphor Jesus teaches us in our Gospel reading, “I am the vine and you are the branches”, is so relatable, especially to the Jewish grapevine growers of his day.  Those branches that remain on the vine will produce abundant growth and fruit. How do we, as individuals and the greater Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, remain on the vine to yield a great harvest of fruit?

     Nearing the end of his earthly ministry, we hear from St. John the “Farewell Discourses” of Jesus, after the Last Supper and before his Passion and death.  Jesus wanted to get through to his disciples exactly who he was and his mission to proclaim and grow the Kingdom of God before he left them. He is saying something so very dear to His heart, hoping we will hear Him and receive and act upon those words.

     His, “I AM the vine…” is firm and vital for his disciples to understand his relationship with the Father, a relationship which we are also called into! Jesus is clear to say, “I AM” in recognition and in union with God the Father’s name as given to Moses on Mt. Horeb in the book of Exodus. Jesus is asserting that He is the vine from which all life comes, that He is indeed God as the Son.

     He is the “True vine” albeit, a better vine, grafting and nurturing a personal relationship between God and his people. Jesus is the replacement of the OT reality: the vine of Israel, planted and tended by God. Jesus is the one, True Vine who gives life

 to us, the branches, whom we cannot have life without. Each day the Church experiences growth and renewal on the vine while at the same time, sadly, suffers separation and apostacy: dead branches trimmed from the vine. Ask yourself, am I firmly attached to the True Vine?

       As new souls are grafted onto the vine through baptism and conversion, the Church expands its reach, embodying an ever-widening circle of believers. This is exemplified in our first reading from Acts when Barnabas takes charge of Saul and brings him to the apostles to graft him onto the vine as a new branch, a new believer.  

     The on-going building up of the Church is not a numbers game, but is a dynamic journey of spiritual transformation. Each member contributes to the flourishing of the body of Christ as a whole.  As more individuals actively seek the grace and hope offered through the sacraments, they are drawn into the loving embrace of the vine; their roots tapping into nourishment and strength in their union with Christ. How do you play a role in the life of the Vine?

     Granted, we’re a long way from next year’s Easter Vigil, but that shouldn’t stop us from praying for those who will be united into Christ and his Church. For anyone interested in becoming Catholic, wishing to complete the sacraments, or wanting to learn more about what the Church teaches, the answer for decades has been, “join the RCIA”. Now it is called the OCIA: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

     OCIA is a spiritual formation process through which non-baptized men and women, called catechumen, as well as baptized non-Catholics enter fully into the Catholic Church. These undergo a process of conversion as they:

• study the Gospel,
• profess faith in Jesus,
• come to understand and cherish the Catholic faith, and
• receive the “Sacraments of Initiation”: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.

They meet regularly with lay mentors and clergy moving in steps and stages through Lent to the Easter Vigil when baptism is celebrated.  Some baptized Catholics discover they need to complete their “Sacraments of Initiation”. They are invited to join the OCIA as well.

      Although we may not yet know their names, we may not yet know their life story or where they’re at in their faith journey, God already does and the Holy Spirit is at work, preparing to graft new branches onto the vine. 

     Keep your hearts and prayers tuned for opportunities to grow the vine through a family member, a neighbor, or a co-worker, bringing them to Christ through the OCIA process. Do you feel the Holy Spirit moving you to bring someone to the Catholic faith?

     In a spiritual sense, we are all called to be “Garden Angels”:

• to cultivate holy ground for catechumen,
• to graft onto the vine of Jesus for fruitful abundance,
• to prune and admonish sinners for greater growth and purity,
• to wash in the life-giving waters of Baptism,
• and to partake in the spiritual nourishment provided through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

      Through these acts we embrace our connection to the Vine. We remain on the branch and are called to bring others to abide in the True Vine. We remain on the vine by having obedience to God’s commandments and by our faith, hope, and love for God and each other. May our branches be strong, bountiful, and fruitful, for the sake of our eternal salvation… and for glory of God.