From the archives; a homily for 5th Sunday of Easter

Let me tell you about my Hurricane Katrina tree.  When we returned home from evacuating for Katrina we found plenty of tree damage on our property.  My wife and I had a favorite shade tree in the front yard; I have no idea what type of tree it is; all I know is it has beautiful deep green leaves and produces tons and tons of shade.  But there she was, laid over on her side, taken down by the brute force of those hurricane winds from Katrina.  After we cut away all the damaged branches, we left the trunk because it was huge.  My wife noticed that the trunk was still connected to the root system so we just left it alone.  To our amazement and surprise, big tall branches began to sprout from the trunk, still laid over, and soon we had a mighty shade “bush”.  Despite the damage from a hurricane, the tree remained connected to its “vine”; the root system, and continues to produce good fruit!

Many of us have had to cut back growth on the various plants, trees and shrubs on our properties.  Perhaps you have pruned a rose bush or a plant or trimmed a tree.  The vine is always left alone; it is the branches or the outgrowth we prune back.  And done properly, this helps to produce good fruit; more fruit!

As people of faith, we are to remain on that one true vine that is Jesus Christ and we are called to produce good fruit!

Today’s Gospel reading comes during Easter season but was actually spoken by Jesus right before he endured His Passion, Crucifixion and Death on the Cross.  He used language for his disciples and the people of Israel, that all would understand.  For generations the image of a vine was used to describe Israel.  The prophets used it in Old Testament writings; Isaiah and Jeremiah among them, and the Maccabees, when they ruled Israel, had the image of the vine minted on the coins.  So using the image of a vine would be easily understood.

Of course he we have Jesus calling Himself the true vine and God the Father the vinedresser.  We are to be the branches on the vine; not the ones that are cut off and discarded only to be thrown into the fire; no, we are called to be those branches who accept pruning, loving from God, and bear good fruit; much fruit.  Jesus tells his listeners that you are already pruned because of the word He has spoken; and to them He encourages: remain in me!  Whether or not we are “already pruned” is for God alone to decide.  But whether we are, or we need further pruning, all we need to do is remain in Him and He will remain in us.  What a promise!  What great hope!

Maybe in our lives our branch began to wither; began to try and break away.  Maybe we even thought that we don’t need the true vine; we can go it alone.  Thanks be to God for many of us, yours truly included, that when that was our experience, He patiently and lovingly kept pruning; and now we produce good fruit.  For Jesus reminded His disciples, and therefore all of us: “without me you can do nothing.”  Without our life connected to the true vine, we cannot produce good fruit!

What do we do with this message in the week ahead?  How can we keep the image of the vine and the branches alive so we can go forward from Mass and truly be His disciple?  First, this Gospel can be a great prayer and reflection in the week ahead if we commit ourselves to read and pray with this Gospel in the week ahead.  But also let me encourage us all to  take to heart the words of our 2^nd reading from St. John’s 1^st letter.  He reminds us: “this is how we shall know we belong to the truth(remember in the Gospel Jesus calls Himself the true vine?): keep his commandments which are: believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another.

These two commandments keep us fruitful and on the true vine.  They tell us that our faith is not "either/or" but rather "yes/and".

Indeed we are called to be faithful, to follow the teachings of Jesus and His Church but also to be generous to our brothers and sisters.  Yes/and!  We indeed are called to attend Mass, live the Sacramental life, read the Scriptures and the Catechism and know and live the teachings of the Church.  But we must do so as we love our neighbor.  And if we truly love to get involved with helping others, but don’t believe we need to go to Mass, live the Sacramental life, read the Scriptures and the Catechism and know and live the teachings of the Church, we fail to be "yes/and"  and fail to accept God’s pruning.  Can we say with confidence we can live producing good fruit; much fruit?

One final thing; as we move into the month of May we remember this month is dedicated to Mary.  She is the perfect model for the Church; for you and me.  Mary always remained attached to the true vine; her son.  We can look to Mary this week and use her for our model too.  Take time this week to pray a Rosary; really pray and reflect with the Rosary.  If that is something you can’t do this week, how about praying a Hail Mary every day this week.

That Katrina tree just keeps on keeping on because it’s roots and trunk are strong; branches remain on her “vine”.  But they are no where near as strong as that true vine; Jesus Christ.  May we be the branches that remain on the true vine and produce good fruit; much fruit!