DAILY MASS REFLECTIONS FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

 

This is the Catholic Daily Mass Readings and Reflections for Sunday of the Fifth Week of Easter Season. Today’s first reading is from Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31; the Second reading is from 1 John 3:18-24 and Gospel Reading is from John 15:1-8.

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31.

When Saul had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So, he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. So, the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.

Responsorial Psalm.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.

    The lowly shall eat their fill;

they who seek the LORD shall praise him:

    “May your hearts live forever!”

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

All the ends of the earth

    shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of the nations

    shall bow down before him.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

To him alone shall bow down

    all who sleep in the earth;

before him shall bend

    all who go down into the dust.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

And to him my soul shall live;

    my descendants shall serve him.

Let the coming generation be told of the LORD

    that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born

    the justice he has shown.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:18-24.

Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

Gospel Acclamation.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.

Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

Alleluia, alleluia.

John 15:1-8.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.

Gospel Reflection.

This Gospel which we read today is part of the farewell discourse of Jesus. Here Jesus narrates about disciples’ communion with himself and with the Father, their present sharing in heavenly life. Being the Head of the Church, of which we are the members, Jesus tells “I am the true wine and you are the branches.” Here Jesus shares our human nature, the vine and the branches are of the same nature. When He says, I am the true vine, He does not mean really a vine; for He is only called so metaphorically, not literally, even as He is called the Lamb, the Sheep, and the like.

In this image of vine and branches Jesus puts God the Father as the vinedresser. This recalls the Old Testament idea of God as the owner of the vineyard who plants it and cares for it. In the Old Testament, we see, the vine produces sour grapes instead of the edible grapes which God expected from the vine. Here the vine produces only the good fruit. The fruits of righteousness are borne from this vine.

The Father trims away our selfishness to increase our growth in love. Pruning probably refers to the trials and fatherly discipline we experience in life. As we read in the letter of James: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). In his letter St Peter says: “In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The very next word we hear, “You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.” Thus, Jesus calls Himself immediately the cleanser of the branches. It is likely to say; Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus performs the part of the husbandman then, as well as of the vine.

The relationship which Heavenly Father and Jesus are having, to that same relationship Jesus now invites to his disciples. He says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Unless the branch abides in the vine and lives from the root, it can bear no fruit. A branch cannot grow while detached from the vine. We can only bear fruit – that is, attain personal holiness, do good works, and keep the commandments – by the grace of God. Christ is the source of the work of the Church, both in the ministry carried out by her ordained ministers and in the apostolate of the laity as they strive to bring the light of Christ into their families and friendships. It is the love of Christ in his disciples that diffuses into other hearts.

Damnation awaits every branch that withers away from Christ and becomes worthless. For the branches of the vine are as contemptible, if they abide not in the vine, as they are glorious if they abide. One of the two the branch must be in, either the vine or the fire: if it is not in the vine, it will be in the fire. For then may His words be said to abide in us, when we do what He has commanded, and love what He has promised.

“He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” Disciples who do not remain in communion with Jesus are cut off from the source of spiritual life. All that remains for such spiritually dead branches is to be cast into a fire. In Matthew 3:10 we read, “Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Again, Hebrew 6:7-8 says: “For the land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.”

Last two verses of the Gospel speak about the graces which a disciple gain by abiding in Jesus. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” The communion between Jesus and his disciples enables them to pray for whatever they want. Here being communion with Jesus also intends to have communion with the Father and the Spirit. Being part of the Trinitarian family, a Christian disciple will pray “thy will be done.” It is to pray that the Father’s will be accomplished in the world and our lives.

It is the prayer of the disciples. Like Blessed Virgin Mary, who completely consents to God’s will for her, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Jesus also showed us the same model of prayer in Gethsemane, during his agony he prayed: “Not what I will but what you will.” So, these prayers will bear fruits of the Gospel, that is love. Through the acts of love, the disciples can glorify God as Jesus did during his earthly life. The Father is glorified and praised by the lives of Jesus' disciples, who manifest the Father’s transforming love at work in them through their relationship with Jesus.