April 28, 2024・5th Sunday of Easter (B)

Acts 9.26-31・Ps 22.26+27a, 28a+27b+28b+29, 31b+32・1 John 3.18-24・

John 15:1-8

  Last`s week`s point for sharing focused more on understanding that Jesus is the Good Shepherd just as He introduces Himself to us. In reality, there are still more people who do not recognize Him yet, so we are called to let others too to recognize Him in many and different ways. While we are all called to be shepherd ourselves, we pray more to increase from among us special vocation of shepherding, that is, specifically, vocation to priesthood and religious life.

    Our fruitfulness/productivity from whatever vocation we embrace relies on our present relationship (connectedness) with Him. Today we come to understand some similarities of our connectedness with Jesus our Lord and that of the vine and its branches. The natural growth of the branches and their increase, and the capacity to bear fruit is dependent on their connectedness to the vine. In our gospel reading today, Jesus compares Himself to the vine, and us, to the branches. Furthermore, there is a vine grower from whom the work of the “Father” is attributed. We remember that Jesus was speaking to His disciples, probably emphasizing too that He Himself came from the Father, and on the later part He will need to let His disciples fully understand that He and the Father is One, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” (Jn 10.30~, Jn 14.11~).

     The primary intention of Jesus is that His disciples be one with Him too, and be truly one in doing the work of the Father. We learn from our first reading today that through the support of Barnabas, Saul was finally welcomed by other disciples. The disciples of Jerusalem become one, they together spoke and proclaimed all about Jesus. The Church community then continue to grow more, encouraged and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. By welcoming others through both words and actions, we simply prove that we are the branches willing to bear much fruit (that is, after allowing ourselves be pruned by the Heavenly Father). Our second reading encourages us to live in clear conscience each day. Let us love in truth, choose to live in actions above all, and thus, be able to live more than words.