Gospel Commentary Jn 15:1-8
The state of Virginia has more than 200 wineries, so it’s likely
you have seen one with rows and rows of grapevines growing on trellises that
cover the landscape. The work of the vinedresser, who cares for these vines, is
demanding, yet when it is done well, his labor produces much fruit and great
joy to those who share in its abundance.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus uses the analogy of the vineyard,
and tells us that we are the branches and God the Father is the vinedresser who
cultivates and prunes us that we may grow in sanctity. In order to bear fruit,
we must remain united to Jesus Christ, the vine without whom we can do nothing.
While we recognize our dependence on Jesus Christ in this
analogy, we can also see his humility. The vine itself, while sturdy and
life-giving, does not bear fruit at all. Instead, the grapes grow in the
branches, which are strengthened and nourished by the vine.
Our relationship with Jesus mirrors this. When we abide in the
Lord we are nourished by him, we are strengthened and sanctified by his grace.
The vine seeks nothing from the branches and the fruit. God, who is love, seeks
only our good. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and
become my disciples,” Jesus tells us. Our good works and our sanctification are
what God wants for us, not for his sake, but for our peace and joy in this life
and the next.
How do we remain in Jesus? How do we stay attached to the vine?
By our faithful discipleship within the vocation that God calls us to. While
the fruits of our lives are different whether we are married, consecrated,
ordained or single, there are some similarities between who we remain, being
nourished by the life-giving vine.
We remain in Jesus Christ through daily prayer, where we grow in
intimacy with Him. In particular, prayer before the Lord in the Eucharist, when
possible, offers the opportunity to remain with him, which transforms us that
we may remain in him more fruitfully. Prayer with sacred Scripture, the Word of
God, also allows Jesus to speak to our hearts in a tangible way.
We also remain in Jesus Christ though the church that he
established through St. Peter, and through the sacraments, which allow us to
encounter his grace. Again, we give primacy to the Eucharist, because in the
Eucharist we not only encounter Christ’s grace, but we encounter him,
sacramentally present in body, blood, soul and divinity.
A third way to remain in Jesus Christ is through the service of
others in charity, especially those most in need. “Whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40), Jesus tells us,
ensuring us that when we reach out in love to serve others in his name, we are
united to Our Lord. This service is not only a way to cling to the life-giving
vine, but is also the fruit that shows that his grace is transforming us.
Another important detail in Christ’s analogy is the pruning of
the vinedresser, who is God the Father. In order to bear great fruit, we must
allow God to trim away all that distracts us from offering ourselves completely
to him, whether it be a false belief about his love or his truth, or perhaps an
attachment we have to something of this world that becomes an obstacle to our
remaining on the vine and bearing good fruit. This pruning can be more severe
or uncomfortable than we would prefer. Often, suffering is the means of our
pruning, as it calls us to place more trust in God in order to find peace. Other
times the pruning can be the discomfort that comes with confronting and
uprooting a harmful thought or action that we have allowed to be deeply
imbedded in our beliefs or lifestyle. In the end, however, we know that the
pruning is necessary and even welcome.
May we pray that as branches on the vine, we always allow God to
prune away all that we cling to that is not Jesus Christ, so we may remain in him
more perfectly and bear the fruit that lasts for eternal life.
Fr. Wagner is parochial vicar at St. Veronica Church in
Chantilly.