Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.” –John 15

    In our first reading today, we eavesdrop on a community discussion of the necessity of circumcision in order for non-Jew men to become Christians. “The Apostles and presbyters met together to see about the matter.” Even in the history of our early Church, members realized that not all laws are equal. Let us look at those markers that Jesus gives us in the gospel to show what is important: remain on the vine to bear fruit as a community and stay close to me in friendship because without me you can do nothing. So, from ideas and theology, Jesus asks us to go within and live from the inside of our hearts: forgiveness, patience, social justice, and peace.

     When Jesus speaks these words to us, we are sitting with him at the table of fellowship—an intimate setting. Pruning and cleaning the vine increase its yield of grapes. It is living in Jesus that the vine and branches find their source. We are pruned of what is not of Jesus.

    I have become curiously interested in the latest scientific knowledge of vines and trees. Scientists tells us that the roots of vines and trees speak to each other, nurture each other, and warn each other of approaching pestilences and tornadoes. This scientific news convinces me that Jesus knew so much about nature. Yes, if we do not become an intimate part of the vine (Jesus), we will flake away. We will attach our hearts and minds to flighty aphorisms and attractive evil.
 
    Every day we hear of violent acts towards people because of their race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation. Something is transpiring in the heart that draws people to violence in word and in action. Yes, we see the outside.  But all the thinking, creating, and reflecting happen on the inside. Jesus’ calling us into community is yet another way for us to share what is in our hearts, critique each other’s ideas, support each other’s vision. The community of the Church is a valuable gift from Jesus. To show his intimacy with each of us, Jesus pleads, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.” When we deepen our love experience of God, we use the wisdom and the understanding given to us in the sacraments in order to reach out to the emotionally, intellectually, bodily, spiritually needy—around us and around the world.

    “Isn’t it odd? We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside.” (from the book: The Boy, the Mule, the Fox, and the Horse.) So, from ideas and theology, Jesus asks us to go within and live from the inside of our hearts: forgiveness, patience, social justice, peace.
 
Let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the words of the song, The Summons, which summarize Jesus’ message to us.