The Vine and the Branches

Ika-lima na Linggo sa Pasko ng Pagkabuhay
(Mula sa Ebanghelyo ni San Juan 15:1-8)

Our passage for today contains many symbols which are perhaps the richest and most meaningful in the bible. Here, Jesus calls himself as the the vine and He refers to the Father as the vine grower. His disciples are the branches and His Liturgy of Word as the fruit.

Jesus says that branches that don't bear fruit will be eventually cut off from the vine. This means that people that don't listen to His words; people who refuse to follow His examples will be eventually cut off from Him.

While those branches that bear fruit meaning people who listen and follow God's words, will have to been prune in order for them to bear more fruit. Now isn't it that sound ironic? However, that is the reality both in the plants and spiritual life. You see to prune there is to trim off dead branches of the plants. It means cutting off anything considered useless or anything harmful.

For us brothers and sisters, pruning means cutting off anything that prevents us from bearing fruit or becoming true disciples of Christ. It means detaching ourselves from people, things, activities, work and needs, which are already part of ourselves of our lives but which are harmful to us in the long run.

Of course it will take another time and effort and it will be hard, painful and difficult. But we should realize that the vine Christ has different values from this world and if we wish to become true disciples of Christ and be with Him there should be things that we let go the worldy values. Unfortunately for us, has become our second nature.

For instance, we are too much focused on the pursuit of pleasure, personal ambition, and success all at the expense of our relationship with God and our neighbors.

And this is precisely what Pope Benedict XVI is talking about. In his book "Jesus of Nazareth..." and I quote "When man is in his ambitions dragging him to hard, they need to be cut back what has become too deeply it has to be prune back to the simplicity and poverty that the Lord has felt. It is only on undergoing such process that fruitfulness will deliver it from himself."

In other words, my brothers and sisters, it is in the value within ourselves, it is in the constant purifying ourselves and giving out our sinful tendencies that we can bear fruit and become the persons that God sees into you.

Definitely, mahirap po.

It will be very difficult even if you attend to mass every Sunday or during the weekend mass it is not that easy. In fact somebody have said, the words of Christ proclaiming the Gospel and public ministry make some sort of spiritual antiseptic. Yan ang kanyang analogy

The words of Christ, is some sort of spiritual antiseptic, why? because the challenge of our sinfulness, our selfishness, our stubbornness; we may be charitable, loving well in truth we are not. We challenge our natural tendencies. We fight our natural tendencies. Therefore we are challenge to beyond our comfort zones, our complaceny and our spiritual laziness. And just like antiseptics, the sting that cause pain when applied to a wound, the words of Christ can be just as painful. Mahapdi, Masakit, pag tinamaan tayo di ba?

For instance, its teaching is to love one another. It is itching to forgive others including our enemies. People who have hurt us. People who have delivered pain on us. sometimes, we didnt realize that it is not that painful but it is painfully to realize what we love to do is very very far, very very different from what Jesus really wants us to do. But you know what, painful sometimes or oftentimes we are like antiseptics. Still they bring us pain and remedy and then faith because when we follow them and put them into practice they can actually prevent spiritual infection so to speak of our souls brought by pride, envy, greed, lust. They can prevent the virus of sin from spreading in our hearts and minds, which will eventually clear our conscience. That is why, kahit masakit, kahit mahapdi, we should be thankful for God's trials. Because it makes us healthy and stronger spiritually.

As a closing, let me share you this short but meaningful prayer:

Father,

Continue to lead us ...

By the words of Your Son ... 

Do not let us to the false notions of this world ...

Just lead us and remain in You ...

So we can bear much fruit of love, peace and joy. 

Amen

Homilya ni:

Rev. Fr.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

New Manila, Quezon City

May 6, 2012 11:00 AM Mass