1. Branches on the Vine

2. Different but One in Christ 

1. Branches On The Vine
Much more than a set of truths to believe in, our faith is a union with a living person, a unity of life with Jesus our Lord. His words and actions are our guide in life; our heart is attuned to his heart, and his serving love of God and people is our inspiration and model. We cannot think of him and pray to him all the time, but we can, with his help, try to live his life. That is how we can live in him, remain in him, be one with him as he is one with the Father. Let us be intensely one with him here in this Eucharist and in everyday life.

2. Different But One In Christ
In many ways we differ from one another. Thanks to God for the riches of this variety. How sad our world would be if we were all the same, for we would see only our own image. We differ in our faces, our characters, our personalities and occupations, our language and culture, in so many things. Yet there is one thing that brings us here together. We belong to Christ, we are united in him. He wants this bond to be a close union: like branches on a tree, on a life-giving vine. We are one in him with one another. We pray that this union may be close and effective.

First Reading: The Difficult Beginnings of An Apostle
From a fanatic persecutor, Paul becomes a zealous apostle. At the beginning, he is distrusted, Barnabas vouches for him and Paul is accepted, but even then he stirs up controversies.

1 Reading ACTS 9:26-31
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,
but they were all afraid of him,
not believing that he was a disciple.
Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,
and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord,
and that he had spoken to him,
and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem,
and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.
He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,
but they tried to kill him.
And when the brothers learned of this,
they took him down to Caesarea
and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.
It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

Responsorial Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will fulfil 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

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.

To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
R.

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.

Second Reading: Faith in Jesus and Mutual Love
We are certain that God is present in us and that we are united with him if we believe in Jesus Christ and love one another with a real and active love.

2 Reading 1 John 3:18-24
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but indeed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God
and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit he gave us.

Alleluia John 15:4a, 5b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches
Only when we are united with Jesus in faith and love, like branches on a vine, can our lives be fruitful and God will give us everything that is good.

Gospel John 15:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Commentary:
Oscar Wilde, with heavy irony, told a parable: “One day, a certain man walked down the street. It was the first hour and the people were not yet assembled in the market place. The man sat down by the wayside and, raising his eyes, he began to gaze up to heaven. And it came to pass that another man who was passing that way, seeing the stranger, he too stopped and raised his eyes to heaven. At the second and the third hour, others came and did likewise. Soon word of this wondrous happening spread throughout the countryside and many people left their abodes and came to see this stranger. At the ninth hour, when the day was far spent, there was a great multitude assembled. The stranger lowered his eyes from heaven and stood up. Turning towards the multitude, he said in a loud voice: ‘Amen, amen! I say unto you. How easy it is to start a religion!’” Futurologists (yes, there are such people!) predict that religion will thrive in the 21st century, because it will be part of the burgeoning entertainment industry! This at least makes very clear the distinction between religion as a hobby and religion as discipleship. Today’s reading is about discipleship: about being one mind and heart with Christ. The image of a vine is particularly telling, for unlike other trees where you can distinguish clearly between trunk and branches, the vine is just all branches! “I am the vine and you are the branches”: the vine is the branches!

Blessing
Our Lord told us today:
“Remain in me, as I remain in you.”
Yes, let us stay in his love
and do the things of everyday life
in union with him and by his strength,
and let us take him to people
by our concern and love.
May almighty God bless you for this:
the Father who loves us,
the Son who lives in us,
and the Holy Spirit who guides us. R/ Amen.

Go in peace, stay united with Christ, and love and serve him in people. Alleluia! Alleluia!
R/ Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!