Fifth Sunday of Easter (Jn. 15:1-8) “Am I One with Jesus”

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Jn. 15:1-8) “Am I One with Jesus”

         When we read the Gospels, we probably feel like they are just stories that were recorded about the life of Jesus, but they are more than that. The Gospels are Theological reflections.  The writers construct narratives that aren’t so much historical narrations but are statements of faith. The four evangelists make an argument for believing in Jesus.

        The Gospel of John is especially like that.  When we look at  how it is constructed it is fascinating. John bases his narrative on the number seven. Seven was considered a number that represents completeness.  If we examine the Gospel of John, we will see seven signs (miracles) that Jesus is involved in.  We will also hear seven discourses that John shares after each sign.  The discourses explain the meaning behind each miraculous event in the life of Jesus.

        We also notice that there are seven “I am” statements. “I am” is an important title that Jesus takes for himself.  He is declaring that he is God. His assertion was shocking to those who heard him. He is describing what God is like as he explains his own identity.  God is the bread of the life.  God is the way, the truth, and the life.  God is the Good Shepherd.

        Today we hear the seventh “I am statement.”  Jesus uses this metaphor while he is at the last Supper.  We could say that this “I am” statement is the least quoted of the seven “I am” statements. 

        The writer of John didn’t just make this metaphor up, but he was using an image that the Jewish people were very familiar with. Speaking of the Jewish people as a grapevine is an image that we hear about several times in the Old Testament.  The primary place we hear about it is in Isaiah chapter 27.  We hear about the vine that is Israel. We hear about what will happen on the Day of the Lord, the day of judgement.

        “On that day……The pleasant vineyard, sing about it?

        I the Lord am its keeper.  I water it at every moment:

        Lest anyone harm it. Night and day I guard it.”

         Jesus draws the picture for us.  God is the vine grower.  Jesus is the vine.  We are the branches that can thrive and produce much fruit.  We produce much fruit if we stay connected to Jesus.

        How do we do that?  We do that in several ways.  One way is to have an ongoing personal conversation with Jesus. In other words, a deep prayer life. We don’t just utter words but contemplate how God is acting in our life.  Another way is to be involved in the sacramental life of the church. We don’t just celebrate sacraments when we have time left over but they are a priority in our life.  And the third way is to be an active part of the church community. Does this connectedness lead to being a healthy person?  People challenge this all the time. The Chrisian community isn’t perfect.  Hypocrisy and scandal are easy to find.  Sinners are also easy to find in Christian community. But what happens if we remain committed?

        Several years ago, Phillip Rief wrote a book called the “Triumph of the Therapeutic.” In it he put forth the theory that widespread reliance on therapy today arose in the secularized world largely because community has broken down. 

        In societies where there are strong family systems. In cultures where people belong to a wide variety of organizations there seems to be less need for private therapy. People can more easily work out their problems if they are connected to others.  One of the primary communities that are part of these cultures is the religious community. When people are active members of a church, we are happier, we find more meaning in our life, in the end we are healthier.

        The Easter season is a time when we reflect a lot on the graces that come with being part of the Body of Christ.  Jesus gives us the key to graced life.  And it’s a message that needs to be proclaimed in every generation.  “If you remain in me and I remain in you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and you become my disciples.” We become part of the oneness of God.

Reflection Questions:

1.  Am I becoming more connected with people?  Am I becoming less connected with people?

2.  Why would I say I belong to a parish?  Could I share my reasons with others?

 Dear Parishioners,

        The first two weekends of May at our 11 a.m. Mass we will be having First Communion in our parish.  We often hear that people are not as connected to church as they once were.  We are blessed that we will have over 40 children receiving First Communion. This is a sign of a deep spiritual hunger.

        Every week I seem to engage with families who are interested in getting their children baptized and having them receive the sacraments.  At times it is overwhelming. We have children of various ages and adults of various ages.  They do not fit into nice, neat categories. Fortunately, we have catechists who are ready to meet people where they are and help them to become a part of our parish community.

        If you would like to help with instructing converts to the faith, just contact our office and we will see if you might have that charism.  The harvest is rich, but we need to have workers to help bring it in.

        May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,

        Fr. Mark