Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel John 15:1-8 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am
the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear
fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he
prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that
I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides
in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you
can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away
like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the
fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that
you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Today’s gospel was
the one used by Pope Benedict when he celebrated Mass in the Olympic Stadium in
Berlin on 22 September 2011. In his homily the
Pope used these striking words [emphases added]: In the parable of the vine, Jesus does not say: 'You
are the vine', but: 'I am the vine, you are the branches' (John 15:5).
In other words: 'As the branches are joined to the vine, so you belong to
me! But inasmuch as you belong to me, you also belong to one another'.
This belonging to each other and to him is not some ideal, imaginary, symbolic
relationship, but – I would almost want to say – a biological,
life-transmitting state of belonging to Jesus Christ. Such is the Church, this
communion of life with Jesus Christ and for one another, a communion that is
rooted in baptism and is deepened and given more and more vitality in the
Eucharist. 'I am the true vine' actually means: 'I am you and you
are I' – an unprecedented identification of the Lord with us, with his Church.
So many are caught in a ‘Jesus and
me’ mentality, which ignores the reality of the Church as the universal
sacrament of salvation, words from the Second Vatican Council that Pope
Benedict quotes.
As
I was reading the Pope’s homily I was thinking that he could have been speaking
directly to the people of my native Ireland where there is a deep crisis in the
Church. He says to the congregation in Berlin, Many people see only the
outward form of the Church. This makes the Church appear as merely one of the
many organizations within a democratic society, whose criteria and laws are
then applied to the task of evaluating and dealing with such a complex entity
as the ‘Church’. If to this is added the sad experience that the Church
contains both good and bad fish, wheat and darnel, and if only these negative
aspects are taken into account, then the great and beautiful mystery of the
Church is no longer seen.
It follows that belonging to this vine, the ‘Church’, is no longer a source
of joy. Dissatisfaction and discontent begin to spread, when people’s
superficial and mistaken notions of ‘Church’, their ‘dream Church’, fail to
materialize! Then we no longer hear the glad song ‘Thanks be to God who in his
grace has called me into his Church’ that generations of Catholics have sung
with conviction.
But Jesus tells us clearly that separated from him we can do nothing. Each of us has to decide whether or not we wish to remain united to the life-giving vine who is Jesus himself. Pope Benedict says, Every one of us is faced with this choice. The Lord reminds us how much is at stake as he continues his parable: ‘If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned’ (John 15:6).There is nothing of the ‘meek and mild’ in these stark words of Jesus.
Yet the Gospel, the Good News’ is by definition a message of joyful hope, as the Pope reminded the people in Berlin:
The decision that is required of us here makes us keenly aware of the fundamental significance of our life choices. But at the same time, the image of the vine is a sign of hope and confidence. Christ himself came into this world through his incarnation, to be our root. Whatever hardship or drought befall us, he is the source that offers us the water of life, that feeds and strengthens us. He takes upon himself all our sins, anxieties and sufferings and he purifies and transforms us, in a way that is ultimately mysterious, into good branches that produce good wine. In such times of hardship we can sometimes feel as if we ourselves were in the wine-press, like grapes being utterly crushed. But we know that if we are joined to Christ we become mature wine. God can transform into love even the burdensome and oppressive aspects of our lives. It is important that we ‘abide’ in Christ, in the vine. The evangelist uses the word ‘abide’ [‘remain’] a dozen times in this brief passage. This ‘abiding in Christ’ characterizes the whole of the parable. In our era of restlessness and lack of commitment, when so many people lose their way and their grounding, when loving fidelity in marriage and friendship has become so fragile and short-lived, when in our need we cry out like the disciples on the road to Emmaus: ‘Lord, stay with us, for it is almost evening and darkness is all around us!’ (cf. Luke 24:29), in this present era, the risen Lord gives us a place of refuge, a place of light, hope and confidence, a place of rest and security. When drought and death loom over the branches, then in Christ we find future, life and joy. In him we always find forgiveness and the opportunity to begin again, to be transformed as we are drawn into his love.
To abide in Christ means, as we saw earlier, to abide in the Church as well. The whole communion of the faithful has been firmly incorporated into the vine, into Christ. In Christ we belong together. Within this communion he supports us, and at the same time all the members support one another. We stand firm together against the storm and offer one another protection. Those who believe are not alone. We do not believe alone, we believe with the whole Church of all times and places, with the Church in heaven and the Church on earth.
Pope
Benedict finished his homily in Berlin with these beautiful words: Dear
Sisters and Brothers! My wish for all of you, for all of us, is this: to
discover ever more deeply the joy of being united with Christ in the Church,
with all her trials and times of darkness, to find comfort and redemption amid
whatever trials may arise, and that all of us may increasingly become the
precious wine of Christ’s joy and love for this world. Amen.
Extraordinary Form of the Mass
Traditional Latin Mass (TLM)
Fourth Sunday after Easter
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 5-2-2021 if necessary).
Epistle: James 1:17-21. Gospel: John 16:5-14.
Authentic Beauty
Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond.
Pope Benedict XVI meeting with artists in the Sistine Chapel, 21 November 2009.
Beethoven's 6th Symphony, 'The Pastoral', 2nd movement
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