Homily for Wednesday in Fifth Week of Easter Year C, 21st May, 2025

 

Readings: Acts 15:1-6; Ps.122; John 15:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT BE SEPARATED FROM JESUS THE TRUE VINE

Since Sunday, we have been listening to Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, especially as regards the relationship between him and those who wish to be his disciples. To drive this message down to the level they will understand him, he used the imagery of a Vine and branches.

The vine, as we know,, is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Without the vine, no fruit could ever be produced. And branches utterly dependent upon the vine.

So as Jesus and his disciples were passing through the vineyards that surround the city after they had concluded their meeting in the upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the Passover, Jesus told them the parable of the Vine and the branches as we have it in our Gospel passage today saying: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me, you can do nothing.’

Here, Jesus is emphasising the need to remain faithful in our relationship with God, as we know in the scriptures, Israel is pictured as a vine which is to produce good fruit. But has failed. Thus, Jesus made them know that he is the true, genuine and authentic Vine. But in the Old Testament, God’s vine was Israel. He used them to accomplish his purpose in the world. However, he is the true Vine through whom we have life in us.

So, the major purpose of this parable is for us to remain faithful in our relationship with God and also to be fruitful in our Christian faith. Because as God’s chosen people, we are expected to produce great, sweet, beautiful, rich fruits of righteousness, holiness, justice, peace and joy to the world. But most of us, just like the Israelites, have failed as we produced sour, rotten, stinking, tasteless fruit of sin, corruption, greed, cruelty, exploitation and hatred in the world.

Dear friends, as branches of the Vine which is Christ, our fruit should be the natural outflow of the life of the Vine. For when we are united and identified with Jesus, we produce from his Vine the fruit of the Holy Spirit, that sweet and rich wine of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, self-control, holiness, courage and faith which is lacking in our world today.

But the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: are we still connected with Jesus, the true Vine? What kind of fruit are we producing in this world? What is stopping us from producing good fruit? Do we need to be purged of our ugly habitual sins? Remember, God prunes a branch so that it may bear more fruit, and this pruning is not done only once, for it is a constant process.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are so much attached to so many things in this passing world, as we find delight in Jesus our true Vine, prune us where we need to be pruned, so that we may remain faithful in our relationship with you and so bear good fruit of your love and peace in our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do remain blessed.