Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 18th May

Abbot Paul • May 18, 2022

Message from Fr Paul for Wednesday, 18th May 2022

Throughout Eastertide, as each day we read John’s Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, we become more and more aware and enter ever more deeply into the mystery of the Holy Trinity. We reflect on the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and our own relationship with God, made possible by the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians, St Paul tells us the we are God’s temple and the Holy Spirit lives in us (!1 Co 3: 16) and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Co: 6:19). In his first letter, St Peter calls us living stones that make up the Body of Christ (1 Pe 2: 5). St John takes great pleasure in passing on to us Jesus’ own words and images and in today’s Gospel, (Jn 15: 1-8), we have the memorable image of the vine and its branches, such a vivid, graphic image.

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.”

Jesus tells his disciples that he is the true vine, for there are other vines, which many people mistakenly follow. The picture of vine and branches reinforces the idea of communion, the communion that exists between Christ and his disciples and in Christ among his disciples. This communion is the Church. We can’t really be Christians without being in communion with other believers. We cannot live a Christian life in isolation, for Jesus calls us to be members of his body, in which we support and build each other up in faith and holiness. As we all know, fruit trees need to be pruned, sometimes radically, in order that they bear more and better fruit. They also need to be nurtured and cared for. If we allow him to do so, then Jesus will care for us. Admittedly, at times this will be painful.

He goes on to say:

“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

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.

Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.”

We sometimes translate the first sentence as Abide in me, which simply means make your abode or your home in me. We are to remain with Christ, attached to him, part of him as the branches are to the vine. When the branches are separated from the vine or any other fruit bearing tree, then gradually those branches will die and so produce neither flower nor fruit. They become worthless and can serve only as firewood. Only if we remain in Christ can we produce fruit, and, as Jesus promises, much fruit. He concludes:

“If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.”

If we remain in Christ, not only will we bear much fruit, but he will answer our prayers. Our fruitfulness will be the result of prayer in union with Christ. Our fruit will give glory to the Father and confirm our relationship to Jesus as his disciples. How we long for that to be. Yet, if we look closely, we will see that it’s already happening. We can see Christ at work in our lives. Many Christians I know live intimately united to Christ.

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