Remaining in Love to Bear Fruit!

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:26-31; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8

The fifth Sunday of Easter invites us to explore the relation between ‘remaining in God’s love’ and ‘bearing fruit.’

In the Gospel, Jesus makes use of the imagery of the vine to show how the branches (Christians) bear fruit as a result of their union with the vine (the Lord).

The statement of Jesus can be understood in three ways. 

At first, Jesus personalizes what he says. Jesus realized his identity as God’s only Son through his relationship with the Father. This explains why Jesus always retreated to a deserted place to pray (Lk 4:42; Mt 14:13). If Jesus’ intimacy with his Father signifies his vertical relationship, his teaching and healing mission symbolize his horizontal relationship with the people. However, what we must never forget is that the vertical relationship of Jesus with God always ended in a horizontal relationship with God’s people. Jesus’ compassion flows out of his encounters with the Divine. Hence, through his statement, Jesus leaves behind a model for us. As such, the command of Jesus to remain in his love is profoundly experiential. 

Secondly, Jesus wants his disciples to benefit from the inseparable union between his vertical and horizontal relationships. The disciples experience the miracle when they begin God’s mission. The first reading offers proof for remaining in God’s love to prosper in God’s mission. Having shown the example of Paul, the closing lines of the first reading help us understand the truth. The churches were at peace; they were built up and walked in the fear of the Lord. With the strength coming from the Holy Spirit, the Church grew in numbers. It is a clear exposition of the relationship between abiding with the Lord and bearing fruit.  

Thirdly, what Jesus says has implications for Christian life as well. We find the insistence coming from the second reading, which highlights Christian discipleship in action. The best definition of Christianity lies in the exemplary actions of Christians. We are to abide in Jesus’ love by faithfully following his commandments. Our faithfulness to the Lord in word and deed will result in us bearing much fruit. Non-Christians benefit more from the example of Christians who bear witness to God’s love in word and deed. 

Abiding with God or remaining in God’s love begins with a gesture of relationship with the Divine. Though we understand prayer to be an important avenue, other spiritual practices could be of great help in this regard. The inner transformation that results from our intimacy with God often leads to a transformed life. 

There goes an anecdote. After an exhausting morning session of prayer in the monastery of Piedra, the novice asked the abbot if prayers brought God closer to mankind. ‘I am going to reply with another question,’ said the abbot. ‘Will all the prayers you say make the sun rise tomorrow?’ ‘Of course not! The sun rises in obedience to a universal law.’ ‘Well, there’s the answer to your question. God is close to us regardless of how much we pray.’ The novice was shocked. ‘Are you saying that our prayers are useless?’ ‘Absolutely not. If you don’t wake up early enough, you will never get to see the sunrise. And although God is always close, if you don’t pray, you will never manage to feel His presence.’ 

Glorifying God begins with the love of God and continues with the love of neighbours. 

The latter does not happen without the former. 

We only bear fruit by remaining in God’s love.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar