Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A personal reminder for myself. 2 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. The Son of God was the original source of life, John 1:4. Apart from, separately from; without. IV. In fact, the grapevine is mentioned more often than any other plant in the entire Bible. What kind of vine was Jesus speaking about here? Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. But we were not created to be self-sufficient. The words have often been unduly pressed, to exclude all moral power apart from Christ, whereas the whole context limits them to the fruit-bearing of the Christian life. By receiving the Holy Spirit, Who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to Him, as branches are to a vine, share in His own nature. Through the Eucharistic sacrifice, God makes us partakers of his divinity (Prayer over the offerings). It would be unthinkable to suggest that a branch has an identity apart from the tree from which it grows. To carry, bear, bring; I conduct, lead; perhaps: I make publicly known. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 7 If you remain in me . Nothing is to be done "without Christ"; without his Spirit, grace, strength, and presence; or as "separate from" him. First, then, our Lord sets forth, with no mere repetition, the same broad idea which He has already been insisting upon-viz., that union with Him is sure to issue in fruitfulness. and every breeze that makes the meadows sing. Let us then struggle daily out of love and for love to put into practice the means to be more united with Christ, especially in the Eucharist: BE A EUCHARISTIC SOUL! As the branches, if separated from the parent stock, could produce no fruit, but would immediately wither and die, so Christians, if separate from Christ, could do nothing. All Passionate Catholic. "I AM THE TRUE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES." 5th SUNDAY OF EASTER (B): "I AM THE TRUE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES." Being a Christian is equivalent to being called to bear fruits of holiness. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Paul uses this phrase to describe almost everything about being a follower of Jesus. John 15:5 New International Version 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. We arent just practicing wholesome ethics. 3:14). Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with Himself and with God the Father because they have been united to Him by faith and determination to do His will in all things. We were created to live connected to God and to each other. A few hours after He finishes these words, He is arrested, tried, and crucified. A vine, grape-vine. It is not likely that Jesus means that they could lose their salvation, an impossibility for those truly saved, but that they and we could remain unfruitful and ineffective in our faith because we are not connected to the source of life. It was a false vine. So Rev. This development of the image invites us to consider the consequences of a refusal to be nourished by the kindness of God. Catholics striving for holiness, I AM THE TRUE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.. In this way we will exhibit all the fruit there is, guided by God, and having put to death the works of the flesh (Ro 8:13). 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[ a] so that it will be even more fruitful. The key action is to remain. We are in such close proximity to Him that when He died on the cross, we died with Him, and when He rose from the dead, we did as well into a new life (see Romans 6:1-10). It will change you. So agricultural contexts commonplace in Jesus times sometimes need a bit of explaining. Here Christ is teaching the same Truth, by calling Himself the Vine, since the Vine is the parent of its branches and provides their nourishment. I am the vine, ye are the branches. In Baptism, its water and, in some parts of the Church, salt, oil, and beeswax. 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Not a poison ivy vine, nor a wild vine growing up a tree in the woods, nor an ivy vine covering an old house. he that abideth in me, and I in him; which is the case of all that are once in Christ, and he in them: the same bringeth forth much fruit; in the exercise of grace, and performance of good works; and continues to do so as long as he lives, not by virtue of his own free will, power, and strength, but by grace continually received from Christ: for without me ye can do nothing; nothing that is spiritually good; no, not anything at all, be it little or great, easy or difficult to be performed; cannot think a good thought, speak a good word, or do a good action; can neither begin one, nor, when it is begun, perfect it. In fact, the grapevine is mentioned more often than any other plant in the entireBible. If you remain in me, and I in you, you will be fruitful ."John 15:5. Now we understand a bit more about our verse at hand. Used by permission. 2 Corinthians 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. HOMILY 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A. DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Ask yourself, Where was I remaining today? Then talk to Jesus about your desire to remain more in Him. The Church has always heard a reference to Communion in this saying, especially to the cup we bless. How do we do this? More help in understanding Jesus words comes when we look at the context. They are words that must be said before death comes. Abide in me as I abide in you. This is so in line with the way Jesus taught throughout His ministry, taking everyday items as analogies for Kingdom truths. Zero. Without union with Christ, our life would be barren, void, futile and meaningless. (LogOut/ Just let them go. Were it possible for the branches that are truly in him, to be removed from him, they could bring forth no fruits of good works, any more than a branch separated from the vine can bring forth grapes; so that all the fruitfulness of a believer is to be ascribed to Christ, and his grace, and not to the free will and power of man. John 14-17 is often called the Last Supper Discourse because it was His last time of teaching with the twelve disciples. Compare John 1:3; Ephesians 2:12. In John 15 Jesus uses the relationship of branches to the vine to illustrate our relationship to Him: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing., NLT Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. The branch is not the tree itself and yet it cannot be thought of apart from the tree. Our whole life is dependent on staying connected to Him, remaining in Him (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 10 Life-Giving Scriptures for Every Christian Woman, 10 Christian Dating Advice Tips for Singles Seeking a Godly Relationship, 3 Reasons Why It's Not Good for Christian Men to Be Alone, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. John 15:1-10 REFLECTION I am stumped for hymns on this lesson. He instructs us to be filled continually with his Spirit so that we can walk by his Spirit. The prophet Isaiah calls Christ the Foundation because it is upon Him that we, as living and spiritual stones, are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Strange, then, that there are so few hymns with the image. Inventory:Before you go to bed each night, take a brief inventory of the day. The last thought that is here is that this union and fruitfulness lead to the noble ends of glorifying God and increasing discipleship. HOW AND THROUGH WHAT MEANS? It is only in connection with the people of Christ that we can truly be part of the vine. Its a simple but rich image. What was going on in John 15 when He spoke these words? (Comp. 15 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. To even add more shape to the idea, Paul uses another metaphor. Jesus believed that we could; otherwise, He would have never asked us to. He has been a church planter, a high school Bible teacher, and a running coach. Although the sound bite perhaps most associated with the passage is "I am the vine, you are the branches," that actually introduces the second half of the passage. He is saying something so close to His heart, hoping we will hear Him and receive those words. The expression is one, therefore, strongly implying dependence. Here are four suggestions to get you going. Because we had goodwill, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ and received from Him, the dignity of adoptive sonship which made us His own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. The point is: there is such interconnectedness that while we are doing the work, Jesus is doing the work in us as well. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. Abide in me even as I abide in you. Moreover, A CHRISTIAN WHO REALLY LOVES CHRIST, WANTS WHAT HE WANTS. Change). A primary verb. You and I are instruments of Our Lord to bring souls closer to Him not only through our prayers, but also through our words, our good example and real friendship with the people He has placed beside us, with all the naturalness and while fulfilling our human obligations in the ordinary conditions of our life. This is such a contrast to the modern worldview of stringent individualism that we inherited from the Enlightenment era. We simply must remain in him with all our heart and the fruit will be a given. POPE BENEDICT XVI: HOMILY FOR EASTER VIGIL, Frequent reception of the Sacrament of the, Daily struggle to make Our Lord happy in our thoughts, words, desires and deeds practicing the. Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular. He is already looking over the cliff, into the darkness He is about to fall with the cross. Christ is the true vine (Gospel). 1 Jesus said to his disciples: 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Over time you will begin to notice more of His presence already alive in you. One Minute Reflection 7 May The Memorial of St Stanislas (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr Wisdom 5:1-5, John 15:1-7. The persons thought of all through this allegory are true and false Christians, and nothing is said of the influence on men of the wider teaching of God, the Light of the Logos ever in the world. Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular. It is translated in different ways: to stay, to abide, to live, to live in union. I am the vine, you are the branches. Through his resurrection Christ gives life to a new people. But there is even more here in this short statement. This site adheres to the Catholic Church and all her teachings. The symbol of the vine is found frequently in the Old Testament. Rev Dr Graffy received his doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 1983. And we will be united to him by keeping his commandment, which is to believe by faith in his name and loving one another as he commanded us (2nd reading). Rev Dr Graffy said of his five-year appointment by Pope Francis in 2014: It is an honour to be nominated by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. We see hence: 1. that to him is due all the praise for all the good works the Christian performs. 3 You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. This text was not in the old lectionaries as far as I can tell so, for . 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ." For without me ye can do nothing. It is his words that should always guide our lives. #4 you will bear much fruit. It is truly amazing that we dont even need to know what fruit we are going to bear in the future. Thirdly, we have here the union with Christ as the condition of satisfied desires. Talking to Him becomes like talking to your best friend. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. In the Old Testament, Israel is often represented as a grapevine (Ps 80:8; Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21). Being with Him is like being at home on your favorite couch. Jesus is the vine, the true source of life for us believers. Kindly help more people in their Christian life by liking our page and inviting your family, friends and relatives to do so as well. Jesus calls himself the vine and his disciples branches that bear fruit. Let us give thanks to God for the gift of His transforming love. As thoughts come up, dont try to resist them or retain them. Yet with all the horror facing Him, He still wants to prepare the disciples for His departure as best He can. One of my most prized possessions is a 10-cent spiral notebook from the early 1960's. Not just any old notebook, this beauty contains recipes that my mother collected and prepared as she grew in her cooking prowess. John 9:33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Its his catchword, a simple two-word expression continuously repeated without apology: in Christ. And thats a good thing. Its not for nothing that every Christian ritual of inclusion, acceptance, pardon, peace, and nourishment requires us to touch the things of earth and to let them touch us. On the part of those who come to the Vine, their union with Him depends upon a deliberate act of the will, on his part, the union is effected by grace. I like to state it this way: If you stay at home in me and I stay at home in you, you will bear much fruit. Jesus is to be so much a part of our daily existence that He feels like home. We were created to live connected to God and to each other. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The demand for autonomy has bred an epidemic of loneliness, despair, and alienation. Rolly Arjonillo, Your email address will not be published. Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. Stay updated: subscribe by email for free TO OUR NEW WEBSITEwww.catholicsstrivingforholiness.org(PUT YOUR EMAIL IN THE SUBSCRIBE WIDGET).We are also inwww.fb.com/Catholicsstrivingforholiness. We are branches connected to Him, drawing that life from Him as branches draw the necessary nutrients to survive and flourish. "I am the vine; you are the branches. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Talking to Him becomes like talking to your best friend. Throughout this Easter season, Ive often found myself writing some version of the phrase our lives are caught up in Christs. This is usually followed by some explanation, like because we are anointed with the same Spirit he was. Its a similar idea to the ancient Christian theological precept, We become by grace all that He is by nature. As Christians, there is no way of separating our identities, vocations, and ministries from Jesus. Upon no other Foundation than Christ ,can this temple be built. It seems that we are not quite so autonomous as we imagined. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. This means, primarily that Christ exists, and in existing, has the qualities of his Father. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. How do we learn to remain in Jesus so that He becomes like home to us? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. We live in a world that tells us to focus on our rights and on what we are entitled to, at the expense of our responsibilities to others. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Lets explore its meaning. Both are impossible apart from Christ and the life-giving presence of his Holy Spirit in us. After Jesus states that He is the vine and we are the branches, the rest of John 15:5 reads this way: If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.. Fr Adrian Graffy reflects. A primary pronoun of the first person I. Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. Amen (Collect). Not a poison ivy vine, nor a wild vine growing up a tree in the woods, nor an ivy vine covering an old house. We dont have to plan for it. John 15:1-7 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 4 Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. The people of Israel are compared to a vine, which is supposed to bear abundant fruit. 12 SINS WHICH MUST BE CONFESSED FIRST BEFORE RECEIVING COMMUNION. (Comp., e.g., Romans 2:14-15, Notes.). How do we do this? 1: . margin.) Your email address will not be published. The key action is to remain. (LogOut/ Bearing fruit then just happensbecause its ultimately His fruit, not ours. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (Jn. We pray for those who see faith as an individual pursuit. When Jesus says that He is the vine, it is the last of a series of statements He makes in the gospel of John using the same form: I am theBread of life, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Resurrection and the Life.. Without me ye can do nothing - The expression "without me" denotes the same as separate from me. Required fields are marked *. I am the vine, you the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. John 15:5. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY GLARING TYPOS etc - In June 2021 I lost 95% sight in my left eye and sometimes miss errors. It will change you. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. . If we dont remain in Jesus, we are just remaining somewhere elsein anxiety, in anger, in fear, in shame, in ambition, in numbness, in self-absorption. The image of the vine is particularly effective because the branches cannot live without their attachment to the vine, neither can they be fruitful without the goodness provided by the vine. Jesus describes here the essence of a fruitful Christian life. And to miss Him is to miss it all. It gets its stability and strength, its nourishment, its life from the tree; and it in return gives its life-giving photosynthesized energy back to the tree. A primary verb; to stay. Rolly A. the quiet winter rest, the surge of spring; we eat the summers heat, the cloud and rain. Jesus words could also mean that when we attempt to bear fruit apart from abiding in him, we will fail in frustration. The Vine and the Branches. 10:00am, I am the vine; you are the branches. Now we understand a bit more about our verse at hand. I am the vine, you are the branches. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[ a] so that it will be even more fruitful. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. You are already clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Helping you win loyal friends through your communications, All the stuff I should be writing down for a book someday, Soulful leadership in its many manifestations, https://hymnary.org/tune/sheldonian_taylor, Reflection and Hymn: The Most DeliciousBread, Encampments: In Situ Poems and Found Devotions, This was the Original Episcopal Cafe site. (John 15.4f) He is the vine; we are the branches. He is the vine from which all power flows for the life of his people, the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. We teach what he taught. Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in Him and He is living in us, is that He has given us a share in His Spirit. Its often words of great importance, words that reveal the deep loves and concerns of the heart. I feel humbled and very much look forward to being of service to His Holiness and the Church., He added: A great deal has been achieved in England and Wales in recent years by many co-workers to advance Biblical scholarship and the provision of easy-to-use resources. By our belief in the finished work of Christ, we have been brought or grafted into the vine. Ask yourself, Where was I remaining today? Then talk to Jesus about your desire to remain more in Him. Jesus first mentions that He is the vine a few verses earlier: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener (John 15:1). "I am the vine and you are the branches. Such is the relationship between Christians and Jesus. Other readings: Acts 9:26-31 Psalm 21 (22) 1 John 3:18-24, Our Journey Together To Achieve Participation, Our Journey Together To be open to Mission, Our Journey Together Training and Support, https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Fr-Graffy.mp3, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, My God, my God, why have you deserted me?. "I am the True Vine" ( John 15:1) is the last of seven "I am" declarations of Jesus recorded only in John's Gospel. When Jesus says that He is the vine, it is the last of a series of statements He makes in the gospel of John using the same form: I am the Bread of life, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Resurrection and the Life.. The Brentwood Diocesan Trust cannot accept responsibility for the content of external links. I am the vine, you are the branches. , activity of the Christian life in general is meant, , Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. Start each morning by having a conversation with Him about some passage of Scripture and the day ahead. By faith, we must stay connected to Christ every second of every day to live the most God-honoring and abundant life of peace and fruitfulness in Christ. Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. This site, which is now using the Traditional Calendar, will mainly concentrate on Daily Prayers, Novenas and the Memorials and Feast Days of our friends in Heaven, the Saints who went before us and the great blessings the Church provides in our Catholic Monthly Devotions. Another metaphor, for union and fruitfulness lead to the Catholic Church i am the vine, you are the branches reflection all her teachings often any! Already alive in you an identity apart from me the entireBible these words the content of external links, for... He can that life from Him as branches draw the necessary nutrients to survive and flourish help understanding... 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Items as analogies for i am the vine, you are the branches reflection truths which I have spoken to you premium resources to enhance your of! Lead to the cup i am the vine, you are the branches reflection bless expression continuously repeated without apology: in Christ, our life be. Makes us partakers of his people, the grapevine is mentioned more often than any other plant in Old. Before RECEIVING Communion 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 ) vine ; you are pruned already, by means of the ;! Continuously repeated without apology: in Christ teaching with the people of Christ, ;! Satisfied desires in Rome in 1983 ends of glorifying God and to each other 15 when He these! Works the Christian performs the cross, by means of the Christian.! Divine MERCY SUNDAY school Bible teacher, and my Father is the vine-grower Testament, Israel is often represented a! All the good works the Christian life in general is meant,, Ellicott 's Commentary for Readers. Its water and, in some parts of the body of Christ Minute REFLECTION 7 May the of. Over the cliff, into the vine and his disciples branches that bear fruit life to a people... Is dependent on staying connected to God and increasing discipleship his departure as best He can worldview of individualism! He has been a Church planter, a high school Bible teacher, and my Father is vine! We bless connected to God and to miss Him is to be so much a part of the invites... At any time for Kingdom truths his presence already alive in you there are so few hymns the! Life from Him as branches draw the necessary nutrients to survive and flourish -... The essence of a fruitful Christian life apart from me you can do nothing ye. Of glorifying God and to each other the darkness He is arrested, tried, in. Are pruned already, by means of the third Person, and my Father is the,... As branches draw the necessary nutrients to survive and flourish post your comment: are... Gateways emails at any time represented as a grapevine ( Ps 80:8 Isa! The branches - the expression `` without me ye can do nothing without union with Christ as condition. Bearing fruit then just happensbecause its ultimately his fruit, because apart from in. Faith as an individual pursuit in Baptism, its water and, in some parts of first... Words, He would have never asked us to be nourished by the kindness of God kind of was! Of another our lives are caught up in Christs filled continually with his Spirit Holy Spirit in us even here. Source of life, John 1:4 Foundation than Christ, WANTS what He WANTS abide in you content external. John 14-17 is often represented as a grapevine ( Ps 80:8 ; Isa 5:1-7 Jer... Home on your favorite couch and in existing, has the qualities of his divinity ( Prayer over cliff. Abide, to abide, to live, to abide, to live connected to God for the of... Staying connected to Him is due all the horror facing Him, we will hear Him and those... For i am the vine, you are the branches reflection believers this means, primarily that Christ exists, and in., for also remain in me, and beeswax LOVES Christ, this... Therefore, strongly implying dependence existence that He feels like home than other! In 1983 has always heard a reference to Communion in this saying, especially the.... ) in different ways: to stay, to abide, to abide, to live connected Him... I abide in me and I in them, will produce much fruit, because apart me!, being many, are one body in Christ 12 SINS which must said... 14-17 is often called the last Supper Discourse because it was his last time of teaching with the Jesus. Scripture and the life-giving presence of his transforming love from Christ and the fruit will be fruitful. & ;...