Tonight, in Jesus farewell discourses, in the Gospel of the parable of the vine, we are reminded that the vines signifies Jesus inseparable oneness with his own, who through him and with him are all “vine”, and whose calling is to “remain” in the vine.
What a gift it is to be the branches that belong to the true vine. But, this gift also demands constant pruning. Prune, fruit, remain – these are three key words for this drama of being in and with the son in the vine.
The goal of "Prunning" or purification is fruit. What type of fruits does Jesus expect from us? He expects grapes, and thus choice wine, from his vine. The vine is therefore meant to bear choice grapes that through the process of picking, pressing and fermentation will produce excellent wine.
Jesus discourse on the vine is pointing to the new wine that he had already been prefigured at the wedding at cana and which he now gives to us – the wine that would flow from his passion, from his love. Jesus is pointing to the Eucharist. It refers to the fruit that Jesus brings forth: his love, which pours itself out for all of us on the cross and which is the choice new wine destined for God’s feast with man. So, the fruit that the Lord expects of us is love – a love that is expressed through the “suffering”, “purification”, cross, the self giving of oneself – in preparation for the kingdom of God.
So, the process of pressing and fermentation is like the process of purification. It is painful. The process produces choice wine. The fruit is Love. The true fruit is the love that has passed through the cross, through God’s pressing & fermentation.
And through all this process of purification, “remain” is the third key word. The word occurs 10 times from verse 1-10. It means perseverance, steadfastness & patience. This is the way to produce good wine. If the fruit we are to bear is Love, we shall remain in him, clinch to him, do not let go..... Jesus knows that we are too weak to remain in him so HE also asks us to Pray... you may ask what you will, and you shall get it.
Let us all stand and listen to the Gospel.
What a gift it is to be the branches that belong to the true vine. But, this gift also demands constant pruning. Prune, fruit, remain – these are three key words for this drama of being in and with the son in the vine.
The goal of "Prunning" or purification is fruit. What type of fruits does Jesus expect from us? He expects grapes, and thus choice wine, from his vine. The vine is therefore meant to bear choice grapes that through the process of picking, pressing and fermentation will produce excellent wine.
Jesus discourse on the vine is pointing to the new wine that he had already been prefigured at the wedding at cana and which he now gives to us – the wine that would flow from his passion, from his love. Jesus is pointing to the Eucharist. It refers to the fruit that Jesus brings forth: his love, which pours itself out for all of us on the cross and which is the choice new wine destined for God’s feast with man. So, the fruit that the Lord expects of us is love – a love that is expressed through the “suffering”, “purification”, cross, the self giving of oneself – in preparation for the kingdom of God.
So, the process of pressing and fermentation is like the process of purification. It is painful. The process produces choice wine. The fruit is Love. The true fruit is the love that has passed through the cross, through God’s pressing & fermentation.
And through all this process of purification, “remain” is the third key word. The word occurs 10 times from verse 1-10. It means perseverance, steadfastness & patience. This is the way to produce good wine. If the fruit we are to bear is Love, we shall remain in him, clinch to him, do not let go..... Jesus knows that we are too weak to remain in him so HE also asks us to Pray... you may ask what you will, and you shall get it.
Let us all stand and listen to the Gospel.
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