One of the strongest images of the Total Christ is that of the Vine and the Branches (John 15). It is an image that illustrates the vital relationship that exists between Christ and his disciples. “Remain in me” says the Lord to his disciples, “for without me you can do nothing.” The fifth Sunday of Easter puts before us this image of the vital relationship between Christ and the Church. The baptized participate in the Resurrected Life of Christ through word and Sacrament both of which are offered to them through the Church. This year, the 5th Sunday of Easter also coincides with Mother’s Day. And so as we remember the mothers, they whom John Paul II called “experts in humanity”, we also remember the Mother of us all, the one whom Augustine lovingly calls “the Catholica” because it is in her womb that we are prepared for our manifestation as “children of God.” (cf. 1 John 3:1-3; Romans 8:18-25; John 16:21-22)
“Let us love our Lord God, let us love His Church, Him as a Father, her as a Mother; Him as a Master, her as His Handmaid; for we are children of the Handmaid herself. But this marriage is held together by great love; no one offends the one and gains favor with the other. . . . Cling, then, beloved, cling all with one mind to God our Father and to the Church our Mother.” (St. Augustine. Enn. in Psalmos, 88, ii, xiv)$
Relevant Links
The Text
1. Read John 15:1-10 and try to divide the selection into parts, taking note of changes in verb forms, type of sentences used and poetic images employed.
2. Underline the following words:
- fruit
- remain/abide/dwell
- ask
- glorify
- commandments
Look for a dictionary of the Bibel and study the meaning of those words specially as appearing in John.
Comparing the Readings
The first reading from Acts gives us the picture of a Church growing steadily.(9:31). A former persecutor, Saul of Tarsus (cf. Acts 9:1ff) has been incorporated into the Church (v. 26) and has begun to preach boldly in the name of the Lord (v. 28) even to the point of death (v. 29). This brief peek into the initial career of Saul as a proselytizer for the new faith also gives us an idea of the beginnings of the Church which is pruned by the Father so that it may be more fruitful (cf. John 15:1-3) The responsorial psalm from Psalm 22 applies the verses originally associated with the Resurrected Christ to those who even now share in the death and resurrection of the Lord.
The second reading from 1 John 3:18-24 is a word to those who have experienced division and bitter separation within the Church. The author of the epistle assures the members of his community that their remaining in the community of faith is a sign of their commitment to the word that was heard “from the beginning” and that they are really “children of the Truth” (3:18, JB)
One of the key ideas from the Gospel reading is the word “abide/dwell/remain” (Greek: menein). Remain in ME, says the Lord, where “ME” has been identified as “I AM the Bread of Life” (Jn. 6), “I AM the Good Shepherd” (Jn. 10), “I AM the Light of the World” (Jn. 9), “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn. 11), among others. To remain in the Lord is to be fruitful; and being fruitful (cf. Acts 9:31) is to glorify the Father.
Suggestions for the Lesson
The 5th Sunday of Easter falls on May 10 this year which is also Mother’s Day. The ORDO specifies that “this secular observance must in no way diminish the primary focus of this Sunday as the celebration of the paschal mystery. However in order to provide some recognition of this day, the model intercessions and a Prayer Over the People may be used.”
What can also be done, I think, is to read the lectionary selections in a baptismal way with the idea of the Church’s motherhood as a framework. Augustine can help us here since he preaches that Christians should live always remembering that they are children of God with the Church as their mother. Thus, remaining in the Lord is to remain in word and Sacrament which are essentially the life of the Church which has generated us in the faith. Paul had his conversion but still had to listen to the first proclamation of Ananias (Acts 9:10ff). Later Barnabas will take him in like a sponsor to present to the apostles (Acts 9:27). The Church through its children incorporates those to be saved into her bosom. In this light, one can also understand selection from 1 John: to remain in the Lord is to remain in the Church.
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