Fifth Sunday of Easter B Jn15: 1-8

The connection with Jesus decides (Jn 15: 1-8)
Can we say of ourselves that we are Christians when we do not live with Jesus?

We understand that the light bulb will not light without a source. A car with an empty tank will not move. A student who did not go to school or study cannot advance to the next year.
Old or non-functional things may please the collector, but the modern man longs for quality things to serve him as much as possible. We are rightly fighting against the devastation of nature and the destruction of the environment. We will say: It goes without saying.

In the life of faith, Jesus’ words also apply to the end of the world: “As a branch cannot bear fruit of its own, if it does not remain in the vineyard, so can you, if you do not remain in me” (Jn 15: 4).

The Old Testament often uses the symbol of the vineyard and the vineyard. The vineyard symbolizes the chosen nation (cf. Isa 5: 1-7; Jer 2:21; Ezekiel 15: 1-8 and others). God is the sole owner of the vineyard. God and the nation belong to each other. God has historically cared for the vineyard, and fruit is rightly waiting. The nation is obliged to connect with God through its life, fidelity, and love for God.
Jesus explains God’s friendship as participation in God’s life. In comparison with the vineyard, where it is important and necessary that the branch be connected with the vine trunk, if it wants to bear fruit, Jesus emphasizes our connection with it through the Church. As the pulp of life flows in the vineyard, so does the life of God flow in the Church. By joining with and through the Church, all members receive life force.
The vine with the branches and fruits is the image of the Church. Jesus points out the importance of the connection with the Eucharist. The analogy of Jesus speaks at the Last Supper, before his death, when he assures the disciples that he remains connected forever. He explains the connection through the Eucharist thanks to every known and acceptable thing from nature – in the image of a vine and a branch. “I am the vine; you are the branches.” (Jn 15: 5) Our connection with him is a guarantee of the spiritual fruitfulness of our Christian life. Jesus emphasizes our spiritual connection. The children of God can live only in an uninterrupted connection with God. From him, as a divine vine, we draw the life-giving juices of divine life. From Christ’s death and resurrection, we can draw and bear fruit in our lives. “He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ”(Jn 15: 5). Jesus is the tribe on which the Christian grows as a branch, only connected with him through faith, love, and hope. He that is far from Christ speaker of him, saying, If any man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; Then they will gather them, throw them into the fire, and burn them ”(Jn 15: 6).

It is the duty of the Christian to remain in touch with Jesus. Only in connection with him do we have the guarantee that we can bear fruit, that we will gain eternal life. Living without connection with Jesus captures the analogy to a torn-off branch that withers and eventually ends in fire. It is not enough to acknowledge Jesus but to live according to his words. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father.” (Mt 7:21)
The life of a Christian only makes sense in a firm and certain connection with Jesus.
The twigs receive a life-giving pulp from the vine without their fault, but then they have to bear fruit. Christianity has high ideals of life and rightly demands of its lives according to these principles, especially through acts of love. The infertility of love in the spiritual life of a Christian is grave guilt. Human life is not worthless or meaningless if it is connected with faith and love with Jesus. The connection with Jesus gives value to human life even if it seems useless, meaningless, lost, unsuccessful, or failed. Let’s realize what different situations a person can get into. And in connection with Christ, sickness, failure, and our disappointments also make sense… And vice versa. Life without connection to God, no matter how successful, glorious, and so on, is a worthless life in God’s eyes.
The words “Remain in me, and I in you” (Jn 15: 4) are a challenge to live without sin. The only sin separates us from Christ and is the greatest enemy of our salvation. Sin destroys God’s life in us. Acts, no matter how valuable, beautiful, done in sin, against God, which does not coincide with God’s will, will not stand. They pick them up and throw them into the fire at the hour of death, where they burn.
We are aware of our human weaknesses. Jesus’ words about the vineyard are not only a warning but especially an encouragement to stay in touch with Christ. We carry the gift of friendship with God as a treasure in fragile vessels that we must watch out for. The words are that nothing dies as easily as God in our hearts.

After hanging from the pilgrimage, John hung across over the bed. The older brother found him under the cross several times to pray. Over time, he began to realize his unfaithfulness to God. The sight of the cross evoked remorse in his heart. Not only did he stop praying altogether over time, but he even folded the cross off the wall. Then his brother asked him why he did it. John said, “As long as I had a pure heart, I loved God and prayed. When I cast God out of my heart by sin, prayer became difficult and unnecessary for me, and I feel hatred for God, so I folded the cross from the wall. ”

The sin in the heart of each of us does something similar. The branch does not have to dry at once. Gradually. The departure from God also does not have to happen all at once. What about our relationship with God? Prayer, sacraments, participation in Mass, other acts of Christian physical or spiritual mercy?

Let us build our Christianity on Christ, with whom we want to know more, love him more, find what unites us, know how to accept difficulties and crosses, but we do not want to turn our backs on Christ, not see, do not hear him. every branch which bears fruit is cleansed to bear more fruit. ”(Jn 15: 2)

The brother understood John’s crisis. He didn’t start putting pressure on his brother. Vice versa. He opened up to John. He started talking to him about himself. About his fights, defeats, and victories. John found the strength again to meet Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation. Through the graces he received in the sacraments, peace returned to his soul and the strength to continue living in connection with God. John himself later helped others to strengthen their relationship with Jesus.

Is this also our case? Experience? The light comes on when we connect it to the source. The car moves when we fill the tank. The student will advance to the next year when he starts studying and going to school.
Our faith does not belong in the collection of antiques. Faith and science do not contradict each other. The view of beautiful nature speaks of God’s love for man. It is self-evident to those of us who have believed in Jesus’ words: “My Father is glorified in that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (Jn 15: 8).