WE NEED TO ABIDE IN CHRIST AND LET CHRIST ABIDE IN US

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Today’s Scripture selections emphasize the need for Christians to abide in Christ as a condition for producing fruits of kindness, mercy, charity and holiness.
In the Gospel, taken from the Last Supper discourse, Jesus uses his favorite image of the vine and branches to help his disciples understand the closeness of their relationship with him and the necessity of their maintaining it. They are not simply rabbi and disciples. Their lives are mutually dependent - as close as a vine and its branches. In fact, in using this image, Jesus is explaining to them and to us what our relationship with him should be like.
We need to abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us: The four Gospels teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus and how to abide in him as branches abide in the main trunk of the vine, drawing their life from it. Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily, meditative reading of Scripture, and the loving forgiveness of others enable us to abide in Jesus, the true Vine, as fruit-bearing branches.

Excerpt from Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil on John 15;1-8 available at http://stjohngrandbay.org

[Download Parish Newsletter 29th April 2018]