“I am the vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit … Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are 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” (Jn 15:1-5).
Many people know that this passage is one of the descriptions of the reality of the Blessed Trinity in the sacred scriptures. God the Father is the vine dresser, Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the vine and the sap in the vine is God the Holy Spirit.
We all know what happens when a branch is cut off a tree—it withers and dies. When we separate ourselves from the vine, that is, Jesus Christ, by falling into mortal sin, we die spiritually and risk eternal death unless we are grafted back on (Rom 11:11-24; Jn 20:23).
Just hours before typing these words, I met one of our benefactors. He reached into his wallet and gave me a check made out to Catholic Social Services. As I reflect further on these divinely inspired words given to St. John the Evangelist and Apostle, it is evident that God the Father has pruned away all of their selfishness as they are regular donors. They are so because they love their neighbor as themselves which is evidence of their love of God. This check will be very helpful since we are beginning our response to the storm damage and flooding.
This couple is living out the gospel mandate given to us in Matthew’s gospel chapter 25, verses 31-46. In reference to this famous passage in Matthew’s gospel, I once heard Msgr. Liam Barr say in a funeral homily, “We are given ahead of time the answers to the final exam!”
If we read a little further in the same chapter in John’s gospel it reads, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). In my homily at the school Mass at North American Martyrs School just hours ago, I stated that if anyone is ever confused as to what love is, just gaze at the crucifix. I reminded them while Jesus did not feel like mounting the cross, He did so out of love for us (Lk 22:42). This is evidence that love is not a feeling. Thanks to St. John and his first letter, we are told that God is love, and the evidence of our love of God is our love of neighbor, and the evidence of our love of neighbor is our sacrifices for them.
Over the last 12 years, I have gotten to know many of our supporters. They and all of our donors have one thing in common; they love God and their neighbors as themselves, and for this I am most grateful!
