Living As Fruitful Branches of Christ the Vine

 

Deacon Dave · Living as Fruitful Branches of Christ the Vine

Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Easter Season, April 28, 2024. Gospel of St. John 15:1-8. Theme: Living as Fruitful Branches of Christ the Vine 

 In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that just as branches cannot have life in them and bear fruit apart from the vine, so we cannot accomplish anything, that is anything of real eternal value, unless we are connected to him. He spoke these words at the Last Supper, knowing full well that he was about to leave this world and pass on his mission to his disciples and that includes us. This mission was first and foremost all about bringing God's tangible love into the world, a love that is outward reaching and sacrificial, a love that is forgiving and unifying, a love that heals wounds and gives life. This kind of love is what Jesus calls “fruit” in today’s parable. 

It’s the kind of love that we are supposed to bear as disciples and extensions of Christ in the world. But, Jesus cautions us that in order to keep loving in this way we must draw our power from him, just as branches draw their sustenance from the vine. So, at the Last Supper, in addition to speaking this parable, he also spoke of three ways in which we can abide in him, remain connected to him, and draw from him as from a powersource. These ways are the Word of God, the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit. 

 The first way is through his Word. He told us that if his Word becomes part of us, that is if we obey it and put it into practice, then he will come to dwell within us. He also said that his Word prunes us, which means that it helps us identify and cut away the dead branches of sin in our lives and trim back any growth of selfishness that gets in the way of our connection to the Vine. For these reasons Pope Francis often says that it’s a good idea for us to have the Word of God handy, perhaps by carrying a small pocket New Testament with us or downloading it into our phones. This makes it easier to reflect on it when we have some free time in our day, allowing the Word to repeatedly fall upon our hearts and soften them, just as rain beats down on the earth making it more fertile ground, These showers of the Word will enable the seeds of God’s love that he has planted within us to sprout and grow. 

 The second way we remain connected to Jesus is through the Eucharist. Just as a vine provides its branches with life-giving sap so Jesus gives us a share in his divine life through the Eucharist. He emphatically declared that if we eat his Flesh and drink his Blood then the divine life that is in him will flow into us and, by being infused with this divine life, we become one with him, sharing a kind of supernatural DNA with him, so to speak. Through this Eucharistic relationship we become stronger and healthier branches of Christ the Vine, enabling us to produce a more fruitful harvest of love in our lives. There’s no better way to abide in Christ than by receiving him in Holy Communion often, even daily if our schedules allow, because the more we consume his Body and Blood with mindfulness and devotion, and not simply out of habit or routine, the more easily and more quickly we can become like him. 

 The third way we abide with Jesus is through the Holy Spirit who is our Bond of Connection with him. Today’s second reading makes reference to this truth, when it says that the Spirit dwelling in us is the proof that we are linked with Christ. In addition to this, it’s the Holy Spirit who makes the other two ways of connecting with Christ possible. For he is the one and same Spirit who makes the Scriptures jump off the page and come alive for us so that Christ can dwell by faith in our hearts. And he is the one and same Spirit who transforms the bread and wine at Mass into the Body and Blood of Christ so that Jesus can live in us and we in him. I think this tells us how important it is to develop a vibrant and personal devotion to the Holy Spirit in order to become more aware of his Presence within us as he helps us to grow and develop as branches of Jesus that bear the fruit of love. 

 Today’s Gospel of the vine and branches reminds us that we aren’t meant to have a kind of “Jesus & Me Only” spirituality. In other words, as Christians we don't isolate our personal relationship with Christ from our relationships with others; we don’t seek union with Jesus just for ourselves and for our own personal good. We strive to deepen our relationship with Christ and bear his fruit of love because others in our lives and those around us need us to do so; because the world itself desperately needs us to do so. This is our common vocation, our common mission as Christians! 

 And you know, when you think about it, this parable describes a mutual relationship between Jesus and all of us who form his branches. We’re all supposed to work together to bear this crop of love. There are billions of Christians on planet Earth today, about 32% of the world population actually. Now, imagine if we each took our mission to bear this fruit seriously, or if at least a good number of us did so. Imagine the potential that this combined effect could have across the entire globe! 

 Now to some this might sound like an impossible dream but we have solid proof that it’s not. Just look at what happened 2,000 years ago in Palestine when 12 ordinary socially-insignificant Jewish men, who were the first to hear today’s parable, chose to take it to heart and put it into practice. Their decision to do so changed the very trajectory of human history and the world has never been the same since, because nothing, nothing whatsoever, is impossible with God!

Is Jesus Your Solid Cornerstone?

 

Deacon Dave · Is Jesus Your Solid Cornerstone?

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter, April 21, 2024. Book of Acts 4:8-12. Theme: Is Jesus the Cornerstone of Your Life? 

 Twice in this Sunday’s Scriptures we hear Jesus called the cornerstone. Both Psalm 118 and our reading from the Book of Acts praise him saying, “the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” But, what does that mean? Perhaps it’s not immediately clear to us because we live in a time and place where stone buildings are not the architectural norm and so, unless you’re a stone mason, the analogy may be easily missed. 

 But the people of biblical times didn’t miss it. They knew firsthand that a cornerstone was the most important part of any structure because of the three vital things that it does: it provides a solid foundation; it acts as a reference point for the entire construction project; and it supports the weight of a building no matter what comes its way. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how these three factors can help us build a solid relationship with Jesus Christ who wants to be the Chief Cornerstone of our lives. 

 First, the cornerstone is laid down before anything can be built. The soundness and durability of a structure’s foundation depends upon the cornerstone being securely and properly put into place. If so, then the building will be solid; but if not, then the structure is doomed to eventually fall. If we build our lives on such unpredictable things as relationships, money, occupation, personal appearance or politics, then it’s the same thing as choosing a less-than-ideal foundation stone. We have countless examples in the news all the time of how building one’s life on material success, personal appearance, acclaim from others and social popularity fail to bring deep-down authentic happiness and security. Just look at the many celebrity lives that appear to be ideal but, more often than not, are really broken on the inside and so often end in tragedy. 

 And so, we need to honestly ask ourselves, “Is my knowledge about Jesus and my relationship with him solid? Is it built upon a proper and secure understanding of just who he is and why I can trust him? In today’s first reading, St. Peter helps us out here by reminding us that Jesus of Nazareth is the only one chosen by God to bring salvation to the human race; that there is no one else, no other Name (which means no other person) in whom we can find the forgiveness, healing and stability we need for our lives. 

 Second, the cornerstone provides the reference point for everything else. The whole structure is laid out in relation to that vital stone and out according to the blueprint designed for it. You know, so often people’s life-decisions and moral standards are based upon current popular opinion or on whatever propaganda is being promoted by social media. But as Christians, we’re called to make Jesus our Cornerstone and his teachings our reference point. This means that in building our lives we look to the blueprint that he has laid out for us in the Gospels and that are further explained for us in the various writings of the New Testament. These are the reference points that give us the balance and bearings we need to stand strong against the ups and downs that are sure to come our way. So, if we want to build and maintain a truly happy and meaningful life then we must begin by taking on Jesus’ manner of thinking, Jesus’ example of acting, Jesus’ rules for happy living and Jesus’ way of loving, which means God-first, others-second, and ourselves-last. 

 Finally, the cornerstone supports the entire structure. As construction progresses, the cornerstone not only provides strength to the walls, but it also holds everything else together. The total weight of a building rests completely on this particular stone, without which it would utterly collapse! This is precisely how our lives must be: founded upon a rock-solid faith relationship with Jesus that is firmly grounded in trust. When the burdens of health, the worry of finances or the stresses of relationships weigh upon us, there's only one Cornerstone capable of handling the pressure without cracking. When we are pulled one way or the other with the many cares and demands of work and family, there's only one Cornerstone that can keep our hope solid and our love strong. And that one and only sure foundation is, of course, Jesus Christ. 

 Just as construction workers need to have the proper equipment to get the job done, so we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us skillfully use the tools of the spiritual trade that have been given for this very purpose. These include such things as developing a habit of personal prayer from the heart; of reading the Word of God and applying it to our lives; of receiving the Risen Christ in the Eucharist with faith and mindfulness and not simply out of routine or habit; and in trying to live as best we can guided by his Gospel teachings. Let’s ask for the grace and blessing to make Jesus the Cornerstone of our lives, to look to him as our Reference Point in all that we do, and to trust in him alone to be the Foundation we need to build a life that is both holy and happy, pleasing to God, to others, and to ourselves.

Wounds & Witness

 

Deacon Dave · Wounds & Witnesses

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, April 14, 2024. The Gospel of St. Luke 24:35-48. Theme: Wounds and Witnesses 

 In today’s Gospel we are brought back in time to Jerusalem where a small band of brothers, called the disciples of the Lord, find themselves struggling with doubt, disappointment and confusion. The One with whom they had lived and learned from over the past few years had been suddenly and violently snatched out of their lives. He in whom they had placed all their hopes for a better future had been arrested, tortured, crucified and buried. 

 But that very morning they began to hear strange stories about him. First, some women in their group who had gone to anoint his body came rushing back with talk about glorious angels at his empty tomb. One of them, Mary Magdalene, even asserted that she had actually seen and spoken with him. And then two other disciples arrived from a journey to Emmaus declaring that they had spent the morning in the company of Jesus, risen and alive. These stories only increased their confusion and toyed with their minds. 

 Then, suddenly, just as the Emmaus disciples were wrapping up their story, Jesus appeared right in the room! He bestowed a blessing of peace upon them and spoke words of reassurance to their incredulous minds. A growing joy begins to enter their hearts and they reach out to touch their beloved Lord and Master. The once horrible and bloody wounds of his hands, feet and side now seem glorious and radiant. These signs of his torture and death now stand out to them as five trophies of victory, five sources grace and blessing that fill them with confidence and restores their hope! 

 And it’s no coincidence that this revelation happened simultaneously with the Emmaus travelers saying how they recognized Jesus in “the breaking of the bread", which was the original name for the Eucharist. I think this reminds us that the Risen Jesus in that room and the Risen Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament are one and the same Lord, it is only the mode of his Presence that differentiates them. Before his death he was limited by the physicality of his humanity which confined him to the Holy Land in the first century. But his Resurrection into glory freed him from this limitation, freed him from the restrictions of earthly life and enabled him to become personally present and available to everyone of every time and in every place, of every century and every culture. 

 Walls cannot stop him now nor can distances curtail his Presence. Even when the Blessed Sacrament is placed in a tabernacle, the Risen Lord is not restrained by its golden doors nor limited by the walls of a parish church. The Power of his Presence bursts forth from wherever the Eucharist is reserved and shines out upon each one of us wherever we might be, as well as upon our neighborhoods and cities. I think this all-pervasive all-encompassing radiating Presence of Christ is what St. Padre Pio meant, when he said one day, “It would be easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Eucharist.” 

 An important lesson from this story is that just as the wounds of Jesus were a witness to the reality of his passing through death, so are we meant to be witnesses to the reality that he is now risen and alive. He clearly says this to us in the Gospel and gives us a mission of outreach to others. When we look around our parish church and see so many empty pews we shouldn’t just complain about it but rather ask ourselves if we have been doing what Jesus commanded. In other words, have we been willing to tell others what Jesus has done for humanity in general and what a difference he has made in our own lives in particular? And when we interact with non-believing or non-practicing family or friends, do we look for a natural chance to share faith or, if they are not open to speaking about Christ, have we been doing our best to reflect what Jesus is like by “being Christ” to them? 

 This personal witness is how the Faith has always been most powerfully spread ever since those first days in Jerusalem. St. Luke is reminding us today that as Christians we are meant to be, as Pope Francis puts it, “missionary disciples”. In the closing verses of his Gospel and in his Book of Acts he will tell us how we become empowered and enabled to carry out this great commission of witnessing to Jesus. We will be reading and hearing more about this as the Liturgies of the Easter Season bring us closer and closer to Pentecost Sunday, the feast of the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Mercy From the Fountain of Life

 

Deacon Dave · Mercy From the Fountain of Life

Homily for the Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, April 17, 2024. The Gospel of St. John 20:19-31. Theme: Mercy From the Fountain of Life 

 In the year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter to be celebrated as “Divine Mercy Sunday”. He did this to fulfill a request made by Jesus through the spiritual experiences of St. Faustina Kowalska, a 20th century Polish nun and mystic. And so the Scriptures and prayers of our liturgy today align beautifully with the devotion to the merciful love of Jesus which is symbolized for us in the image of Divine Mercy that he asked to be painted and distributed. The fundamental purpose of this image is to help us truly live the words that are inscribed upon it, “Jesus, I trust in you”. 

 In this painting, Jesus gazes at us with a look of deep compassion. His posture is shown as if he is walking towards us, indicating that he wants to come into our lives spiritually through the instrumentality of this image. One hand is raised in blessing us while the other touches his chest from which two rays shine forth, a pale one and a red one. These symbolize the blood and water that gushed forth from his heart when it was pierced by the soldier’s lance. 

 Our second reading speaks about these two streams of mercy as witnesses to the Lord’s saving death on the cross. This means that on the natural level they are proof that he died. They give testimony that his heart was pierced causing the very lifeblood and cardiac water to pour out in testimony to the fact. But on the mystical supernatural level they are the streams of grace and mercy that flow to us from the Heart of Christ as the Fountain of Life. Through this Blood and Water we are washed spiritually clean of sin and put into a right relationship of love and union with God. 

 But Jesus knows us and that we often stray from this path and leave the ways of righteousness. He calls us back, again and again, to the Fountain of Life. Through the Divine Mercy devotion, which echoes his Gospel, He assures us that forgiveness is ours for the asking whenever we repent and turn back to him with contrite hearts. He even makes the bold promise that the greater our sin, the greater right we have to his mercy! He reminds us of something we too often forget: that God’s mercy is like a huge immense ocean and our sins are only a tiny drop that gets dissolved in that healing water. So often, too often actually, we are tempted to turn that around and fall for the lie that our darkest sins are beyond God’s reach and we allow them to haunt us even after we’ve asked forgiveness. 

 Perhaps most amazing of all Christ’s words to St. Faustina was the promise he made about Mercy Sunday. He declared that, “whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day (Mercy Sunday) will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment." This means that not only are all our sins taken away, but so is any punishment our sins deserve in this world or the next! That’s totally amazing! Could it be true? Well, the Divine Mercy events are only “private revelation” which means that even after the Church had investigated and approved them, we are still totally free to accept or reject them as authentic. But I think that we can easily admit their legitimacy because of the many astounding miracles that have taken place through the Divine Mercy devotion and the intercession of St. Faustina. So on Divine Mercy Sunday we can confidently approach the Fountain of Life, which is the Pierced but Risen Heart of Jesus, and with great trust we can confess our sins. With sincere devotion we can receive Holy Communion with solid hope in the promises of Jesus. 

 But Our Lord wants this devotion to His Divine Mercy to be something more in our daily lives than just a picture and a promise. He wants it to transform us so that we can live and act as people who both claim his mercy for ourselves and allow it to flow through us to others. The message and mission of mercy to which he calls each one of us, is literally as simple and easy to remember as A, B and C. 

 A — Ask. Ask for His mercy. We can invoke God’s mercy for ourselves, our family and friends, as well as for our nation and the whole world, especially by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. 

 B — Become. Become a merciful person to others. Jesus said in the Gospels that the merciful are blessed and that we will receive mercy to the same extent that we choose to show mercy to others. He’s telling us that we each individually set the limit as to how much of God’s mercy we will be ours. And finally, 

C. Confidence. Completely trust in Jesus. This is the heart of the message of Divine Mercy, just as it is the very heart of the Gospel itself. What this means is that no matter who we are, no matter what choices we may have made, no matter where we find ourselves today, Jesus has his arms out, wide open to receive and embrace us. Just gaze upon a crucifix to see what this unconditional open-armed love looks like. And while looking at that crucifix notice his pierced side from which the Blood and Water flowed as witnesses to his life-saving, life-giving and life-changing mercy,