REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B 28TH APRIL 2024

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B 28TH APRIL 2024

Acts 9:26-31; Ps.22; 1Jn.3:18-24; John 15:1-8

 _By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples._ (Jn.15:8)

Abide in Jesus and bear good Fruits!

The readings of today remind us that we have been providentially placed in a position of close connectivity with Jesus so that we may bear fruit in plenty. This theme is pregnant with meaning. We must bear in mind that providence expects fruitfulness from each one of us. To make this possible, God gives us all what is required to make us fruitful, while preserving our freedom. To be fruitful, we must remain with Jesus and we must make judicious use of our union with Jesus. Invariably, we risk becoming fruitless when we either do not abide in Jesus or when we abide in Jesus but fail to produce fruits.

But what does it mean to be fruitful. Fruit is characteristic of plants. In the process of growth, so many development take place in the plant that makes it health: firm root, broad and healthy leaves, etc. All of these indices of growth are for the benefit of the plant. But when it comes to fruiting, it is something that the plant does not essentially for itself but for others. If a plant does not bear fruit, it is the farmer that really suffers, not the plant itself. So, fruiting is a growth process that is charitable in nature. To bear fruit means to do something for the good of others and not for oneself. To be fruitful means to ensure the continuity of what is good. When a plant receives good nutrient and goes on to produce fruits, it has procreated the goodness it received (nutrients) in forms of fruits. Therefore, not to be fruitful is tantamount to being wasteful and selfish. That is why no farmer will continue to nurture a plant that is fruitless.

The above analogy should enable us to understand our relationship with God, what God expects of us and how judgment will pronounced on each one of us.

The answer to the first question of the penny catechism says: God made me. Our creator is our savior. Life and salvation is what God has given us. Positioning us in intimate union with Jesus, we are expected to ensure the continuity of the goodness of life and salvation. In the second reading, John tells us to love not just in words or speech but especially in deeds and in truth. This means that all that proceeds from us must give, preserve and promote life and salvation. To bear fruit means to ensure that what we have received from the Lord does not end in us but springs forth to as many as possible. God has not nourished us only for the sake of blossoming but also for fruitfulness. On the last day, the Lord will not be concerned with how well we have blossomed in ourselves but how fruitful we have become. Blossoming is what we do for ourselves; fruiting is what we do for others.

Paying close attention to the gospel reading, we see that we stand the risk of being condemned both when we do not bear fruit and when we bear bad fruits. Those whose lives are not anchored on Jesus, stand no chance of bearing good fruits at all; while those who do not live authentic Christian lives may not bear fruit even as they are connected with the Lord. We find this exemplified in the life of Saul. At first, Saul taught he was doing a noble thing by persecuting Christians; whom he thought/learnt were enemies of the law. He made frantic effort to punish these “enemies of the law”. However, it was the case that Saul himself was the one unconnected to Jesus. So, all his efforts did not amount to bearing fruit. But after encountering the Lord on the way to Damascus, Saul became intimate with the Lord and thus was able to bear fruit henceforth.

Beloved, our level of conversion is our level of fruitfulness. Conversion means the degree of our intimacy with Jesus; that is, the extent to which we think, talk and act like Jesus. This conversion is an on-going process, so that the more the embrace it, we more fruits we bear. No one can claim to be fully converted! So every day, we must pray: _Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine!_ We should make personal the song: _Inner my heart (x4); how I want to be like Jesus, inner my heart._ 

In the gospel reading, Jesus noted that the while the Father takes away any branch that bears no fruit, he prunes the branches that bear fruits, that they may bear more. Now, the act of cutting away and pruning are not the same but both have something in common. Both involve the act of cutting; but while the former is a total removal from the branch, the latter is trimming for improved productivity. This means that both the branch that is cut off and the one that is pruned will experience the pain of cut, but to different ends. What we learn here is that when we dare to bear fruits by leading good and exemplary Christian lives, we may still experience the pain of persecution, temptation, challenges and difficulties. No matter how tensed they may be, we must never interpret them to mean that the Lord has cut us off. Remember that pruning also goes with the pain of cut but it is for a greater purpose.

The point here is that, never regret bearing good fruits. Take for instance a mango tree bearing good mangoes. To harvest the mangoes, some persons will throw stones at the fruits/tree. The stoning causes many injuries to the mango tree: some leaves and branches are cut off in the process, some unripe fruits get hit and fall off, etc. If the mango tree had not produced fruits, no one would have threw stones at it. Yet, the next season, the mango tree will still bear fruits. Just as no amount of stoning can stop a mango from bearing fruits, so also no amount of discouragement can stop us from being good, unless we stop ourselves. No matter how good your fruits are, sometimes they will be the reason for some challenges and pain. Yet, it is most painful and unfortunate not to bear fruit at all. There is not consolation or advantage in fruitlessness. See, what you are known for is the fruit(s) you are bearing.