Wednesday of the 5th week of Easter

Theme: Abide in the Lord

In the gospel reading of today, Jesus encourages us to abide in him, so that we will bear much fruit. He is the Vine and his Father is the Vinedresser. You and I are the branches; cut off from him we can do nothing. If we abide in him and him in us, we will bear fruits that will lead us to life eternal. In our journey of faith, we are pruned from time to time by the challenges of life; so that we can become better people and bear fruits that will stand the test of time. This is one of the reasons why we must not see every challenge and difficulty that we encounter in our life as a punishment or setback. Sometimes, they are Gods way of pruning us, so that we will become better people and bear fruits that will stand the test of time. The most important thing is that we must ensure that we abide in the Lord, because as a branch, we will wither and fade away.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, a very important question that needs our reflection is, what type of fruit am I bearing? The answer to this question is dependent on whether we abide in the Lord or not. As children of God, it is important that we are united with the Lord and by so doing have a good relationship with him. This will translate into action in our daily life, and we will be sowing seeds in the life of those who encounter; that will lead us all to eternal life. The assurance given to us by Jesus himself is a bonus for all those who abide in the Lord. He said ask whatever you will and it will be granted. He is ever faithful to his promises; do your best and leave the rest to him; he never fails or disappoints all those who trust in him. The real challenge is our ability to keep our own side of the bargain.

As we have chosen to be Christians, let us do all within our power to live a life of fruitfulness that emanates from Jesus the vine and his father the vinedresser. On our own we can do nothing, but united with them we can do all things. May this conscious always guide all our actions. May almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.

Wednesday of the 5th week of Easter, by Fr. Jude Ifeanyi Ifezime, C.S.Sp