it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples.

Reflections

“I AM THE VINE AND YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.”Jesus uses metaphors to des- cribe himself, his Father and his disciples. He says he is the true vine, his Father is the vine dres- ser. His disciples are the branches. The Father wills that the branches are productive. He cuts off from the vine the branches that give no fruit.The Father’s metaphorical ac- tions  warn  us  Christians  to  be productive. We can if we want. We can if we are converted. To be pro- ductive and to bear more fruits we should listen to his words. His disciples are pruned by his words. We as branches are produc- tive insofar as we are connected with Jesus. We connect ourselves with him through his words and according to the contemplatives, through prayer.In this way, truly we become his disciples. Some Christians in the first readings are not con- nected with Christ, but with their former religion Judaism. Paul and Barnabas argue against imposing the Jewish law of circumcision to become Christians. The apostles in Jerusalem listen to their argu- ment and do not impose Jewish laws on their Gentile converts.We cannot produce good fruits if we impose our own opinion to others, not the apos- tolic teachings transmitted by the Church.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019