Reflection for
Wednesday of the 5th Week of East
Memorial of our Lady
of Fatima
(Acts 15:1-6; Jn
15:1-8)
Jesus said to his disciples, “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.”
Today Jesus used the imagery of a tree and its
branches to describe our relationship with Him. We are not left hanging, at the
mercy of any wind that blows. No, we have a foundation, structure and way of
sustenance in Jesus. The branches are meant to bear fruit and showcase the
beauty of the tree. The tree trunk supplies the stamina and nutrients to the
branches. A branch can be separated from the tree in two ways; if it cut itself
off or if the Father cuts it off on grounds of unproductively. “Abide in me,
and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Our life will be useless, pain
and empty living, and at last it will dry off, if we do not draw nourishment
from Jesus.
The Son
of God became the Son of man so that the sons of men can become children of
God. So by faith we are replanted into the family lineage of Jesus Christ. “He
gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in His name, who
were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from God
Himself” (Jn 1:12-13). The rebirth we have in Christ Jesus gives us new
identity and produces new fruits for the Kingdom of God (Jn 3:5-6). We have a
new family ancestry, of which Jesus
is the Head of the lineage! We no longer think or act from the old lineage of
human birth, rather we model ourselves according to the new blood bond we share
in Jesus Christ. If we remain hanging on the family tree of Jesus, the old
human stock, with its burden of sin and brokenness, shall not affect us (Eze
18:2-4). So do not let any fake pastor deceive you that they are going to
cleanse your family tree, unless you have cut yourself off from Jesus the Vine.
“He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that
bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” And Jesus Himself hung
on the tree of the Cross as the first fruit—“the first-fruits of all who have
fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). Thus, “The earth has yielded its fruit” (Ps
67:6). The fruits we produce today testify on which tree our life is hanging! “By
their fruits we shall know them. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs
from thistles?” (Mt 7:15-20). If our lives abide firmly on the family tree of
Jesus, we shall produce fruits of forgiveness, love, peace, self-control, piety,
humility, etc.
Today, we learn from the example of disciples
as they gather around the 12 Apostles and elders to deliberate and ensure that their
teaching was firmly rooted in Christ Jesus, and not on some human exuberance. Also
we remember the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, who surrendered her
life totally to the will of God, and became the Mother of the Saviour. Her apparition
in Fatima brought peace to the world and deepened faith in God.
Abide in Jesus;
let Him be the stronghold of your life. Your prayers will be answered, and God
will be glorified in you. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic
Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Wednesday May 13th, 2020.
Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima.