THE LIFE OF ANSWERED PRAYER

Meditation for Wednesday of the 5^th Week of Easter

(Acts 15:1-6;Jn 15:1-8)

Today’s Gospel passage ended in an encouraging note: Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” Imagine being given opportunity to have all your prayer requests answered! These words of Jesus come alive anew in our hearts as we are surrounded with numerous socio-economic needs, individual and family problems, etc. If we focus mainly on receiving answers to our numerous requests without taking into account the conditions that apply, we may exalt our needs above our Provider. Then, our practice of faith and prayer shall be like someone who enjoys asking questions more than receiving answers to his questions!

Jesus assures us that He is the true vine, we are His branches. If we abide in Him through faith, and bear fruits of love and righteousness, then His life becomes ours, and our needs become His! In this case, a true branch of the True Vine lives A LIFE OF ANSWERED PRAYERS, even when he is yet to receive all the answers to his prayers. Such a believer is deeply aware that he shares life with Jesus, who gives nourishment and support to his life, and thus, shares in the pains of His Branches. Hence, in their prayers, the true branches of the True Vine, Jesus Christ, request whatever is of the will of God; and the will of God fully comes alive in Jesus, who gives it freely to those who believe in Him.

Therefore, the true circumcision we need to be saved is the pruning the Father gives to the branches that abide in the True Vine that they may bear more fruit. So Paul and Barnabas argued fiercely in the first reading that we do need the circumcision of the old law to be saved. What we need is to be grafted through faith and baptism into the Body of Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shall flow freely to us, and we shall bear fruit that endures even to eternal life. Amen

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Wednesday May 5th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com