6th Sunday of Easter Year B - 10/5/2015 - Gospel: Jn 15:9-17
Abiding in Love
Gardeners often get frustrated when they have to remove vines from plants. The vines have a good grip on plants and twisted round after round to climb to the top of the plants. When they got to the top they spread quickly and become a real burden for the plants by chocking the plants and weakening the level of growth. Vines also take the fertilizer from the soil and pass on disease making the plants sick. They transformed the shapes of the plants and leave marks on the plants after they are removed. This kind of abiding is what Jesus had in mind when He invites us to abide in Him. Abiding in Jesus means to detach and free ourselves from the vices of the world.
Abiding in the love of Jesus would mean to remain, to live, to be with or to be connected to Jesus. When we are under the shadow of God's love, our lives would evolve around the teaching of Jesus and a special kind of bond is developed. This kind of bonding relationship is invisible to many but we can see it with the eye of faith and see its fruit. Love is the fruit of the abiding relationship between Jesus and us. God's love has the power to transform and enriches our lives. It purifies our thoughts and makes us think and act more like Jesus. It frees us from the vices that burden and chock our life. It helps us to enjoy the sunshine of God's love and know the purpose of our lives on earth. It upgrades our status before God. Jesus made it very clear that the bonding relationship Jesus has for us is some kind of friendship relationship.
I shall not call you servants anymore... I call you friends Jn 15,15
Friends communicate to one another in various ways and they share their hopes and the moments of joy and worries and burdens of life. They consult each other when they are faced with difficulties and they give support and assist each other when needed. Friendship in the Lord has similar effects and much more. We communicate to Jesus by means of praying daily and regularly receiving the Sacraments as the source of renewal and nourishment. We open ourselves to the Lord with hope and joy. We talk to Jesus about our burden and our worries. When faced with the loss of our loved ones we believe that God understands us more than anyone else because God has personal experience through the death of His only Son, Jesus who died a horrible death, death on the cross.
Employed last week language, God's love for us requires us to be pruned and trimmed for a better outcome and the better outcome is not for Jesus but for us to enjoy. It is not a common joy but a special one Christ alone can give. It deals with peace of mind and heart and a deep sense of happiness. It is a well spring bursting from within.
Abiding in the love of Jesus would mean to remain, to live, to be with or to be connected to Jesus. When we are under the shadow of God's love, our lives would evolve around the teaching of Jesus and a special kind of bond is developed. This kind of bonding relationship is invisible to many but we can see it with the eye of faith and see its fruit. Love is the fruit of the abiding relationship between Jesus and us. God's love has the power to transform and enriches our lives. It purifies our thoughts and makes us think and act more like Jesus. It frees us from the vices that burden and chock our life. It helps us to enjoy the sunshine of God's love and know the purpose of our lives on earth. It upgrades our status before God. Jesus made it very clear that the bonding relationship Jesus has for us is some kind of friendship relationship.
I shall not call you servants anymore... I call you friends Jn 15,15
Friends communicate to one another in various ways and they share their hopes and the moments of joy and worries and burdens of life. They consult each other when they are faced with difficulties and they give support and assist each other when needed. Friendship in the Lord has similar effects and much more. We communicate to Jesus by means of praying daily and regularly receiving the Sacraments as the source of renewal and nourishment. We open ourselves to the Lord with hope and joy. We talk to Jesus about our burden and our worries. When faced with the loss of our loved ones we believe that God understands us more than anyone else because God has personal experience through the death of His only Son, Jesus who died a horrible death, death on the cross.
Employed last week language, God's love for us requires us to be pruned and trimmed for a better outcome and the better outcome is not for Jesus but for us to enjoy. It is not a common joy but a special one Christ alone can give. It deals with peace of mind and heart and a deep sense of happiness. It is a well spring bursting from within.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia