Jn 15:1-8
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. 3You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 4Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
6Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
BEAR MUCH FRUIT. When we were young, we would walk from home to church to attend the Sunday Mass. Between home and church, however, was the marketplace. Because both market and church swarmed with people, our mother would instruct all eight of us kids to hold on to each other, with the smallest holding on to her skirt, lest we got lost.
Remaining in God’s love is like a branch holding on to the tree, the source of its food. The clinging should bear much fruit. Holding on to my siblings and my mother strengthened our bonding. Being connected with Jesus brings unseen strength for our relationships in the world. Fruits are not only for eating. They are also for continuing the line of good trees to live on and the love to go on.