I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower

23 JULY (Jn 15,1-8)

In the Old Testament life, all life flows out to man from wisdom. One of the images of wisdom is the vine. Here is what Sirach announces of wisdom.

Wisdom sings her own praises, before her own people she proclaims her glory; In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, in the presence of his hosts she declares her worth: “From the mouth of the Most High I came forth, and mist like covered the earth. In the highest heavens did I dwell, my throne on a pillar of cloud. The vault of heaven I compassed alone, through the deep abyss I wandered. Over waves of the sea, over all the land, over every people and nation I held sway. Among all these I sought a resting place; in whose inheritance should I abide? “Then the Creator of all gave me his command, and he who formed me chose the spot for my tent, Saying, ‘In Jacob make your dwelling, in Israel your inheritance.’ Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me, and through all ages I shall not cease to be. In the holy tent I ministered before him, and in Zion I fixed my abode. Thus in the chosen city he has given me rest, in Jerusalem is my domain. I have struck root among the glorious people, in the portion of the Lord, his heritage. “Like a cedar on Lebanon I am raised aloft, like a cypress on Mount Hermon, Like a palm tree in En-gedi, like a rosebush in Jericho, Like a fair olive tree in the field, like a plane tree growing beside the water. Like cinnamon, or fragrant balm, or precious myrrh, I give forth perfume; Like galbanum and onycha and sweet spices, like the odor of incense in the holy place. I spread out my branches like a terebinth, my branches so bright and so graceful. I bud forth delights like the vine, my blossoms become fruit fair and rich. Come to me, all you that yearn for me, and be filled with my fruits; You will remember me as sweeter than honey, better to have than the honeycomb. He who eats of me will hunger still, he who drinks of me will thirst for more; He who obeys me will not be put to shame, he who serves me will never fail.” (Cf. Sir 24,1-34).

Jesus is the eternal Wisdom, made flesh, that came among us to give us grace and truth. There are no branches without vine. There can be no vine without branches. Vine and branches are one. If the branch is freed from the vine, it no longer produces any fruit. So it is with man, if he unties himself from Jesus Christ he can really do nothing. He is in all similar to a branch put in the ground to dry to be burned in the fire.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain 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. I 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. Anyone 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

The truths contained in this allegory of Jesus are numerous. Too bad no one believes in them any more. It is as if Jesus had never spoken and never prophesied the reality of every one of his disciples. Today everything is thought and lived without Christ Jesus, outside of him, far from his body. Nobody thinks that really the Father of Heaven cuts and prunes, grafts and drives away from the vine, taking care of it at all times so that it produces much fruit.

Others think that the sacramental way is sufficient for to be united with Christ Jesus. Jesus does not speak of this way. On the contrary, he speaks of the way of the Word. Remains in Christ who remains in his Word. He is outside of Christ who is outside of his Word, even if by sacrament he is in Christ. If he does not become also by Word – and the end is right this – the sacrament is exposed to nullity. It is given, but it produces no fruit because the fruits of a Christian are the Word of the Lord lived out in all its entirety, without adding and taking anything off. The Word is everything for a disciple of Jesus and everything must be finalized so that the Word is always lived in full.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints make us remain in the Word.