Homily For The Fifth Sunday Of Easter Year B.

Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28.30-32; 1 John 2:1-24; John 15:1-8.

“BE A FRUITFUL BRANCH!”

 

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the 5th Sunday of Easter. The Lord reminds us that he is the source and summit of our life. For our lives to have meaning, they must be ontologically connected to God who is our creator.

·      In the gospel reading (John 15:1-8.), Jesus uses a familiar object of a tree to convey an eternal message to us the Christians of this era. This time Jesus uses the vine tree which is common in Israel even today.

·      Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. For a branch to blossom and flourish, it must remain with the tree because it is from the tree that it will draw strength and nutrients to grow and be fruitful.

·      We as Christians seize to be once we cut off Jesus from our life, our lives become meaningless and empty. No wonder, St. Augustine is credited to have said “O Lord you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless till they rest in you”. The gospel reading in the same vein tells us that “cut off from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).

·      Friends in Christ, while we are called to be branches connected to the Lord’s vine, we are reminded that we ought to always bear fruits, fruits that will last lest we risk being cut away. If we are fruitful, God nourishes us more to bear more fruits.

·      We must therefore ask ourselves what kind of Christians we are. Are we those Christians who have strongly remained with Jesus the true vine with God the vinedresser through thick and thin? Or are we fair-weather Christians who enjoy only being Christians when it is rosy only to flee when challenges come?

·      Our vocation as Christians is to always remain with Jesus the true vine, doing his will and keeping his commandments. To be away from Jesus is to run the risk of losing track and be lost forever and burn in eternal fire.

·      We look up to God for favors, blessings, and protection at all times, but how many of us are truly willing to let his word abide in us? It is only when we and God are one that if we ask for anything then we can be rest assured that whatever we ask for, he will grant it to us.

·      In the first reading (Acts 9:26-31), St. Paul demonstrates that letting the word of God dwell in our hearts comes with its challenges and difficulties. Our old friends are likely to become suspicious of us. They will remind us of our dirty past which we are not proud of, but we must not let that deter us. We must remain focused because what is important to God is where we go from here and not necessarily our past.

·      St. Paul instead of letting the opposition he faced deter him, became a propelling force for him to take seriously the mission handed on to him by Christ Jesus. St. Paul compensated for the time he persecuted the followers of Christ and from then on became the greatest apostle to the Gentiles. He went about bearing fruits that outlived him.

·      Friends in Christ in the second reading (1 John 2:1-24), St. John tells us that to be a true branch of the vine that bears fruits, love must be at the foundation of all that we do or say. Yes, Christianity is no longer enough, let us see the fruit of your Christianity in your way of life and relationship with others.

·      A branch that bears fruits is that which shows love to the weak and defenseless, which gives food to the hungry, who is humble and meek and supportive to those around. A fruitful branch has total faith and confidence in God.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, the Lord does not give us a burden too difficult for us to carry, he wants us to be that fruitful vine that bears fruit; fruits that will last so that like the Psalmist we will come to a full realization of who the Lord is to us and say, “You are my praise Lord in the great assembly” (Ps. 22:26).

·       May the good Lord bless his word in our hearts through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!