by Fr. Julius C. Lupot

READINGS:     Acts 9: 26-31   /   Psalm 22: 26-27. 28. 30. 31-32   /   1 John 3: 18-24   /JOHN 15: 1-8

HIS WORD…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… AND BE BURNED…

my words…Fidelity to the Church is fidelity to Christ and vice versa. This is the imagery of the Vine and the Branches that describes our intimate relationship and connectedness with JESUS. The life of the vine is the life of the branches. Jesus lives in his branches, and his branches live in his life. This is the line of governance of the Church and in the Church.

Last Sunday, the response of the responsorial psalm rings into our ears and hearts: THE STONE REJECTED BY THE BUILDERS HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE… and this phrase havebeen quoted repeatedly in the Old Testament literatures, in the Psalms, in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the Gospels themselves. This phrase simply means and manifests that JESUS CHRIST is the sole foundation-stone of the Church and there is NO OTHER!!!

Brothers and Sisters, a number of our brethren left the Catholic Church because they do not like anymore our Bishops, our Priests, our Church Leaders and Workers; or because they are in rigid and fiercely disagreements with them in principles, in doctrines, and even in lifestyles. In this case, their faith is grounded more on what they see on these people and not so much on CHRIST. And if this is the case, they failed, and we failed.

Jesus Himself further strengthened our “connectedness” with Him with the imagery of the Vine and the Branches relationship. Detached or cut away from Him, we can do nothing!!! And this is the life of the Church; away from Jesus we can do nothing… detached from Jesus our preaching and teachings are empty… without Jesus in our ministries, we become clanging cymbals!!!  JESUS CHRIST and no other is the sole foundation-stone of our faith and life in the Church. Church leaders are just human instruments used by God to make Jesus more felt and experienced in the ministry and life of the Church. And even the ministers themselves are asked not to be cut-off from the main trunk of the vine, JESUS CHRIST Himself; otherwise, we will be thrown out like a branch and wither… and will be thrown into the fire and be burned(Jn 15:6).

Brothers and Sisters, let us always be FAITHFUL to Jesus for He alone is the reason of the Church. He is the cornerstone… He is the life-blood and life-line of the Church… for truly, without Him, we can do nothing!!!

LET JESUS BE THE MAIN TRUNK OF THE VINE AND FOUNDATION OF OUR LIFE…