In the post-resurrection
period the church grew steadily despite persecutions and suppressions. The first
reading from the Acts 9:26-31 shows the zeal that early Christians had to
spread the good news of Jesus Christ. St.
Paul longs to meet the apostles as he arrives in Jerusalem. Because his meeting
with the apostles would serve as witness to them that it is God who has called
him to serve the church and as well as give approval for his mission as the
apostle of Jesus. This longing of St. Paul to meet the apostles shows the
ecclesial unity that he is seeking which is very much needed for the proclamation
of the kingdom of God. As believers we need to live in a community and get approval
from the community to proclaim the word of God. Thus, the structure of the church,
the ecclesial unity is very much biblical and fundamental to Christian living. Abiding
in Jesus is to abide in His church.
‘Abide’ is the key word for
this fifth Sunday of Easter. In the gospel Jesus addresses the people of Israel
with the imagery of vine. He takes this imagery as it is familiar to Israel from
the time of prophets. We can also see another significance for choosing vine –
grape fruit – to describe the importance of abiding. Jesus tells that all who
abide in Him as the vine with the branches will bear much fruit. The grape
fruit is very unique that it comes as a bunch, while many fruits come as single
or two or more that can be easily counted. The grape fruit does not come as
singular but comes always as plural – grape
fruits. All who abide in Jesus will bear not just single fruit but bunch of
fruits at a time. The gospel passage of today ends “that you bear
much fruit” (Jn 15:8). So the will of
God the Father is to see us bear much fruits not just single fruit.
In the second reading, St.
John urges us – the believers – to show the love in action. Charity cannot be
realized unless it is actualized in life. Having a heart to love alone is not
sufficient. We have the commandment to
love, not just desire to love. To love is to act. How could one know
whether you have love in your heart unless you express that in your deed? The expression
of our love toward the other is an overflowing of our love toward God. Therefore,
to love others we need to have love for God. We need to abide in Him. The call
of Jesus to abide in Him is; His thirst for us. To the Samaritan woman He told I am thirsty. On the cross He cried out I am thirsty. In both the places His
thirst was for souls. At the end of the Samaritan woman story, the lady brought
many souls to fill the thirst of Jesus and at the foot of the cross, Mary and
the beloved disciples – representing the church – filled the thirst of Jesus with
their presence. Mother Teresa was immensely moved by this thirst of Jesus. She heard
the voice ‘I thirst’. From then on the entire life of Mother Teresa was set to
quench the thirst of Jesus in the poor. The love of God is to quench the thirst
of God for us. God is thirsting for us. If only we fill His thirst, the thirst
of our neighbour will be filled by us.
Let us focus on Jesus who is
hanging on the cross and crying to us with His thirst. We can fill His thirst
through very many ways; by being present with Him like mother Mary, by
listening to Him like Mary of Bethany, by running toward Him like Mary
Magdalene, by journeying with Him like the apostles… as we fill this thirst we
find ourselves filling the thirst of many souls around us. It is the truth
about abiding in Him. It is not just abiding in Him that we would be move to
reach out to the other; it is by the mere fact of abiding in Him we will be
abiding, reaching, helping, and quenching the thirst of our neighbours (bearing
many fruits). Yes, all who abide in Him will bear much fruit that of vine. Let us
quench the thirst of Jesus with our abiding in Him.
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