To remain, or not to remain — that is the response
Published May 2, 2021 12:12 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY
God never wants us to be separated from him.
Today’s Gospel reading is one of the most beautiful and powerful imageries in the Gospel of John, depicting how God always wants to relate with us and the kind of response that is expected of us. This is the imagery of the relationship between the vine and the branches. This kind of relationship requires reciprocity. But we may ask: reciprocity in what sense? Isn’t it true that God’s love is unconditional and is always enough? Why do we need to respond, and what kind of response is needed on our part?
What is clear in this imagery is our inability to do anything apart from Jesus. But if this is the case, why would God allow us to be separated from him? Does God will it that we be separated from him? Or do we, ourselves, consciously or unconsciously, will it?
The Gospel clearly tells us that God wants that we remain in him. However, God always respects our freedom. God knows that we must remain in him in order to reach our highest potentials and be able to accomplish our mission and purpose in life. But at times we think that we could do it alone by ourselves. And when things begin to go wrong, when we are disconnected from Jesus, we tend to blame God. But it could only mean that we have failed to make use of our freedom in the way we respond to the kind of relationship God is offering.
God the Father, as the vine grower, provides all the necessary conditions for us to grow and bear fruit. If we are bearing fruit already, the Father will prune us so that we can bear more fruit. If not, God would still try to provide the conditions so that we can eventually bear fruit.
There would be times when branches of the vine would find their way out of the trellis and go down to the ground. If a branch of the vine is in the soil, it most likely would not be able to bear fruit. The out-of-the-trellis branches must be lifted up back. In the same way, God the Father always lifts us up that we may become the best of person we can be. The only response expected of us is to remain with Jesus who always wills to remain in us.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
God never wants us to be separated from him.
Today’s Gospel reading is one of the most beautiful and powerful imageries in the Gospel of John, depicting how God always wants to relate with us and the kind of response that is expected of us. This is the imagery of the relationship between the vine and the branches. This kind of relationship requires reciprocity. But we may ask: reciprocity in what sense? Isn’t it true that God’s love is unconditional and is always enough? Why do we need to respond, and what kind of response is needed on our part?
What is clear in this imagery is our inability to do anything apart from Jesus. But if this is the case, why would God allow us to be separated from him? Does God will it that we be separated from him? Or do we, ourselves, consciously or unconsciously, will it?
The Gospel clearly tells us that God wants that we remain in him. However, God always respects our freedom. God knows that we must remain in him in order to reach our highest potentials and be able to accomplish our mission and purpose in life. But at times we think that we could do it alone by ourselves. And when things begin to go wrong, when we are disconnected from Jesus, we tend to blame God. But it could only mean that we have failed to make use of our freedom in the way we respond to the kind of relationship God is offering.
God the Father, as the vine grower, provides all the necessary conditions for us to grow and bear fruit. If we are bearing fruit already, the Father will prune us so that we can bear more fruit. If not, God would still try to provide the conditions so that we can eventually bear fruit.
There would be times when branches of the vine would find their way out of the trellis and go down to the ground. If a branch of the vine is in the soil, it most likely would not be able to bear fruit. The out-of-the-trellis branches must be lifted up back. In the same way, God the Father always lifts us up that we may become the best of person we can be. The only response expected of us is to remain with Jesus who always wills to remain in us.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.