bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit. You are already made clean by the word I
have spoken to you. Live in me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you, if you don’t remain in me. I am
the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear
much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me
is thrown away, as they do with branches, and they wither. Then they are gathered and
thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you
may ask whatever you want, and it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you
bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples.
READ: Jesus said that he is the vine and his Father is the vine grower. He also explained
that his disciples are the branches. Every branch must bear fruit. He said that apart from
him, the disciples can do nothing. The disciples can only bear much fruit if they remain in
Jesus. Jesus also said that the disciples must also remain in his words and vice versa. If
the relationship between the disciples and the words of Jesus is kept, the disciples can ask
the Father for anything in Jesus’ name and it will be given them. Jesus also said that when
the disciples bear much fruit, the Father is glorified. Once the Father is glorified, those who
follow Jesus truly become his disciples.
REFLECT: There is an interesting Greek verb used in today’s Gospel passage. The verb
airō, which is normally translated as “to take away” or “to remove” can also be translated
in English as “to take up” or “to lift up.” We may reflect on the passage while trying to
understand the meaning of lifting up. “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he lifts up.”
(Jn. 15:2) This equally makes sense especially when considering that a branch of a vine
may have fallen to the ground. Somebody must lift it up so that it will have the chance
of bearing fruits.
PRAY: Let us pray that we will never be separated from Jesus, our true vine.
ACT: Today, let us lift up one person whom we know is feeling so down.
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