5th Week of Easter – Wednesday C

Published on 20 May 2025 at 13:07

Today’s readings invite us as individual Christians to continue remaining united with one another in fidelity to Christ—especially in times of trial and disagreement. As we listen to the account of the early Church’s struggle with divisive issues and Jesus’ vivid image of the vine and branches, we are called to examine how our own lives, our communities, and our Church at this critical moment, need to be pruned by our Heavenly Father so that we can bear more fruit.

In the first reading from Acts 15, we witness the earliest challenge faced by the Church: whether Gentile converts needed to observe the Mosaic Law, particularly circumcision, to be truly part of God’s people. This was not merely a matter of tradition but a question of identity—what does it mean to belong fully to Christ? The apostles and elders, guided by the Holy Spirit, discerned that faith in Jesus Christ, which encompassed seeking, doing and loving the Father’s will, was sufficient. They chose dialogue, openness, and unity over division, recognizing that the core message of salvation transcended cultural and legal boundaries.

Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation. The Church, like the early Christian community, navigates complex issues—questions about social justice, moral teachings, and the unity of diverse peoples. Currently, bishops from around the world are meeting to address serious contentions within the Church, seeking to reconcile differences and uphold the unity of faith amidst varying cultural and doctrinal perspectives. This is not unlike the Council of Jerusalem—an assembly where listening, dialogue, and discernment took precedence over division. Pope Leo XIV certainly has his hands full, but we can all do our part to contribute to the unity of the Church by being careful with what we say and how we treat our differences and varying opinions. We cannot all be right, but we can respectfully arrive at the truth, and in the charity we extend to one another, that truth will be more readily embraced by those who at first rejected it.

The Gospel reading from John 15 offers us a powerful image: Jesus as the true vine, and we, his disciples, as branches. Our life and fruitfulness depend on remaining connected to Him. Without Him, we are like branches that wither and are cast away. This image reminds us that our strength, our love, our witness—especially in challenging times—must come from a close, abiding union with Christ. When we awake in the morning, let him be the first Person on our minds. When we call it the day, and head for our rest, before entering our beds, let him be the last name we utter on our lips. And may he give us the grace that everything that happens in between those two moments will be a reflection of just how much we truly love him. Yet, should we falter in some way, let us also remember that he too is never far from us, and calling on his mercy, we re-establish his centrality in our lives.

How do we do this? Through prayer, listening, humility, and a willingness to be pruned—cut back where necessary—to bear more fruit. The pruning Jesus speaks of involves stripping away our selfishness, prejudice, and complacency. It requires us to surrender our need to be right, to listen more than we speak, and to seek the Lord’s guidance above all.

Brothers and sisters, in these times of trial, let us remember that our strength comes from our connection with one another in Christ. The world comes together when it persecutes us. Wickedness joins its forces to overcome the Kingdom of God, but we will continue to be united so that we will have the strength to love our neighbour, to pray for those who persecute us and to do good to those who hate us. United, we can love. United, we will overcome the world, in Christ. May the Lord prune us and nurture us so that, united in Him, we may bring forth a harvest of love, peace, and reconciliation—witnessing to the world that Christ is indeed the only true source of all our peace, joy and strength.

Amen.


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Joseph
a month ago

Very nice prayer amazing thanks 🙏