The Lord may find us as we search for him - Mary at the tomb (it's he who finds us even though it's we who search for him even as Zacchaeus). The Lord may give us a personal experience of him in our theological and ideological doubts (Thomas. That's another form of searching for him like Augustine and Thomas Merton).
On the 5th Sunday, we are called to realize the symbiotic connection, communion with the Lord. He and we are connected. We really DO NOT have to search if we are connected. Beyond the emotions of Mary, beyond the intellectual uncertainty of Thomas, beyond the confusion in faith in our Emmaus journeys, beyond our waywardness, dangers of wolves and strangers, lack of pastures, the Good Shepherd providing and protecting, we now come as Christians to the realization that we are family, we have inheritance, the same DNA, we shall not be left out, starved....
The Lord meets us at our tombs (Easter-losses), at our locked rooms (Thomas - disappointments and doubts: second Sunday), on our journeys (aimless or disoriented: third Sunday), but more importantly when we do our work (4th and 5th Sundays). Whether our business is about sheep or vine, we need to remain faithful and committed and produce a 100 fold for the KOG and for our families.
Tony Kayala, c.s.c.
One-hundred percent American?
“Lady Diana came to the church as a commoner; she departed as royalty.”
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Gospel reading: John 15:1-18
Michel DeVerteuil
General Textual Comments
Each year, on the fifth and sixth Sundays of Easter, the gospel readings are taken from the long discourse which, according to St John, Jesus gave to his apostles on the night before his passion. This is contained in chapters 13 to 17 of the gospel. This Sunday’s extract gives us the parable of the vine and as always it has different perspectives which we need to go into.
The passage starts with the words, “Jesus said these words to the disciples”. This little introductory phrase reminds us of an important point: Jesus’ words were never spoken at some indeterminate time; they were said by him at a particular moment. At this time, for example, the apostles were present with him; they seemed to be looking ahead to the coming passion and anticipating the part they were to play in it.
In fact we know now that they were not ready for it. He was giving them a warning about what was going to happen. He was also telling them of what lay in the future for them once the passion and death of Jesus was over.
Textual comments
– Verse 1. The Father is the vine dresser. The parable is telling us first that Jesus is the true vine and his Father who dwells in the heavens is the vine dresser. We need to spend some time just meditating on this simple but very deep passage. Jesus is the humble servant of Christians, suffering so that we can all be safe. The Father meanwhile is a general overseer; he is situated way above our heads, in heaven. This is telling us something very important about Jesus’ mission in the world. It is reminding us of how he saw himself and of his deep relationship with his Father in heaven.
– Verses 2 and 3. Christians then are branches of the “true vine”. When a branch bears no fruit, the reason is clear – it is not linked to the vine; the Father then simply cuts it away and lets it lie there so that it dies without producing any more fruit. If on the other hand, a branch does bear some fruit, the heavenly Father is also very busy. He prunes it so that it can bear even more.
– Verse 3. The interpretation then changes. It asks the question, “What is the pruning instrument?” The answer is simply that it is the actual words of the great Jesus – “It is by means of the word I have spoken to you”. Jesus’ words then are not mere words, they are pruning instruments; they can change our behaviour and can make important differences happen in how we deal with one another. Jesus then makes a further distinction. “Make your home with me as I make mine in you”. For ordinary people, “being in the vine” merely means making a choice, then letting it influence how we deal with others.In Jesus however, it is rather a matter of accepting that we are in him. We can then allow ourselves to move from that link and so touch the reality of the people we meet.
– Verses 4 and verse 5. The parable takes a new turn. Though linked to the old we get a new development. No branch of the vine can bear fruit all by itself, it must remain part of the vine. The branches too cannot bear fruit unless they remain linked with him, and are settled with him. We think of people in our time who bear fruit but these are the results of selfishness and of self-righteousness. They do not come from making themselves available to Jesus, the source of all selflessness in the world. “I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me with me in him will bear fruit in plenty.”
The next phrase is full of meaning: “Cut off from me then, you can do nothing”. We think of people who bear fruit but are not tied to Jesus and are therefore not to be trusted in any way. Jesus of course stands for all who are truly life-giving to people. Their present religious affiliation is no obstacle to bearing this wonderful fruit.
– Verse 6. Those who do not remain in me are like branches which have been thrown away. They wither and eventually die. These branches are collected and then thrown into the fire. They are useless until they can be totally burnt away and so disposed of.
– Verse 7. This is what happens when a branch remains attached to the vine and bears fruit from it: “You will ask for what you will and you will get it.” The person of Christ has a special relationship with the Father in heaven, a relationship based on their intimacy with Jesus.
– Verse 8. Conclusion to the passage. This is what being a disciple is all about – “It is to the glory of God that you should bear much fruit.” There is a relationship of great love between Jesus’ disciples and the Father. It is based entirely on the intimacy between them. Remember of course that this intimacy is not a matter of receiving a Christian upbringing.
Scripture Prayer
“The purpose of the Master is to help you see the uselessness of hanging on.“ ..Zen saying
Lord, we remember times of great crisis in our lives:
– a friendship of long standing breaking up;
– we lost our job;
– we – or someone dear to us – were seriously ill;
– our country went through a time of great unrest.
We felt totally lost, as if you had cut us off
and we were a dead branch lying on the ground next to the tree.
But that wasn’t it.
What had happened was that we had stopped bearing fruit
and you were being a good vine dresser, pruning away dead branches
and letting us get in touch with you at a deeper level,
so that your love would flow through us and we could bear fruit again.
“The resurrection is like the first eruption of a volcano, which shows that it is the interior of a world, where God’s fire is already burning.“ …Karl Rahner
Lord, our civilisation has lost its energy:
we have become complacent about our accomplishments and the fruit we have borne;
we no longer have the creativity to face new challenges.
We pray that your Church may speak the words of Jesus today,
pruning away the dead branches of greed, individualism, the desire to dominate,
so that humanity may bear fruit more abundant than before.
Lord, as teachers, parents, leaders, we sometimes have to correct others.
Give us the wisdom that we need to be good vine dressers after your image,
that we may not be afraid to prune what is stopping life,
and yet not so harsh that those we correct may feel cut off from us
and unable to bear fruit again.
Lord, we remember at this time those who are involved in the conflicts
in Iraq and in the Middle East.
We pray that like Jesus himself they may work for the true salvation of all the world.
“In giving us his love, God has given us his Holy Spirit, so that we can love him with the love wherewith he loves himself.” … Meister Eckhart
Lord, we thank you for the wonder of friendship.
We remember those who have become loyal friends to us.
They accept us as we are, just as we accept them.
We are part of their lives,
so that our joys and sorrows affect them as theirs affect us.
Wherever we go we are still together because we have become part of each other.
Truly they have made their home in us, and we our home in them.
Lord, this is how you want to relate with us, and us to relate with you.
Lord, people who work for a new kind of society
often think they can achieve it on their own,
following their own pace with no regard for the feelings of others.
As a Church we have been guilty of this too,
and so have those of us who have authority in the Church.
Remind us, Lord, that we are branches of a vine
– the community, the nation, humanity, nature –
and a branch cannot bear fruit if it is cut off.
We may prosper for a while by dint of our own energy and enthusiasm,
but sooner or later, like many others before us,
we wither, are collected, thrown on the fire and burnt.
“We don’t own the truth, and I need the truth of others.” …Pierre Claverie
Lord, people speak about becoming your disciples as trying to be perfect
and achieving great things, so that only the strong willed can get there.
But it isn’t like that at all.
It is a matter of learning to remain in your love,letting the stories of Jesus enter into the story of our lives,
so that we live permanently in him and present to you.
Gradually, we stop worrying about what we want
and we find that whatever we ask for we are getting.
As for good works, they are like fruit
which appears on the branches of a tree when the season comes –
we don’t have to bother about them at all,
because they are the work of your glory.
That is how we become your disciples.
Thank you, Lord.
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Thomas O’Loughlin
Introduction to the Celebration
We gather as people who have been grafted into Christ by baptism, as the people who have heard his voice and who seek to follow him in our lives, and to join with him in prayer in thanking the Father.
In today’s gospel we are reminded that this discipleship is not a passive affair: we are made part of Christ so that through us the Father’s kingdom can come closer to all humanity and so that, through us, his will can be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Comments on Gospel: Jn 15:1-8
That Jesus is the true vine is one of the important images in John for the relationship of the community to God. In this he takes over the Old Testament images of Israel as the vine, and the pruning image from the prophets (e.g. Jer 5:10 or Ezek 17:7). The relationship of ‘remaining in’ Jesus is the foundation for the confidence that the community has in its prayer to the Father.
Homily Notes
1. During this whole period of the year, the focus is on discipleship. In Lent the emphasis is on recognising the blockages that exist in our lives in following Christ and repairing damaged relationships with God and our neighbours. In Easter it is about growing in discipleship.
2. Discipleship is not a rush of enthusiasm, but a long term committment to following Christ, collaborating with Christ, to having a relationship with the Father through Christ. And, in every long-term relationship there is need for refocusing, replenishing, restoring, and reconciliation.
3. Discipleship is also about ‘discipline’ in the sense of training and the building of habits of behaviour. To be a disciple of Jesus requires training in a particular way of living, it requires the acquisition of specific skills, and it requires the practice to know how to put those skills into practice in our lives. For example, to follow Christ requires that we have developed some skills in prayer – not perhaps the elaborate schemes for prayer that some teachers of prayer have developed over the centuries, but it does require knowing the basic prayers of the Christians. But the skill of praying requires the practice of regular prayer and the prudence to know that sometimes one has time to pray and sometimes one does not. A Christian lifestyle demands sympathy for the poor and those suffering injustice, but this sympathy is a skill which entails recognising injustice and knowing that it is not part of God’s plan, and the prudence to know how to do something about it.
4. In the early church there were little manuals for leaders and mentors in the community to use with those who were about to become Christians, to impart the basic Christian skills to them. We often translate these as ‘manuals of teaching’ (e.g. the Didache is one of them), but a more careful look at their titles and content shows that they should be seen as disciple-making guides and that they were not concerned with ‘doctrine’ or ‘teaching’ such as is found in a catechism, but with imparting the habits and skills so that the newcomer would know how to behave within the new community she or he was entering. Hence, they impart a series of ‘do’ and ‘do not’ rules, they guide on how and how often to pray, when and why to fast, when and how to assemble for the Eucharist. To become a Christian, that is to rise with Christ in baptism at Easter, was to have started the life-long process of acquiring the skills to be grafted onto Christ.
5. This notion of skilling is not one often used today within the context of preaching, yet everyone knows it from his or her workplace. Every job has a prescribed skill-base – you must have the skills and the experience to use them or the job is not yours. Adverts read: ‘you will have high standard IT skills, competence in HR, …’ – and if not, you are not ‘our kind of person’. Equally, people do not just have skills, they need retraining, in-service training, continual professional development. As current management speak has it: ‘without continual staff-development, you are de-skilling your workforce.’ This is exactly similar to the situation with the skills of discipleship and being the sort of person that can be described as ‘Christian’.
6. While we readily link Lent with this sort of returning, reforming, restoring, it is equally true of the time after Easter: during this time the newly baptised are supposed to be getting the mentoring they need to be full disciples; but also all the baptised are supposed to be refining their skills, and retraining, and up-dating their understanding of discipleship, here lies the focus of today’s gospel. We are all grafted into Christ and have entered the service of the Father, but our belonging requires that we bear fruit. Have we the skills and the practice in the skills to recognise that we are not just passively ‘grafted on; we are grafted on in order that we can bear fruit. Note that in each image the point at issue is not belonging, but activity which fulfills the purpose of that to which we are grafted. We are not ‘in Christ’ as a cup of water diffused in a barrel – a passive image, but made part of vine and the vine only makes sense when it yields the grapes for which it was planted and tended.
7. It is from this perspective of discipleship being costly, demanding commitment, and serious long-term training that we can read this gospel in Eastertime. This is how we are to understand its references to pruning, and dead wood being thrown-away and burnt. Discipleship is being someone with the vision to see the kingdom in outline and the skills to help build it. It requires a dynamism that the word ‘following’ does not convey in English, and it requires a commitment to the coming of the kingdom and to doing the Father’s will on earth – this is the fruit we must show for being part of Christ.
8. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.’
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Sean Goan
This Sunday in our reading from John there is a change in symbolism from shepherding to that of
the vine. This too is an image that derives from the Old Testament where the prophets speak of the chosen people as God’s vine that he tends with love in the hope of it producing choice fruit. The evangelist now takes that same idea and revolutionises it by showing us that Jesus is the true vine and the disciples are his branches, in other words they cannot and do not exist apart from him. Two important aspects of the believer’s relationship with Jesus emerge from this: intimacy and fruitfulness. We are in complete union with him, that is, we remain or abide in him and draw life from him. Since we draw life from him then we will bear fruit and that means that we cannot claim to be his disciples and live only for ourselves.
Reflection
Looking at the story of Paul in the first reading, we are reminded that we can never predict how and where God will speak to us. It is not difficult to imagine the fear of the Jerusalem church when they heard that Saul was back from Damascus. Some of them had probably witnessed his involvement in the death of Stephen, and now they were being asked to believe that he had become one of them. Surely it was a trick! It took Barnabas to show them the way. Just as God was to be found in a crucified Messiah, why couldn’t he now be working through Saul the Pharisee? Sometimes faith demands that we take risks because God would have us look for him in the most unexpected places. If we are attached to Jesus the true vine, then our faith will be nourished and we will remain in him.
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Donal Neary SJ
Jesus, the Centre
Without some centre of unity, groups lose their way. A team which puts its eyes on money rather than on teamwork will lose games. A family which relies on anything other than love to keep it together will fall apart. The church, the community of Jesus is something similar.
What keeps the church together at its best is Jesus. Human leadership, moral authority, ritual dogmatism, are not the centre of the church. Leadership can fail, moral authority can take wrong turnings and ritual dogmatism can override the concerns of people. The centre of the church is Jesus Christ. Our unity with Jesus is the central bond of the church. He is the Vine, we the branches.When we have been let down by the church, like in the situations of abuse, or cover-ups by church authority, we are kept going as Christians by our unity with Jesus.
The image of roots and branches, of fruit and tree, all very much part of each other, is what Jesus uses. Other images like this might be the unity or light and colour in a rainbow, or of
Only if we can look on Jesus Christ as the centre of our faith can church life be sincere and have the energy which will save and change our world.
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From The Connections:
We cannot live our faith in a vacuum: Unless Jesus becomes the center of our lives, the faith we profess is doomed to wither and die in emptiness.
The Easter season speaks to us of the eternal presence of Christ in our midst, present to us in the Word we have heard and has taken root in our hearts. Our faithfulness to the call to discipleship demands that we work to enable that Word within us to produce a “yield” of compassion, forgiveness, justice and reconciliation. In the “fruit” we bear as "branches" of Christ do we glorify God the “vine grower.”
“Why I Make Sam Go To Church”
Sam is the only kid he knows that goes to church. But Mom insists.
Mom is writer Anne Lamott, who has chronicled her own search for God in her troubled life in her bestselling books, including Grace Eventually and Plan B. In Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Mom explains why she wants her poor little Presbyterian church to be part of her son's life:
“I want to give him what I found in the world, a path and a little light to see by. Most of the people I know who have what I want – which is to say, purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy – are people with a deep sense of spirituality. They are people in community, who pray, or practice their faith . . . They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle.
“When I was at the end of my rope, the people of St. Andrew tied a knot in it for me and helped me to hold on. The church became my home - that it's where, when you show up, they have to let you in. They let me in. They even said, You come back now.
“Sam was welcomed and prayed for at St. Andrew's seven months before he was born. When I announced during worship that I was pregnant, people cheered. All these old people, raised in Bible-thumping homes in the Deep South, clapped. Even the women whose grown-up boys had been or were doing time in jails or prisons rejoiced for me . . . Women [who] live pretty close to the bone financially on small Social Security checks . . . routinely sidled up to me and stuffed bills in my pockets – tens and twenties . . . And then almost immediately they set about providing for us. They brought clothes, they brought me casseroles to keep in the freezer, they brought me assurance that this baby was going to be part of the family.
“I was usually filled with a sense of something like shame until I'd remember that wonderful line of Blake's – that we are here to learn to endure the beams of love – and I would take a long breath and force these words out of my strangled throat: Thank you.”
Today’s Gospel calls us to realize the connections between Christ and us and between us and one another. On the night before he died (the setting of today's Gospel) Jesus reminds his disciples of every time and place that, in his love, we are “grafted” to one another in ways we do not completely realize or understand. As branches of Christ the vine, we are part of something greater than ourselves, something which transforms and transcends the fragileness of our lives. May our families, communities and parishes become extended branches for all of us who struggle to realize our own harvests of joy and discovery, of grace and faithfulness.
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ILLUSTRATIONS:
From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
1: “Jesus nut” The “Jesus nut,” also called the “Jesus pin,” is the nut that holds the main rotor to the mast of some helicopters, such as the UH-1 Iroquois. The long, strong metallic fans of the helicopter are fitted to the main rotor of the mast. The “Jesus nut” is a slang term first coined by American soldiers in Vietnam; the technical term is MRRN or main rotor retaining nut. The origin of the term comes from the idea that, if the “Jesus nut” were to fail in flight, the helicopter would detach from the rotors and the only thing left for the crew to do would be to pray to Jesus before the helicopter crashed. — Today’s Gospel explains why Jesus must be the pivotal point in our lives, through the little parable of the vine and the branches. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
2: Hampton Court vine: Donald Grey Barnhouse tells about a grapevine in Hampton Court near London that is about 1,000 years old. It has but one root which is at least two feet thick. Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they bear much fruit because they are joined to the vine and allow the life of the vine to flow through them (Sermons Illustrated). — If we, the branches, are not bearing much fruit, it may be that we are not feeding as we ought upon the life-giving flow from the vine. The great truth that Jesus is trying to tell us is that if we want life in all its fullness, then we must be connected to the “true vine,” the very source of life. “Abide in me as I abide in you,” Jesus said. We draw our life from him. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
3: No water: In the late 1980s, a fire destroyed a building on the lower East side of Manhattan. An alarm was sounded, and the trucks and personnel arrived in plenty of time to fight the fire. The exit doors worked properly. The steps were clear. The people got out of the building quickly and in order. However, the fire burned out of control and the building had to be demolished. When the firemen arrived, the hoses on the wall were installed properly. There were hoses hundreds of feet in length–clearly sufficient to put the fire out. It was discovered too late, however, that the city water line had never been connected to this part of the system, a deadly oversight. — To live a human life disconnected from the living God is tragic as well. Jesus did more than come to live among us. He is the life-giving vine and we are the branches. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
4: “I can’t take another step”: There is a scene in the movie, Shadow of the Hawk where a young couple is climbing a mountain with the help of their Indian guide in a desperate attempt to flee from evil people. At one point the young woman slumps to the ground and says, “I can’t take another step.” The young man lifts her to her feet and says, “But darling, we must go on. We have no other choice!” She shakes her head and says, “I can’t go on! I can’t go on!” Then the Indian guide advises the young man, “Hold her close to your heart. Let your strength and your courage flow out of your body into hers.“ The young man does this and in a few minutes the woman smiles and says, “Now I can go on! Now I can do it!” — By telling us the parable of the vine and branches in today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us how He shares his Divine strength with us. The parable reminds us that, united with Jesus, we can do anything, but separated from Jesus, we are good for nothing. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
5: The Usher: An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row please,” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am? I’m the pastor’s mother,” she declared indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” the usher asked. “No.” she said. “Good,” he answered.
6: I’ve been on your side: A man was going to a costume party dressed as the Devil – red suit, pointy tail and pitchfork. As he walked it began to rain and he looked for shelter. The only place was a little country church, so in he went. It just so happened they were holding a revival meeting that night. When people turned and saw the Devil, they dived for the exits. One poor fellow’s coat got caught on a pew. As the man in the costume approached, he turned and cried “Mr. Devil, I’ve been a member of this church for 30 years, but I’ve been on your side all along.”
20 Additional anecdotes:
1) United in the moon in His name: The lunar module “Eagle,” carrying astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong, landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. While Armstrong prepared for his moonwalk, Aldrin unpacked bread and wine and put them on the abort system computer. He described what he did next. “I poured the wine into a chalice…In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon and the very first food eaten, were consecrated Bread and Wine.” Just before receiving Holy Communion, Aldrin read the passage from the Gospel according to John: “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him will bear much fruit, for you can do nothing without me.” Commenting on his Communion experience on the moon, Aldrin says, “I sense especially strongly my unity with our Church back home, and everywhere.” (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
2) Gerald Coffee, a retired Navy captain, was a prisoner of war for seven years. His home was a cell that allowed him to take only three steps in any direction. Still, during these years of unbelievable hardship, he was able to pray, “God, help me use this time to get better.” He took a dismal situation and used it for a time of mental, emotional and spiritual growth. In spite of being able to communicate with his fellow POWs only by tapping on the cell walls, he along with other prisoners managed to learn French. He learned to recite Kipling and Shakespeare. Most amazing of all, Coffee and his fellow prisoners were able to keep their sense of humor. Often he composed poems to keep himself amused. One that he particularly liked went, “Little weevil in my bread, I think I’ve just bit off your head.” Today Captain Coffee addresses major corporations on the subject of keeping your Faith (and sense of humor) during difficult times. He shares his harrowing experience in order to inspire others. [Allen Klein, The Healing Power of Humor (Los Angeles, California: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1989).] — Gerald Coffee’s captors could not know he had “connections in high places”! Gerald Coffee is connected to the Vine which is Christ. And that is the difference in life. Christ is the Vine. We draw our Life from him. He is the Vine. We are the branches. It is He who links us to one another. We not only have connections in high places. We also have connections in low places and places in between. We are connected to one another as branches linked to the vine of Christ. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
3) United with God we stand: J.C. Penny Stores is the largest chain of dry goods stores in the world. There are more than sixteen hundred of them, and they appear in every state of the United States. Mr. J.C. Penny, the owner of these stores had a very serious mid-life crisis. He was beset with fatal worries. He was so harassed with worries that he couldn’t sleep, and he developed “shingles” — an extremely painful nerve infection causing a red rash and following nerve pathways. His doctor put him to bed and warned him that he was a very sick man. A rigid treatment was prescribed. But nothing helped. He grew weaker day by day. He was physically and nervously broken, filled with despair. One night the doctor gave him a sedative, but its effects wore off soon, and he awoke with an overwhelming sense of his death. Getting out of his bed, he began to write farewell letters to his wife and to his son saying that he did not expect to see the dawn. When he awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find himself alive. Going downstairs, he heard singing in a little chapel where devotional exercises were held each morning. He heard them singing the beautiful hymn: God Will Take Care of You. He went to the chapel and listened with a weary heart to the singing, the reading of the Scripture lesson and prayer. Suddenly, something happened which were beyond any explanation. He called it a miracle. In his own words, he said, “I felt as if I was instantly lifted out of the darkness of a dungeon into warm, brilliant sunlight. I felt as it I was transported from hell to paradise. I felt the power of God as I had never felt before. I realized then that I alone was responsible for all my troubles. I knew that God with His love was there to help me. From that day to this, my life has been free from worry. I am seventy-one years old, and the most dramatic and glorious twenty minutes of my life were those I spent in that chapel that morning: God will take care of you.” [John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho.] Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
4) Power of a squash: You may remember that fascinating experiment that took place at Amherst College some years ago in which a squash seed was planted in good soil. When it had produced a squash about the size of a man’s head, the researchers put a band of steel about it with a harness attachment by which they sought to determine the lifting power of the squash as it tried to grow.
They estimated that it might have the power of 500 pounds; which in itself would have been amazing. In a month it was pressing the 500 pounds; in two months 1,500 pounds, then it went to 2,000 and they had to strengthen the bands. It finally reached a pressure of 5,000 pounds when it broke the bands. They opened the squash and found it full of course fibers that had grown to fight away the obstacle that was hindering its growth. Roots extended out about 80,000 feet in all directions, as the squash was reaching out for help to strengthen the fiber. [Eric Butterworth, Unity of all Life (New York: Harper & Row).] — I would hate to think that you and I have less determination than a squash. We have been given minds and bodies and dreams that we might struggle against life and produce fruit worthy of branches connected to the living Vine of Jesus.
5) “Presbyterian but disconnected.” Some years ago, in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, the members of one of the large Presbyterian churches decided to undertake a religious census among some 2000 homes in their district. When the results were in, the pastor of the Church found himself seated at his desk, confronted with a huge heap of reports, and he began to note the visitors’ findings and especially any comments made by the visitors at the bottom of the page. One remark that occurred again and again was, “Used to be a Presbyterian; now belong nowhere.” Or, “The children go to Sunday School, but the parents aren’t interested.” And then his eyes fell on one unusual comment at the foot of one of the pages which startled him. It read simply, “Presbyterian, but disconnected.” “Disconnected.” That’s a fascinating word. It sounds as though somebody had pulled the plug on the poor chap. Or perhaps he had pulled the plug on himself, thereby committing spiritual suicide. No longer was he connected up with the Church in which he was raised, or any other Church, for that matter. — This is sad because God created us to be connected up with one another. God intended for us to be in communion with God and with one another. The New Testament knows of no such thing as solitary Christianity. To be a Christian at all is to be in relationship with other Christians. Anyone and everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ automatically belongs to anyone and everyone else who belongs to Jesus Christ. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
6) Affirm and cultivate awareness of the indwelling Christ. There is an old story about Albert Einstein. He was going around the country from university to university on the lecture circuit, giving lectures on his theory of relativity. He traveled by chauffeur-driven limousine. One day, after they had been on the road for awhile, Einstein’s chauffeur said to him, “Dr. Einstein, I’ve heard you deliver that lecture on relativity so many times, I’ll bet I could deliver it myself.” “Very well,” the good doctor responded. “I’ll give you that opportunity tonight. The people at the university where I am to lecture have never seen me. Before we get there, I’ll put on your cap and uniform and you will introduce me as your chauffeur and yourself as me. Then you can give the lecture.” For awhile that evening, everything went according to plan. The chauffeur delivered the lecture flawlessly. But as the lecture concluded, a professor in the audience rose and asked a complex question involving mathematical equations and formulas. The quick-thinking chauffeur replied, “Sir, the solution to that problem is so simple I’m really surprised you’ve asked me to give it to you. Indeed, to prove to you just how simple it is, I’m going to ask my chauffeur to step forward and answer your question.” –What I’m asking you to consider is not about anything as complex as the theory of relativity. It is about our close relationship with Christ the Vine, deriving the sap of spiritual life from him, as branches do from the main stem of the vine. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
7) Fish on the beach sand:, “Take a fish and place him on a beach. Watch his gills gasp and scales dry. Is he happy? No! How do you make him happy? Do you cover him with a mountain of cash? Do you get him a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a Playfish magazine and a martini? Do you wardrobe him in double-breasted fins and people-skinned shoes? Of course not! So, how do you make him happy? You put him back in his element. That’s what you do. You put him back in the water. He will never be happy on the beach because he was not made for the beach. — Indeed so, and the same is true for you and me. We will never be happy living apart from the One who made us and saved us. Just as a fish was made to live in water… we were made to live in close fellowship with our Lord… and nothing can take the place of that.” (Max Lucado, in his book, When God Whispers Your Name). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
8) Stay connected to Christ the Vine with servant mentality: In his book, Living on Tiptoe, Cecil Myers reminds us of a time when a group of educators in our country wanted to honor Albert Schweitzer… and they brought him to America. The University of Chicago planned to give him an honorary degree. When Albert Schweitzer’s train arrived, the university leaders ran to greet him warmly and they told him of their joy in having him here in America. But then as they turned to leave the train station, suddenly Albert Schweitzer was gone. He had just disappeared, vanished, slipped away. They looked everywhere for him. Finally, they found him. He was carrying a suitcase for an elderly woman. He saw that she was having trouble and rushed over to help her. You see, it was so much a part of his life to be a servant for others that it was as natural as breathing for him (when he got off the train), to begin immediately to look for somebody to help. That was his approach to life… and he had learned that from the Bible… he had learned that in Church… he had learned that from Jesus. Albert Schweitzer loved to help other people because he was strongly connected to Christ and His servant mentality. The university officials said later that when they saw Dr. Schweitzer helping that woman with her suitcase… they were wishing like everything that they could find somebody they could help… somebody whose suitcase they could carry. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
9) Mother Teresa’s servant mentality: Some years ago, Mother Teresa was asked by a reporter one day, “What is your biggest problem?” Without a moment of hesitation, Mother Teresa answered with one word: “Professionalism.” She said: “Here are these servants of Jesus who care for the poorest of the poor. I have one who just went off and came back with her medical degree. Others have come back with registered nurse degrees. Another with a master’s in social work… and when they came back with their degrees… their first question always is, ‘Where is my office?’ Then she said, ‘But you know what I do? I send them over to the House of the Dying where they simply hold the hands of dying people for six months, and after that, they’re ready to be servants again.’” [Victor D. Pentz, “Take This Job and Love It” Protestant Hour Sermon, (3/14/2005), p. 3.] — This was the greatness of Mother Teresa… her unflinching commitment to stay connected to Christ’s Servant Mentality. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
10) The novel: Brazil: John Updike once more revealed his remarkably brilliant powers of description in the novel Brazil. Updike shares his uncanny ability to portray the setting and landscape that surround his characters in order to highlight their nature and their roles. However, Updike’s greatest gift is the manner in which he is able to crawl inside the characters to reveal their restless and frantic struggles to discover themselves. The principal characters in Brazil are Tristao and Isabel. Their love for each other survives a tormented parade of trials forced on them by family, nature, society, and the economy. Yet, the end for them is as tragic as for Tristan and Isolde, whose names and whose roles are so similar. Purposely, the reader is left to wonder a great deal about the significance of such relationships and, above all, about the meaning of such lives. —
Today, the Holy Gospel suggests to us that life lived apart from our Lord Jesus Christ is meaningless and without purpose. Jesus himself talks about the need to be attached to him. We can readily appreciate the importance of relationship in a day when human relations are extremely difficult. What Jesus suggests, however, is that all human relations are dependent upon him. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
11) John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King: In his book, The Kennedy Imprisonment: A Meditation on Power, Gary Wills contrasts the contributions of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., through their conception of power. The Camelot that JFK created at the White House vanished. On the other hand, King, the pacifist who believed in non-violence and achievements through suffering and patience, made lasting impressions on our society. — In like manner, the contrast in styles and understanding of power in ordinary people makes for differences in their lives. People who in their quiet ways draw life from the One who is the Vine discover that they not only live in Him by love and grace, and He in them, but also they are able to live in one another through love and grace. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
12) “Mom, you’ll never have to take in washing again.” : Marian Anderson, perhaps the greatest contralto who ever lived, had a wonderful relationship with her mother. It was said of Mrs. Anderson’s life: her music could bring one to tears; her life could bring one to one’s knees. She was once being interviewed, and she was asked the most wonderful moment in her most impressive career. She could have mentioned that time when the great Arturo Toscanini told her that hers was the greatest voice of the century. She could have mentioned that time when she sang before the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of England. She could have said that it was winning a coveted award for the person who had done the most for her hometown of Philadelphia. There was also the time when she sang before a crowd of 75,000 on Easter Sunday beneath the Lincoln statue. Which of these high moments would she chose? None of them. “My greatest moment,” she said, “is when I went home to my mother and said: ‘Mom, you’ll never have to take in washing again.’” — If this relationship can exist between a mother and a daughter, then how much more can our relationship with Jesus Christ be? “I am the true vine,” Jesus said. “As the Father has loved me, so I love you.” And what happens, when we abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us? Our joy will be made full. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
13) He was buying a get-well card for the bus driver. She had been brutally murdered on a neighborhood bus. A young, teenaged girl. Cut down in the prime of life by a man suddenly gone berserk. The bus driver, struggling with her assailant, was himself injured. The morning after the tragedy, I was in a drugstore when this young lady’s father entered. I did not know him, but was told by the druggist, “That’s the girl’s father.” I immediately assumed he was in the store having a prescription filled for a sedative of some sort. I could well imagine the effects of this sudden and shocking tragedy on the family. The next day I found out how wrong had been my assumption. Do you know what that father was doing in the drugstore the morning after his daughter’s tragic death? He was buying a get-well card for the bus driver. — Such concern is not born in the orchard of a life barren of fruit. The father’s action was most Christ-like. Even in personal sorrow, he was concerned for the well-being of another. Where does such gallantry of soul come from? It comes when one looks into the heart of God through a living relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel, Our Lord, using vivid symbolism, spells out clearly his relationship with us, and our relationship with him. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
14) “Lady Diana came to the church as a commoner; she departed as royalty.”. Back in 1981, the attention of the world was focused on the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. The reporter of a newspaper was describing the arrival of the entourage to the Cathedral where the wedding was to take place. He described how all the royal family were carried in special royal coaches to the Cathedral while Lady Diana arrived in the coach of a commoner. Then there was this rather telling sentence in the newspaper account. “Lady Diana came to the Church as a commoner; she departed as royalty.” — This is a vivid description of what grace is all about. We come as sinners, but grace turns us into heirs, and joint heirs with Christ, of all that God wants to give us. It also is a vivid description of the possibility that comes to each one of us – the possibility of a deeper walk with Christ. Jesus said to his disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Ponder that awesome truth. We have not chosen God; God has chosen us. In His extravagant grace, He has given us His love, and confronted us with His call. We arrive in his presence as commoners; we leave as royalty. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
15) Story of a branch separated from the vine in the film La Dolce Vita: The film follows the exploits of a young scandal-sheet writer named Marcello as he flits from mistress to mistress and from orgy to orgy. Marcello embodies the loneliness, emptiness, and boredom of the jet-set crowd with whom he keeps company. Their decay is symbolized in the last scene in which Marcello and his friends find on a beach a strange fish rotting in the sun. Across the inlet, an innocent girl calls to Marcello. Although she reminds him of the good and simple life he once enjoyed and could recover, he cannot find the courage to react to her invitation. — La Dolce Vita illustrates what our Lord meant when he said in today’s Gospel: “A man who does not live in me is like a withered branch, picked up to be thrown in the fire and burnt.” When Marcello was growing up with his family in a small town he led a simple but happy life. But now that he had forsaken their religion and lifestyle for the decadence of the big cities, he found himself not only unhappy, but also dying intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Indeed, Fellini’s image of the rotting fish and Christ’s metaphor of the withered branch are strong symbols of what happens to us when we separate ourselves from our Lord, his Church and our family [Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds]. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
16) One-hundred percent American? Often we do not like to admit our dependence, but the fact remains that we are constantly dependent on others for living our daily lives. “The average person might awaken in a bed built on a pattern which originated in the Near East, to a clock, a medieval European invention. He slips into soft moccasins invented by American Indians. He showers with soap invented by the ancient Gauls, and dries himself with a Turkish towel. Returning to the bedroom he dons garments derived from the clothing of nomads of the Asiatic steppes and in ancient Egypt. At his breakfast table, he has pottery invented in China, his knife is made of an alloy first produced in southern India; his fork is a medieval Italian invention, his spoon a derivative of a Roman original. His food originated in discoveries from all over the world. He reads the news of the day imprinted in characters invented by the ancient Semites, by a process invented in Germany upon a material invented in China. Sometime during the day he may thank a Hebrew God in an Indo-European language that he is one-hundred per cent American.” – (Harold Buetow) — Today’s Gospel speaks of our radical dependence on God for everything. To be fruitful, the branch has to be cut and pruned, but must remain always attached to the vine or else it dies. “As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
17) We are the terminals: A poor German schoolmaster, who lived in a humble house in a small village, carved over his doorway this proud inscription: “Dante, Moliere, and Goethe live here!” That schoolmaster had learned that the secret of a rich life lies in one’s spiritual companionship. — Jesus wants his followers to be united with him as the branches are related to their Vine, and to enjoy continually his spiritual company. “I am the Vine, you are the branches”, he says. Insofar as we abide in Jesus and he in us, we will bear much fruit, because Jesus is the source of life and insofar as we do not, we will be absolutely ineffective, because without God we can do nothing. If a schoolmaster can say that Dante and Moliere and Goethe live with him, why can’t Christians say that Christ lives in us and we in Christ? Probably, most of us have at one time or other walked into a bank or an airline office to be told by the staff: “Sorry, you will have to wait; the computer system is down.” We can see that the computer terminals are there, some switched on. The screens are lit up; they may even perform some limited functions. However, we know they are quite helpless, because they are not connected to the “mainframe.” Like the computer terminals, we have to be plugged into Jesus, the mainframe, if we want to be of any use.
[Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho.] Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
18) Not connected! A missionary in Africa lived in his central mission, which had a small electric plant to supply current for his Church and small rectory. Some natives from the outlying mission came to visit the padre. They noticed the electric light hanging from the ceiling of his living room. They watched wide-eyed as he turned on the little switch and the light came on. One of the visitors asked if he could have one of those bulbs. The priest thinking, he wanted it as a sort of trinket gave him a burned-out bulb. On his next visit to the outlying mission, the priest stopped at the hut of the man who had asked for the bulb. Imagine the priest’s surprise when he saw the bulb hanging from an ordinary string! He had to explain that one had to have electricity power and a wire to bring the current to the bulb. Without a connection there is no power! — In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speaking of this same unity and intimacy, which should be part of our relationship with Jesus and with his Church. He illustrates this with a very earthy metaphor. “I am the true Vine and my Father is the Vine-grower. (Msgr. Arthur Tonne, quoted by Fr. Botelho.) Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
19) The vineyard and the gardener: In First Things First, Roger Merrill relates the story of a busy man who decided to landscape his grounds. He contacted a talented woman with a doctorate in horticulture and experience in landscaping and expressed his desire to hire her to set a garden. But he emphasized to her the need to create a maintenance-free garden with automatic sprinklers and other labor-saving devices because he was too busy to spend much time on upkeep. But she said, “There’s one thing you need to deal with before we go any further. If there’s no gardener, there’s no garden!” — In today’s Gospel Jesus asserts that he is the vine, we are the branches and his Heavenly Father is the gardener. V
20) “Believe because of the works I do.” When James W. Loucks, a bachelor and a veteran of the Civil War, died in 1934 at the Soldiers’ Home in Bath, New York, he bequeathed $200 to St. John’s Orphanage in Utica, New York, and $100 to the Sisters of St. Joseph at Little Falls, N.Y. His will also instructed the administrators of his estate, the Herkimer Co. Trust Co., to use the residue “for Masses for the repose of myself and my brother, Daniel.” Since the thrifty veteran had saved $10,000 from his humble employment as a farmer’s helper, road worker, and shoemaker, that meant that some $7,000 was to go for Mass offerings. Now, the president of the Herkimer Co. Trust Co. was puzzled about this last matter. He decided that the residue should be invested, and only the interest used for Masses. When this decision came to the attention of the bishop of Rochester, in whose diocese Mr. Loucks died, the bishop replied that Church law required that the whole sum should go for Masses. In fact, he felt obliged to take the case to court. Finally, three years later, the judge surrogate of Steuben County ruled that in this instance Church law took precedence over Civil law. As soon as the total residue was consigned to the bishop, he saw to it that, after this three-year wait, Masses finally began to be offered according to the old artilleryman’s intentions.
Who was James Loucks, whose dying wish was the celebration of several thousands of Masses? His religious history was most interesting, according to newsman James B. Hutchinson. Born to Protestant parents in 1844 at Manheim, Herkimer County N.Y., Jim enlisted in 1863 in Co. H. of the 2nd New York Heavy Artillery. He saw action in the Pennsylvania campaigns of the Civil War from Cold Harbor on. Up to that time, he had had little or no contact with Catholics. But one thing that impressed him deeply as the war continued was the great work the Sisters of Charity were doing with the victims of the battlefield. If they are so caring, he thought, then the Church they represent must be a loving church. Then came the battle of Gettysburg – vast, bloody, frightening. In the midst of it, Jim vowed “If the Almighty God spares me in this war, I will become a Catholic! ” God did spare him, and he kept his pledge. When mustered out of service, he went to work on a farm near Little Falls, N.Y., where he approached Father James Ludden of St. Mary’s Church, Little Falls. Eventually received into the Church, he became an active Catholic; deeply religious and much given to reading and study of the faith. Between 1877 and 1885 he served as sexton of St. Mary’s. At the age of 69, he retired to the Soldiers’ Home at Bath. – Our words of praise for the Catholic Faith can often win others to join the Church. Even more persuasive than Catholic words, however, are Catholic deeds. It was the good deeds of the Sisters of Charity that moved Jim Loucks to become a Catholic. In today’s Gospel, Our Lord makes much the same point: “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works I do.” Does our daily Christian life impress others to think well of our Church? (Father Robert F. McNamara). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021. L/21
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"CONNECTING TO GOD'S FAMILY, Part Three
REVIEW: God’s design for the church is one of family. A community of like-minded believers. All with rights and responsibilities toward the community. In this community we are set free from various habits and addictions. We are set free to share our lives without fear of reprisal. We are set free as we conform to Christ and His teachings. All of this results in becoming a whole person, someone who is sound and healthy in every respect. IF THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE CHURCH… then that can only mean that we have changed God’s design.
LAST WEEK we discussed some of the responsibilities that we have toward our church family;
Love one another … forgive one another …accept one another
Psalm 68:6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
The take away from this verse from last week is that Abba sets us in a family (church) and begins the process of leading us out of bondage into freedom. But the other side of that is refusing to submit to the process (rebellion) and going our own way.
TODAY: I would like to share that process in a different fashion. Jesus, while celebrating Passover with His disciples, shared a growth principle picturing a grapevine.
John 15:1,2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away (lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
Jesus-“true vine”—(ampelos) figuratively a grapevine
Jesus is ACTIVE at work on our behalf, flowing into our lives life that does not originate with us – but with Him, through a connection to Him. Weaving the power of God into our lives.
Matthew 26:29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Father God- “vinedresser”—farmer (of a vineyard); husbandman
Our Heavenly Father is ACTIVE in our lives, fulfilling a work He long planned to do.
The primary responsibility of the vinedresser is to prepare the grapevine to produce.
- God repositions every connected branch that is under-producing so that it may bear fruit.
- God prunes (removes) fruit bearing branches.
- God removes detached and dried up branches.
- God delights in accepting honor from an abundance of fruit.
- God loves His Vine.
PRINCIPLE: As a disciple of Jesus, I don’t live life on my own strength or on my own terms; Father God tends, Jesus supplies, and I actively draw my strength from obediently following the directive of the Word and Holy Spirit.
EXAMINE YOUR CONNECTION AS A BRANCH
2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away (lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
ARE YOU… a fruitless branch? ….a pruned branch? ….a fruitful branch? … a connected branch?
FRUITLESS BRANCH— “He lifts up…”
Some translations use the word “take away” for the branch that is not bearing. To take away means to cut off and cast away. If you speak to a vinedresser about this situation you will understand quickly that the vinedresser takes away only as a last resort for he wants every branch to produce.
When the vinedresser finds a branch that is not producing he first examines the branch to find the problem. It could be that the branch is too low to the ground…too wet and only needs to be propped or lifted up so that it can get more exposure to the sun
Psalm 3:3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalm 146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
ILLUSTRATION: Many year ago at the Tournament of Roses parade, the Standard Oil Company, now known as Chevron, had a beautiful float. In the middle of the parade the oil company’s float came to a grinding halt and the rest of the parade with it. The problem? The float ran out of gas. The directors of the Chevron float had done everything well but they neglected to use their companies vast resources of oil. The parade waited while someone ran to get a gallon of gas.
PRUNED BRANCH— “He takes away…” and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
The vinedresser sees in this branch some parts that are holding back it’s potential to bear more so he carefully removes those parts to increase fruitfulness. God, at times removes even the good to make room for better things.
- Finances or a job
- Relationship
- Habit or a distraction
- A lack or something that is keeping the branch from being strengthened
Hebrews 12:12,13 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
FRUITFUL BRANCH—
7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
This branch is producing (full of fruit). Is being abundantly blessed.
- Branch is blessed
- God is glorified
- A Christ follower
CONNECTED BRANCH—
OUR PERFECT CONNECTION;
4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Seven times in this section of Scripture Jesus uses the word “abide” (remain, stay, wait). It speaks of being connected to something much greater than ourselves. We are to;
- You abide in Christ
- Christ abides in you.
- Abiding in Him and Him in you causes you to bear much fruit; Apart from Him you can do nothing
- If you do not abide in Christ, he is casts into the fire and burned
- If you abide in Christ and His words abide in you… ask what you desire
PRAYER:
Pastor Danny Harkins
3. Third, it means we must cultivate a relationship with Jesus Christ.
For the first generation of Christians the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ made present within the human heart, was what made "Christianity" a living reality. There was no preconceived idea for "church growth," no specific guidelines for "mission expansion" or "church planting." There was only the openness of disciples to the wonder-working power of the Spirit.
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