5B EASTER HOMILY, JOHN 15:1-8, APRIL 28, 2024
1. STORY
John had a lovely garden and every time the parish priest would pass by,
he would call out to John, “You have a beautiful garden. The Lord and you are partners.” “Thank you,
Father,” John would respond with a bow. This
went on for many weeks with the priest calling out, “The Lord and you are
partners!” John became annoyed at what
the priest meant as a compliment. One
day when the priest said, “The Lord and you are partners,” John replied with
“What has God to do with the garden; I do all the work.” John forgot that God provided the gifts of the
earth, the water, the sun, and the seeds.
2. GOSPEL, JOHN 15:1-8
A) JESUS IS THE VINE.
Jesus is the source of our strength. “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
B. WE ARE THE BRANCHES.
Jesus wishes us to bear fruit. “By
this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A. JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH.
Just as the vine provides strength to the branches so, too, does Jesus
provide strength to us in the following ways.
i) When we pray, Jesus gives us strength. No matter how busy you are as you begin your day, ask for help for you and your family. At the end of the day, thank Jesus for his blessings throughout the day.
ii) Jesus gives us his strength during the Mass.
We hear the teachings of Jesus and receive the Eucharist, the spiritual
food that we need to stay spiritually strong. Try to come to Mass a little early and try to
take away a special thought from the reading and homily.
B. WE MUST BEAR FRUIT.
Jesus wants us to bear fruit which is to follow his example.
Here are two suggestions.
i) Set a good example for others by the way you speak and the way you
act towards others. We know that actions
speak louder than words.
ii) Share the good news about Jesus with others. We can tell them that Jesus has the power to
bring us joy, peace, and happiness. Jesus
will help us to live a happier life.
4. CONCLUSION
John had a beautiful garden not only through his own efforts but also
because of God’s gifts. Jesus teaches us
he is the vine and we are the branches. We
must bear fruit and this is possibly only through his help. We must stay close to Jesus by our prayers and
attending Mass. We bear fruit by our
good example and by sharing the news about Jesus with others. The Lord and we are partners.
