Christ: Our Life

 Reflection on Today’s Readings, Wednesday of 5th Week of Easter, May 18th, 2022

Texts: Acts 15:1-6; Psalm  122: 1-5; John 15 :1 -8

Jesus Christ reminds us today that He is the source of life. He tells us this using the analogy of vine and its branches. He is the vine, we are His branches. We must know that it is the vine that grows the branches and that means without Christ we cannot be. However, the point emphasised by Jesus Christ is that the branches have no life without the vine, which means without Him we have no life. By baptism we are united with Him by faith. That word of St. Paul is therefore true about us: “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). This life is the life of grace which bears fruits in virtues and holiness. Jesus puts it thus: “He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Without Christ we can do nothing gracious; we may be able to do good but it will not be gracious. A deed is gracious when it glorifies God, not man. A gracious deed is aided by God’s grace  and wins his good will.

The question now is how do we abide in Christ? We abide in Him when His words abide in us. He says, “You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.”  He also says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” His words live in us when we become the living witnesses of His words, when His words can be read in our lives.

Today’s first reading reminds us that there are various opinions in the world, begging for our consent. We have to be very careful of the words we believe. We should only allow the words of Jesus Christ alone to abide in us. The words of Jesus Christ live in the Church. Hence, we are to believe what the church teaches us. The first reading calls us to believe only the truth supported by the Church. This is clear in the sending of Paul and Barnabas and some members to Jerusalem to the apostles to know which words to believe. It is said, “Some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.”  

O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself, that those you have set free from the darkness of unbelief may never stray from the light of your truth. Amen (Collect). 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke