"Abide In Me"

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Easter Feria

Today's Readings:
[ Acts 15:1-6; Ps 122; Jn 15:1-8 ]

In today’s readings, the Church stands at a crossroads. In Acts, a dispute arises over what is required for belonging—what must be “added” to the grace already given. Meanwhile, in the Gospel, Jesus offers a different image altogether: not a checklist, but a living vine. “Abide in me as I abide in you… I am the vine, you are the branches”.

From a Franciscan perspective, this tension is deeply familiar. St. Francis of Assisi resisted the temptation to reduce the Gospel to rigid systems or burdensome requirements. Instead, he returned again and again to the simplicity of relationship... living in Christ, not merely for Him. Initially, the only "Rule" the Franciscans had were a collection of Bible passages—especially texts about poverty, preaching, and following Jesus literally—and they only adopted a more traditional Rule when the Church insisted. The question is not first, “What must I do to belong?” but “Am I rooted in the One who gives life?”

Jesus’ image of the vine is organic, intimate, and humble. Branches do not strive anxiously to produce fruit; they bear fruit because they remain connected. This is the heart of Franciscan spirituality: a radical dependence on God, marked by trust, poverty of spirit, and joyful surrender. When we abide in Christ, fruit follows. Not as personal achievement, but as grace flowing through us.

Psalm 122 echoes this communal dimension: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” Faith is not lived in isolation. Just as branches are part of one vine, we are drawn into a shared life, a communion that reflects God’s own love. The early Church’s struggle in Acts reminds us that unity is not always easy but it is essential. It requires listening, humility, and openness to the Spirit’s work beyond our expectations.

Today’s invitation is simple: remain. Stay connected. Resist the urge to measure your worth by outward signs or spiritual productivity. Instead, root yourself more deeply in Christ. In that hidden place of abiding, God is already at work, quietly bringing forth fruit that will last.

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit”.

 

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