Confirming (phase 3), - The Last Supper – Second Part: The last discourses of Jesus (step 23) - session 4

I have told you this so that my joy might be in you

Some would call it coincidence, but I believe it's how the Holy Spirit often works: in his homily tonight, Fr. Dave invited us to spend some time tonight in chapters 14-17 of St. John's gospel, meditating on the Last Supper discourse. And that was already my plan when so much of my day ended up being occupied with tasks that needed to be done both in the home and to prepare music for the Triduum.

Jn 15:1-17

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. - (1-2)

Pruning hurts. But bearing fruit is really cool, and worth the hurt. (See all the recent posts that are too numerous to link to about the glory of suffering.)

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. - (5)

Nothing. I think that most of the time we think that apart from Christ we can do "pretty well," or "not quite as much." Nothing! But just in case we can't figure out the next implication of this vine and branches analogy, Jesus makes it explicit:

If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. - (6)

It isn't just vines. Cut a branch off of any plant and see what happens to it! That is us apart from Christ, and that is why apart from him we can do Nothing.

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - (11)

Why do we insist on that inner sense of disappointment when we know that some tempting thing is not God's plan for us? Why do we think of God as the Great Naysayer rather than the one whose love for us is so great that he wants our joy to be full? Why do we not trust him to provide for our every need, and insist on grasping for some forbidden fruit that only destroys our life and our joy? But when we trust and abide in Jesus, we find our lives filled with meaning and maximize our joy both in this world and for eternity.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (12-13)

When Jesus said this, the disciples had no idea what he was talking about, but he knew he was about to show them! Sometimes I judge my love as less than it should be, and usually when I do it's because I'm trying to measure my feelings. But when I consider the evidence of my life, when I consider it carefully, I can see that I am laying it down for my beloved ones. Then I feel better, and am less judgmental of myself.