Chosen to Love: Reflections on the True Vine
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 15:1-17
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.
Grace Prayed For
Based on this passage, a fitting grace to pray for is: The grace to truly believe I am chosen and loved with a Trinitarian love, and to remain in that love so deeply that it naturally bears the fruit of selfless love in every one of my daily encounters.
Reflection
Jesus doesn’t begin with a command, but with an image of profound intimacy: “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Before I am asked to do anything, I am invited to simply be—to be connected, to be a part of Him. This is the foundation. My life, my strength, and my ability to love don’t originate with me. They are drawn directly from the lifeblood of Jesus, the True Vine. When I feel spiritually dry or unable to love, it’s often because I’ve tried to be my own vine, forgetting to simply remain connected to my source.
The call to “remain in my love” isn’t a passive suggestion; it’s the very condition for a joyful and fruitful life. It’s an active, moment-by-moment choice to stay put in the knowledge of His love for me. Jesus says, “As the Father loves me, so I love you.” This isn’t a small, human-sized love. It’s a staggering, Trinitarian love—the same love that exists between the Father and the Son—and He gives it freely to me. He doesn’t just love me; He loves me as the Father loves Him. Letting that truth sink in changes everything. It’s a love that transforms me from a servant, who simply follows orders, into a friend, who is brought into the inner circle and shares in the Father’s heart.
This friendship isn’t just for my own comfort; it’s for a mission. I was chosen and appointed to “go and bear fruit that will remain.” What is this fruit? It’s the tangible evidence of His love flowing through me into the world. It’s the patience I show a difficult coworker, the compassion I extend to a stranger, the forgiveness I offer to someone who has hurt me. It’s the simple act of truly seeing and listening to another person. Every encounter becomes an opportunity not to “do” something for God, but to allow God’s love within me to connect with God’s love in another. This is how we partner with Jesus in His restorative mission—one loving encounter at a time. The command is simple, yet profound: “Love one another as I have loved you.” It all starts, and ends, with remaining in Him.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Evangelizing in Daily Life
Evangelization often feels intimidating, but at its core, it’s simply letting Christ’s love shine through you. Here’s how you can fulfill your Baptismal mission in simple, everyday ways:
- Practice Active Listening: In conversations, focus completely on the other person without planning your response. This act of selfless attention is a powerful form of love that makes people feel seen and valued, reflecting God’s love for them.
- Share Your “Why”: When someone asks how your weekend was, instead of just listing activities, you might say, “It was really refreshing. I had some time for prayer that really grounded me.” This opens a natural door without being preachy.
- Offer a Specific Prayer: When a friend or colleague shares a struggle, say, “That sounds incredibly difficult. I’m going to pray for you about that right now.” It makes your offer of prayer immediate and tangible.
- Choose Generosity: Intentionally choose to be generous with your time, your smile, or your resources. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you, let someone go ahead of you in traffic, or offer a genuine compliment. These small acts of sacrificial love are seeds of the Gospel.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post