The Gospel for Wednesday of the fifth week of Easter is taken from John 15:8. Jesus said to his disciples, I am the true vine. My Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone 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.

It will be done for you by this is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. Jesus continues to teach his disciples the heart of what he has established, his kingdom. The kingdom is one in which he lives in you. You live in Him. And the goodness that you have through that union is what you give to the world. It’s called love, acceptance, encouragement, hope.

The fruitfulness that God wants each of us to have is nourishing our brothers and sisters and ourselves through this mysterious, indwelling presence of God. Without connection to that. We have no real capacity to give life to anyone. Closing prayer Father, we can become overwhelmed when we look around us and see the things that we would like to see change. And if we do our work and try to fix them, it is even more discouraging. Because we are not the ones who can fix this world or improve the way people treat each other.

It’s only you. You are the gift. Help us to trust in the gift of you, in me, in all of us, and resonate that, intend it for the world and know that it is more than enough. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.