Indeed we groan, oh how we groan! As time goes by, our bodies remind us through pains that we might be closer than we think to returning home to our Heavenly Father. We are made to witness the desparture of friends, family and greatly loved ones who have gone ahead before us.
Through our conviction of faith we thank and praise God our Heavenly Father! For in His great love for us we have hope of eternal life with Him through His son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. How do we know this for sure? For the Spirit speaks this unwavering truth deep into our hearts. And so we wait in eager anticipation for our reunion with those who had returned to our true home.
Even as we wait patiently, our sweet and loving saviour the source of all life invites us to remain connected with Him at all times. Through Him we are nourished, renewed, invigorated to share in His love. Such that we live not for ourselves but for one another. This is what it means to be in communion, this is what it means to bear fruit for the glory of God. Amen
St Theresa of Avila pray for us….
First reading
Romans 8:22-27 ·
The Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words
From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved – our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were – but, as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet – it is something we must wait for with patience.
The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.
Gospel
John 15:1-8
I am the vine, you are the branches
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit
he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.’
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