“With the love of a father, God tells us: ‘My son, treat yourself well... Do not deprive yourself of a happy day’ (Sir 14:11.14). He wants us to be positive, grateful and uncomplicated: ‘In the day of prosperity, be joyful’ (Eccl 7:14). Whatever the case, we should remain resilient and imitate Saint Paul: ‘I have learned to be content with what I have’ (Phil 4:11). Saint Francis of Assisi lived by this; he could be overwhelmed with gratitude before a piece of hard bread, or joyfully praise God simply for the breeze that caressed his face.” (Pope Francis) What if we sought to have the same attitude? What if we lived our life in this manner? We have allowed the culture around us to complicate and devalue our life as sons and daughters of God. Can we reverse this? Yes. Begin by choosing to be joyful and grateful for the little blessings of each day. Like yeast this attitude of joy will permeate our whole day.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER GOSPEL B

Jesus said: "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 everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 
· The OT frequently uses the imagery of the vine for the Chosen People in their relationship with Yahweh, who is the vine grower. Here Jesus identifies himself as the true vine in contrast to Israel who did not open its heart to the Messiah. Those committed to Jesus as part of the vine.
· In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the "I am" metaphor on a number of occasions: "I am the bread of life" (6:35); "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (6:51); "I am the light of the world" (8:12); "I am the gate for the sheep" (10:7); "I am the good shepherd" (10:11); "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (14:6).
· The Father does two things: removes dead branches; prunes fruitful branches so as to bear more fruit. The analogy is that those who are dead in sin are cut off and those who are in union but not bearing full fruit are pruned.
· What is God doing in your life? What purification is God calling forth so that you can live in his life more fruitfully?

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.”
· Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine; Paul in 1 Cor will use the metaphor of the Body to reflect the same mystery of union with Jesus.
· Using this passage spend some time in prayer reflecting on your relationship with Jesus. What is the fruit of your relationship with Jesus?

“I appeal to you by the mercy of God. This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in his mercy to avoid having to punish us in his severity. Listen to the Lord’s appeal: In me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine, but why not love what is human? You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing my bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no less to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.” (St. John Chrysologus) We are the adoptive sons and daughters of God. At times we live and act as strangers and runaway slaves. The Father wants to love us but because of the wounds and vulnerabilities of our past we put up a wall between us. We want to be loved but we don't trust love. Thanks be to God, he never gives up on us, waiting for a crack to open up.

"Christian joy is usually accompanied by a sense of humor. We see this clearly, for example, in St. Thomas More, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Philip Neri.  Ill humor is no sign of holiness. "Remove vexation from your mind" (Eccl 11:10). We receive so much from the Lord 'for our enjoyment' (1 Tim 6:17) that sadness can be a sign of ingratitude. We can get so caught up in ourselves that we are unable to recognize God's gifts." (Pope Francis) We can choose to be joyful or choose to be downcast. In either case our day will be determined by this choice. We can't determine the many circumstances of our day, but we can decide our attitude towards them. When we are joyful in whatever circumstances  we find ourselves in, we are choosing to be open to the grace of God in the present moment. When we are depressed by the circumstances, we can't appreciate the beauty around us, since we are caught up with only the negative. "Rejoice in the Lord always."

“Hard times may come, when the cross casts its shadow, yet nothing can destroy the supernatural joy that ‘adapts and changes, but always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.’ That joy brings deep security, serene hope and a spiritual fulfillment that the world cannot understand or appreciate.” (Pope Francis) Yes, my true, inner and lasting joy comes from the faith conviction that God loves me unconditionally. That is what sustained Jesus on the cross, the personal love of the Father. What else have we to hold to in our personal struggles of life, except this conviction? I am loved by God. Many of the martyrs reflected this joy as they were dying. Listen to the account of St. Paul Miki and his companions. “Then he looked at his comrades and began to encourage them in their final struggle. Joy glowed in all their faces, and in Louis’ most of all. When a Christian in the crowd cried out to him that he would soon be in heaven, his hands, his whole body strained upward with such joy that every eye was fixed on him.” Lord, I pray for this joy throughout my life, but especially at the end!