May 1, 2024
Wenesde for Wik Faiv for Easter
Readings for Tode
Saint Joseph the Worker—Memorial wey No Be Compulsory
Listen for English
“Na Me be di vine, na una be di branches. Anybody wey remain for Me, and wey I remain for am, go bear plenty fruit, because without Me una no fit do anything.” John 15:5
Di first wonderful thing to understand for this passage na di simple truth say God want produce good fruit for your life. E also want bring Im grace and mercy enter di world through you. Di vine no dey produce fruit alone; na through di branch dem e dey produce am. So if we take this teaching just as e be, God dey tell you say E don choose to bring Im grace and mercy enter your life and enter di world through you.
To make this holy mission wey all of us don receive clearer, Jesus talk one thing wey get very deep meaning. E say, “without Me, una no fit do anything.” As we dey think about this thing wey our Lord talk, e fit help us to reflect on wetin “nothing” mean. Saint Augustine point out say Jesus add “una no fit do anything” to stress di truth say, on our own, with only our own effort, we no fit even produce “small” good fruit. For example, e go be like person wey cut small branch from apple tree, come dey hope say di branch go produce apple.
Di fruit wey God want produce dey also grow inside your soul, as di Fruits of di Holy Spirit. These fruits na love, joy, peace, patience, kind heart, goodness, faithfulness, gentle character and self-control (See Galatians 5:22–23). Each of these gifts from God go change you more and more into image of God Imself for our world. Try take small time to think about each of those Fruits of di Holy Spirit. Each one na something wey good well-well to desire. As your desire for them dey grow, e go help your desire for di Holy Spirit for your life grow too.
When we look at di two parts of di Gospel passage wey we quote above, e clear too say if we separate ourselves from God, e no possible to experience even one of di Fruits of di Holy Spirit. If we no hold our God tight, we no go get love, joy, patience, kindness, and di rest. None of these things fit happen unless our lives join di Vine tight, and na Christ Imself be di Vine. So e good to build up desire for these good fruits, and also holy fear of losing dem.
Today, reflect on di fine picture wey get deep meaning, wey Jesus give us about di vine and di branch dem. Think of one vine, then think of yourself as you join that vine tight. Stay with that picture for prayer, and let God speak to you. E want do great things inside you and through you. If only you go hold on to Am with all your heart, plenty good fruit go come out.
Jesus, di Vine, na You be di source of all goodness, and without You, I no fit do anything. Help me always remember how deeply I need You for my life, and help me always hold on to You. Abeg, produce plenty good fruit for my life, and through me, bring am enter di world. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditations for Easter Season
Saint of the Day – Saint Joseph the Worker
Di pictures wey dey above: na Dimitris Vetsikas take dem, from Pixabay
