1. John 15:1-8 Branches attached to the true vine: Bear much fruit.Excerpts from The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

2. 1 I am the true vine, andneither can you, unless you my Father is theabide in me. vinedresser. 5 I am the vine, you are the2 Every branch of mine thatbranches. He who abides bears no fruit, he takesin me, and I in him, he it away, and every branchis that bears much that does bear fruit he fruit, for apart from me prunes, that it may bearyou can do nothing. more fruit.6 If a man does not abide in3 You are already made me, he is cast forth as a clean by the word which I branch and withers; and have spoken to you. the branches are4 Abide in me, and I in you. gathered, thrown into the As the branch cannotfire and burned. bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, 3. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. 4. In the Old Testament weWe need to bear much fruit. see Israel compared to aThe fruit (grapes) is vineyard (Isa. 5:1-7; Isa.crushed, trampled 27:2-6;Ps 80:8-16;Jer.underfoot in order to 2:21).become the best wine.In this parable Jesus tells us We bear much fruit when that the Father is the vine we, like Christ, are dresser.trampled, betrayed, abandoThe vine grower naturallyned, denied and thereby wants a rich harvest andglorified. in order to achieve thatHow many times in life have goal the grower needs toyou taken the morally prune unfruitful branches.correct position only to beJesus is the vine. trampled, abandoned, betrWe are the branchesayed and denied by close friends and maybe even family? 5. If we dont bear fruit the apostates, those whoFather will prune us, cut us abandon the faith, and tooff and burn us in the fireinvigorate the otherv.6. branches (disciples) toThe metaphor of the vine become even moreunderscores Jesus union fruitful.with His disciples, andWe are the branches, thetheir absolute dependencybody of Christ, theupon Him for life andChurch.growth.How are the branches fed?It assumes that because theBy the sap of the vine, thevinedresser (the Father) Holy Spirit.seeks an abundantThe Holy Spirit alsoharvest, he trims the vine originates in the roots ofstock (Jesus) to rid it of the vine.fruitless branches 6. Without the Holy Spirit freely between Him and those whoflowing through the vine would follow Him: "Abidethe branches wont in me, and I in you. . . . Iproduce any, much less anam the vine, you are theabundance, of fruit. branches." (John 15:4)CCC 787 From the And He proclaimed abeginning, Jesus mysterious andassociated His disciples real communion betweenwith His own life, revealedHis own body and ours:the mystery of the "He who eats my flesh andKingdom to them, and drinks my blood abides ingave them a share in His me, and I in him." (Johnmission, joy, and6:56)sufferings.Jesus spoke of a still moreintimate communion 7. Excerpts from The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.