S. FAUSTI - "I am the vine, you are the branches," Jesus says to His present and future disciples. With this metaphor, full of suggestions, the glorified Lord speaks of His deep union with those who adhere to Him, love Him and observe the Words of Him. Vine and branches are a single plant : they have the same lymph and produce the same fruit. The context of the Last Supper and the image of the vine, referring to the wine, allude to the Eucharist: if one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, he has the eternal life, because the Lord make home in Him and he lives in the Lord. The discourse has the discontinuous continuity peculiar of the to plane down of the eagle : in an ascending stream, without perceptible motion, it carries us on high, with an ever greater vision that, from the sky, focuses every distance on earth. The truth has to be contemplated not one, but infinite times, in order to be interiorized and enjoied. Every time the memory of what has been understood is enlivened with new, simpler, deeper resonances that fill the heart and extend it endlessly. For us, who live in time, the repetition is the principle of life, such as heartbeat, breath rhythm and every other vital function. This also applies to life in Spirit: the Word, once again listened , chewed and assimilated, makes us live and grows us day by day. In the constant memory it impresses itself in us, it changes us and assimilates us to itself. One actually lives of what it remembers: it becomes what it has in its heart. In repetition there is no danger of boredom: in a frequent attendance, what is beautiful is ever more beautiful. Repetition is the foundation of contemplation, which gradually leads us to become a glare of the beauty of God. The vine is the fruit of the promised land: it gives the wine, which delights the heart of man. It is a symbol of joy and love, the “utmost” necessary for human life in order to be human. He recalls the principle of the signs that Jesus did in Cana, renewing the covenant. If we remain united to Him through faith, love and observance of His Word, we proceed from infidelity to fidelity, from sterility to fruitfulness, from mourning to joy. In Him the new Alliance between God and man is indissoluble, He is Himself the New Covenant, for He is both Son of God and Son of Man. The new people is formed by the branches joined to Him, the only vine that produces fruits of love. The Word “ to remain" dear to John, recalls relationships, affections, love. Man lives where he has his heart. He lives where he loves, he is at home in the one that he loves. In Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God, we too are children, turned toward the Father. The endpoint is joy, sign of the manifestation of God and fulfillment of the desires of the man.
The Vine and the Branches 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
S. FAUSTI - "I am the vine, you are the branches," Jesus says to His present and future disciples. With this metaphor, full of suggestions, the glorified Lord speaks of His deep union with those who adhere to Him, love Him and observe the Words of Him. Vine and branches are a single plant : they have the same lymph and produce the same fruit. The context of the Last Supper and the image of the vine, referring to the wine, allude to the Eucharist: if one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, he has the eternal life, because the Lord make home in Him and he lives in the Lord.
RispondiEliminaThe discourse has the discontinuous continuity peculiar of the to plane down of the eagle : in an ascending stream, without perceptible motion, it carries us on high, with an ever greater vision that, from the sky, focuses every distance on earth.
The truth has to be contemplated not one, but infinite times, in order to be interiorized and enjoied.
Every time the memory of what has been understood is enlivened with new, simpler, deeper resonances that fill the heart and extend it endlessly.
For us, who live in time, the repetition is the principle of life, such as heartbeat, breath rhythm and every other vital function.
This also applies to life in Spirit: the Word, once again listened , chewed and assimilated, makes us live and grows us day by day. In the constant memory it impresses itself in us, it changes us and assimilates us to itself.
One actually lives of what it remembers: it becomes what it has in its heart.
In repetition there is no danger of boredom: in a frequent attendance, what is beautiful is ever more beautiful. Repetition is the foundation of contemplation, which gradually leads us to become a glare of the beauty of God.
The vine is the fruit of the promised land: it gives the wine, which delights the heart of man. It is a symbol of joy and love, the “utmost” necessary for human life in order to be human.
He recalls the principle of the signs that Jesus did in Cana, renewing the covenant.
If we remain united to Him through faith, love and observance of His Word, we proceed from infidelity to fidelity, from sterility to fruitfulness, from mourning to joy.
In Him the new Alliance between God and man is indissoluble, He is Himself the New Covenant, for He is both Son of God and Son of Man.
The new people is formed by the branches joined to Him, the only vine that produces fruits of love.
The Word “ to remain" dear to John, recalls relationships, affections, love.
Man lives where he has his heart. He lives where he loves, he is at home in the one that he loves.
In Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God, we too are children, turned toward the Father.
The endpoint is joy, sign of the manifestation of God and fulfillment of the desires of the man.
The Vine and the Branches
RispondiElimina15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.