I am the vine; you are the branches.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Christ gives the beautiful image of the vine and the branches. Those who remain in him will bear fruit and those who do not will be pruned away.
If you have never really focused on vine and branches before I recommend you have a look. The vine grows and wraps itself completely around, in and through the branches to the point where it can be impossible to separate the two. This is why Christ using the image is so powerful! Christ wishes that we remain in him so he can remain in us being so close that it is difficult to be separate.
This Gospel also has a special place in my heart because I am part of a group called the Vine Mass. At its core, the message of the Vine Mass is from this Gospel. When the group began, the Masses were created to allow people to be more involved. The Masses are Taizé-styled; prayers and petitions that people write are burnt during the Mass so they rise like incense. During the homily and prayers of the faithful, people can share their thoughts or feelings on the scripture.
With time and patience, the group has grown and outreached like a vine. Annual events are held such as the Harvest Festival, the Living Passion and fundraising concerts for the Help Us Help Others initiative. So many fruits come from events and can be seen within the people we meet along the way. But for me some of the most powerful moments are the still ones… quiet… being… remaining with Christ.
With the world we live in, it can sometimes be so easy to forget where the base line we began at is and when we have an idea, we run with it. It is important to keep returning to refresh and recharge. Any sort of ministry can be highly demanding and busy so within it we need to make sure that we take time to self-care and spiritually recharge. If we remain in Christ, he will remain in us.
We are the branches and Christ is the vine that covers us, holds us together and helps us reach further.
Réiltín Geoghegan – Réiltín has a Degree in World Religions & Theology, with English Literature. She is part of the chaplaincy team in Templeogue College and in Greenhills & Kimmage parishes. She is also part ofthe Vine Team and does youth ministry in the parishes of Springfield, Fettercairn, Jobstown and Brookfield in Dublin 24.
Photo by jose alfonso sierra on Unsplash
Réiltín Geoghegan
