The cherry blossom is one of the quite commonly recognisable symbols of Japan. As someone with a long-term interest in Japanese culture, I was impressed by a well-manicured cherry tree in blossom that I spotted in a garden a couple of days ago while walking the dog. Someone really had put some effort over the years into shaping the tree in a certain, desired way. I don’t know whether the owner was inspired by Japanese culture or not but such a connection instantly cropped up in my mind when I saw it. However, have you ever heard about Japanese cherry jam, or cherry-based alcoholic drink, or any other product of the cherry fruit? Neither have I, so I did some research and I found a lot of cosmetics using the cherry blossom moniker but not actual cherry tree produce. I can quite safely say that cherry blossom feeds the eye but nothing more.
In today’s gospel reading Jesus compares himself and his disciples to the vine. He meant the grapevine, a plant very well established in the culture of the Middle East, in the Scriptures and in the Jewish tradition. There are two main strands in this parable; the fruit of the vine and the connection between the main part and its branches. Let’s begin with the latter.
‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me […] bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.’ Like most plants, the grapevine consists of the root, trunk and branches. Even without advanced knowledge, we understand the image Jesus used here. But how are we connected to Jesus? The first clue is in the plural form: ‘you are the branches.’ This connection between you and Jesus is personal but never individual; it’s personal and intimate but within a wider community. A very similar iteration of this parable was made by St Paul who compared the community of the faithful to the body where Christ is its head but all other parts need one another (1 Corinthians 12). The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: ‘The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as the bride of Christ.’ (CCC 789) The image in today’s gospel is different (the vine and branches) but the meaning is exactly the same. Consequently, the individualistic approach to the Christian faith, expressed by the phrase ‘I don’t need the Church to believe’ is wrong. Why?
This is where the second strand of this parable comes to the fore: ‘Whoever remains in me […] bears fruit in plenty.’ Unlike the cherry blossom, the grapevine flowers are not particularly attractive; so much so that when I googled grapevine blossom most photos showed grapes, not flowers. Since time immemorial the plant has been valued for its fruit, not for its look. In the same vein, bearing fruit is the criteria by which Jesus’s disciples are assessed. So, what kind of fruit should we bear to be recognised as His followers? St Paul listed them in the Letter to the Galatians: ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.’ (Gal 5:22-23) When we look closer at this list we can see that those fruits relate to our interaction with other people rather than to a sense of self-satisfaction. Those fruits don’t exist in a void; they can only be seen when we interact with other people. In other words, their natural environment is in a community.
To be honest, this list of desired spiritual fruit can be quite discouraging as it looks very demanding. Because it is. However, this is not necessarily a description of where you are now; it’s something to aim at. Here comes the third important aspect of today’s gospel reading; the aspect I have deliberately left aside for the time being: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch […] that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more.’ Pruning ‘entails the targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted plant material.’ (Wikipedia) Or as we say ‘no pain, no gain.’ You are pruned […]’ – reads the gospel – ‘by means of the word that I have spoken to you.’ In the community of the Church, we can get a sound interpretation of the word of God. It can be comforting and supports us in our efforts; but it can also challenge us to correct, improve, change, or get rid of our attitudes. The proclaimed word of God can call us to reconsider our priorities, values, desires or longings. We can look at things happening in our lives from a different perspective and see them as the ways in which we are being pruned.
Admittedly, the cherry blossom is impressively beautiful. But it’s also very short-lived. Our vocation is different: ‘I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.’ (John 15:16)
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay