REMAIN IN ME
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.
You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross
Greeting and Introductory Words
L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.
L: In our digital world, we are aware of the importance, perhaps the necessity, of staying connected. The liturgy this morning invites us to stay connected with God and with one another. We pray that we stay online with God.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times being online in the virtual world has caused us to be offline in the real world with God and with our loved ones, we ask the Lord for his mercy.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, the true Vine, your Father prunes us:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, the true Vine, you call us to remain in you:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, the true Vine, you invite us to bear fruit:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
Gloria
Opening Prayer
L: O God,
you graft us onto Christ, the true vine,
and, with tireless care,
you nurture our growth.
Tend the vineyard of your Church,
that in Christ each branch may bring forth
to the glory of your name
abundant fruits of faith and love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.
Reading 1 Acts 9:26-31
Psalm Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
Response I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or: Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 John 3:1-2
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
Gospel John 15:1-8
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with the disciples when Jesus talks about the vine and the branches.
What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear him say: “He (the Father) takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit”?
Sunday Snippets
A few days ago, our gardener was trimming the plants. There was something noticeable about the trimmed parts on the ground. Within minutes these started wilting and soon died.
Now one might say: “Duh! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that! Obviously, a branch/twig cannot live apart from the plant.”
True! But seeing the wilted and dying twigs drilled home this truth.
Jesus uses this fact of nature as a metaphor for Christianity. In his farewell discourse in John’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches... without me you can do nothing.”
The disciples knew about the importance of the vine: it was a cash crop. But beyond economy, the vine was a symbol of the nation; often in the Old Testament, Israel is pictured as a vine or vineyard of God.
Jesus indicates that he is the new Israel; it is vital for his disciples to remain connected to him for them to have life and to bear fruit.
How does one remain connected to Jesus?
In three ways: by gathering in his name; by listening to his word; by sharing his body and blood. That’s what we do every time we celebrate the Eucharist! The principal way of remaining in Jesus is through the Eucharist. Another way is through prayer – not a recitation of formula, not a listing of needs and wants – but an intimate relationship with God.
How do we know we remain in Jesus and he in us?
“Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them” (second reading). His commandment is that we love one another… the way Barnabas loved the recently converted Paul (first reading). We know we remain in Jesus when we bear the fruit of love.
Remaining in Jesus also necessitates pruning! The Father prunes the vine so that it grows to its potential. He prunes everything that resists life/ drains our energy and prevents us from becoming who we are called to be.
The liturgy calls us to remain connected with Jesus the vine and to allow the Father the vine-grower to prune us that we may bear fruit.
How will I remain in Jesus? What areas of my life are draining my energy and preventing me from being the real me?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: What motivated Paul to speak out boldly? Think of people who speak out to against social-economic injustice, discrimination, and for climate change. What are some ways in which I can “speak out”?
Reading 2: St John asks us to “walk the walk, not just to talk the talk.” Where do I fit on a continuum between walkers and talkers?
Gospel: What does it mean for me to remain in Jesus? When have I most relied on him?
What parts of my life need to be pruned away? What fruit has God brought to bear in my life?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: If we remain in our Lord Jesus Christ as branches on the vine, we may ask what we will and it will be done for us. With this confidence, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may continually draw life from Christ and bear a rich harvest of virtues and Gospel values for God’s glory, we pray…
R: For our nation during the general elections: that candidates may commit themselves to the common good and that all citizens may cast their vote prudently we pray…
R: For all who feel cut off from God, friends, themselves, or life itself: that God may show them how they are connected and from whom they can draw life, we pray…
R: For all who are experiencing pruning through loss, transition, or change: that God may give them strength, guide them, and help them find courage and support through us, we pray…
R: For greater stewardship of the earth: that God may inspire us to care for his creation and ensure that it benefits all his children, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that God may help us to let go of those things which need to be pruned so that God’s life and love may blossom in our lives, we pray…
L: God our Father, may your Son Jesus, the vine in which we live, stay with us always. Keep us one with you and each other and make us bear fruit that lasts. Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The Lord’s Prayer
Spiritual Communion
A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.
Post Spiritual Communion Reflection
Lord,
you are the vine and we are the branches.
The branches move and live
and have their being in the vine.
Help us
to remain in you
so that we may bear fruit;
to allow the vine grower to prune us
of everything that sucks out life from us
so that we may bear more fruit.
You have given us a sign
to know whether we remain in you:
keeping your commandment of love.
Strengthen us to love as you have loved us.
Do not let us be separated from you.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Father, we thank you
for giving us the true vine,
your Son Jesus Christ.
May we go on living united with him
and with one another.
And when we grope in the dark in days of trial,
reassure us that you are only purifying our faith.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
Blessing
L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.
Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
