HOLY SPIRIT FRUIT - 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (5/2/2021)

Acts 9:26-31
Psalm 22
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8

HOLY SPIRIT FRUIT

Do you prefer good fruit or bad fruit? I know…a ridiculous question! Everyone, including the Lord our God, wants good fruit. And the Lord will do whatever is necessary so that we bear good fruit, both interiorly as well as exteriorly. Our readings deal with that today.

ACTS

Saul left Jerusalem for Damascus on a rampage, “breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (cf. Acts 9:1). But today’s first reading finds Saul back in Jerusalem totally changed, a truly different person - one who had actually seen the Lord and spoken with him. The disciples in Jerusalem, however, were not so easily convinced. Thank God for Barnabas, who “took charge of him” and vouched for him to the apostles.

Saul then turns all his fiery zeal toward trying to convert the Hellenists - that is, Greek-speaking Jews - who promptly responded by trying to kill him! Not the first time for Saul – it actually happened in Damascus - and it surely wouldn’t be the last.

The Church, however, was at peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord, enjoying the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

GOSPEL

The Holy Spirit obviously enabled the early Church to grow and bear good fruit exteriorly. But the Spirit also produces growth and good fruit interiorly, for all who are joined to the “true vine” – the Lord Jesus himself. There seem to be only two choices here: 1) being pruned in order to bear more fruit or 2) being cast out as a withered branch, to be thrown into a fire and burned up.

Being pruned, cut back, doesn’t feel really good. But you will agree, it beats the other option! May the Holy Spirit keep us joined to the true vine and help us endure the pruning so that we may produce good fruit.

FIRST LETTER OF JOHN

As it has been for the last few weeks, our second reading is from First John, with its characteristic emphases on love and truth, faith and obedience to the commandments.

It tells us that “(God’s) commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.”

Ultimately, of course, it all comes back to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who has been given to us. God’s Spirit in us produces the good fruit of faith, love, and obedience.

THE “BOTTOM LINE”

What would we say, then, is the “bottom line” of our readings today? I believe it would be something like this: We bear good fruit by remaining in Jesus, the true vine, tended by the Father, the vine grower. We are able to bear good fruit only through the word of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit to us.

May our prayer be: Father, keep us in peace; build us up and let us walk in reverence and fear of the Lord, with the consolation of the Holy Spirit; in the name of Jesus, Amen.