A reading from the Holy Gospel according to  John             15: 9-17

Jesus said to his disciples;

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love

If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

This is my commandment: Love one another, as I have loved you. a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. you are my friends, if you do what I command you, I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master's business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear furit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. What I command you is to love one anothr.

The Gospel of the Lord

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Isn’t it amazing to recall that the first human being to land on the moon did so 43 years ago! And what a feat it was in those days before modern technology soared to the dizzy heights it occupies today. And yet only recently I learned that no nation today could afford another moon landing! I remember how the lunar module Eagle carrying astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong, landed on the moon on 20th July 1969. While Armstrong prepared for his moon walk, Aldrin unpacked some bread and wine and put them on the guidance computer. He described what he did next. ‘I poured the wine into a cup and in the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled gracefully up the side of the cup. It is interesting to think that the very first food and drink on the moon were the communion elements’. Then just before eating the bread and drinking the wine, Aldrin read this passage from St. John’s Gospel: ‘I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in that person, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me’. (John 15: 1-8)

Commenting on this communion experience alone on the moon, Aldrin says, ‘I sense strongly my unity with the Church back home and the Church everywhere’.

That story not only gives special meaning to today’s Gospel, but also underscores the way we, the branches remain united with Jesus, the vine. Vatican 2 reminds us that we remain united to Jesus by three ways in particular; by gathering in his name, by listening to his word and by sharing his Body and Blood. Concerning Jesus’ presence among us, Jesus said, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18: 20). Concerning reading and explaining his word in the Scriptures Jesus told his disciples: ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me’ (Luke 10: 16). Finally concerning eating and drinking his Body and Blood, Jesus told his disciples, ‘whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person’ (John 6:56).

If we want to find Jesus today we will find him in his Church. Sometimes we hear people say that they can find Jesus and unite with him in their own way and that we don’t need the Church. However the only Jesus there is today is the Jesus who rose on Easter Day and this Jesus resides in his Church everywhere.

The old vine of the people of Israel had disappointed God’s expectations. Now the new Vine has been planted, a Vine that will bear fruits of life in all those who have been grafted into it by baptism. This Vine is the glorified humanity of the risen Saviour who gives life through his Spirit to its members. We the people of God are the branches of that Vine through whom the sap, the grace of God dwells – enlivening our assemblies in his name, breaking by his presence into the words of Scripture and sharing his real presence in the breaking of bread.

Fr. Kevin Lyon
Archdeacon of Glendalough