Today on the podcast a reflection on the words of Jesus : “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me" (John 15:1-4).

Jesus reserved these words for the Apostles within the intimacy of the Last Supper before His death. And, being a perfect teacher, He reserves these most profound and moving words for His last evening as a workshop for the first evangelization.

With this imagery, Jesus is saying that there are three points of entrance into His Heart: the vine a Eucharistic symbol, pruning a symbol of the Cross, and His actual words. These three points are an instruction on the interior life.

Jesus doesn't just say "remain in me". He says: "I want you to bear fruit" and "I appointed you". Our Lord is asking us to put the interior life first so that we develop the capacity to give others in a consistent way the experience of the Heart of Christ.As we reflect and pray with this meditation, we ask Our Lady: "Convert me to the need for a robust interior life where I abide in your Son so I bear the fruit of the Heart and Love of your Son."

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