Jn 15,1-8 – Wednesday of the V Week of Easter
Two powerful images are given to us from today’s Gospel page. The first is that of life: “I am the vine, you are the branches”. The Father is the vinedresser and each of us is a branch called to remain united to Christ. But a branch may not bear fruit, and for this reason it needs to be pruned.
Pruning is a cut, and every cut in life hurts. Yet not all cuts are destructive. Some are necessary, because they free the plant from what is superfluous and make it capable of bearing fruit. How many times do we also experience “cuts”: situations that we did not choose, renunciations, losses, changes. If we are united with Christ, those cuts do not destroy us, but purify us. They help us stop living on appearance, on leaves, and orient us towards what really matters: the fruit. But there is also another type of cut, the one that separates from the vine. And then the branch dries up. Without the bond with Christ, life loses its lifeblood. This is why Jesus says a clear word: “Without me you can do nothing”.
It is not a condemnation, but a truth. It doesn’t mean that we are incapable of acting, but that without Him we risk losing meaning, depth, true life. It’s like a plant without water: it can hold on for a while, but it can’t really live. Christ is what gives life to our lives. And yet we must honestly recognize that God can reach a person even in mysterious ways. There are people we meet who are profoundly alive, authentic, luminous. Their secret, ultimately, is always Christ, even when they are not fully aware of it.
