Light of The Word by Hans Urs von Balthasar

Author:Hans Urs von Balthasar [von Balthasar, Hans Urs]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Spiritual & Religion
ISBN: 9780898704587
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Published: 2012-09-13T16:00:00+00:00

[B] Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:26-31; 1 John 3:18-24; John 13:1-8

1. “I am the true vine.” The parable of the vine conveys a marvelous sense of assurance: that we are somehow rooted, firmly and enduringly; that our birth does not leave us orphaned, isolated, dependent solely on our fragile selves; that we are not merely creatures of an inscrutable Creator who may indeed give us existence and sustain us—for as long as it pleases him; that we do stem from an empowering and fructifying origin out of which we can lead a useful and meaningful existence. Yet the assertion that pervades the entire Gospel is more than this assurance. It is the requirement, based on the assurance, that we persist in our origin: “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” The requirement is so urgent that a threat lies behind it: whoever does not remain will wither away and be pruned off and burned. This takes place in a natural sense, as the parable of the vine and branches shows, but it also takes place in a personal sense, since God the Father himself is concerned for the union between his Son and his branches and members. This union is the central event of the world and its history, and it is such an intimate union that it tolerates no compromise: the branches are either attached to the vine’s trunk or they are separated. We have to take this to heart: “Without me you can do nothing”—no matter how much you think you can accomplish by yourselves.

2. The first reading, which tells of Paul’s implantation into the Church derives its meaning from the Gospel. The disciples in Jerusalem are fearful, unable to believe that the notorious persecutor could now suddenly become a true branch on the vine. It is Jesus Christ himself, not men, who selects men to be his branches. The future will demonstrate that Paul’s integration is a complete one permitting him to bear fruit as a branch of the vine (“I have toiled harder than all of them” [1 Cor 15:10]), even though the Church often remains mistrustful of converts, as Paul’s departure from Jerusalem and return to his homeland demonstrate. It will fall to the same man, Barnabas, who here introduces Paul to the Apostles, to fetch Paul back from Tarsus for their joint apostolate (Acts 11:25).

3. “God is greater than our hearts.” Still, fickle men that we are, we keep asking ourselves, “Am I really a branch rooted in the vine?” Which dominates me: trust in God’s grace for me or my well-founded doubts whether I live up to that grace? The second reading answers both sides of the question. Confidence ought to predominate in us, “because we are keeping his commandments”, because we seek to keep them. If, as is possible, “our heart [conscience] accuses us”, it rightfully, indeed necessarily, has recourse to God’s mercy. He, who “is greater than our hearts”, knows everything. Together with Peter, who is crushed by his having denied Christ, we can say, “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:17).

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