He explained how the Lord appeared to Saul and spoke to him on his journey.

When SAul got to Jersulam he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

This is the word of the Lord

A reading from the first letter of St John 1Jn 3:18-24

His commandments are these: that we believe and that we love one another.

My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are the children of the truth and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence, whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything. My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our conscience, we need not be afraid in God's presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants. His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John Jn 15:1-8

All who live in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.

Jesus said to his disciples::

'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he purnes to make it bear even more. You are purned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remins in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away - he withers; these branches are collected and collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples'.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

REFLECTIONS:

I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES 

Jesus compares our relationship with him to a vine and its branches. He is the center, the source, and the foundation. Cutting and detaching ourselves from him will cause us to wither and die. Away from Jesus, we are useless and helpless; we cannot bear fruit. Jesus is our nourishment and our very life.  

We are called to remain in Jesus: to live with him, to be in communion with him. United to Jesus, we are to be pruned. What is useless and unnecessary in us is cut off. We let go of the excess baggage in our life. The pruning is our self-purification so that we can be healthy and fruitful for the Lord.

We become useless branches when we do not listen to Jesus. We refuse to accept him; we go against his will and rebel against his ways because we are unwilling to let go of the comforts and convenience of life. We do not bear fruit when we listen but do not obey. We pay lip service but do not perform. Or we listen but, confronted with difficulties and trials, we give up.