Remain in Him

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/050315.cfm) reminds me how important and powerful remaining in God is.

Greatness is never achieved inside your comfort zone.

This is true in most aspects of life. Athletes train and push themselves to the limit to improve themselves, to imrpove their endurance, their performance, their game. People who push themselves to the limit at work, in school or in business are often the ones achieve greatness. This is true in the bible as well. Those who are willing to step out of their comfort zones were used mightily by God. – David, Abraham, Moses, Paul, Elijah – to name a few great people.

Leaving your comfort zone causes pain.

You know you’re in your comfort zone when you have that – comfort. There is no new thing being learned, no new realizations, no new improvements, no growth. Growth is often accompanied by pain. And only when we leave our comfort zone, only when we welcome transforming pain, will we grow and improve. Only then can we achieve greatness.

This is what Jesus tells us in the gospel. God will prune us so we can bear much fruit. It may entail pain, but it will be for a good cause. It will be for greatness. However, there is one thing we should remember all throughout – that we should remain in Jesus, just like the great people in the bible did. They experienced a lot of pain, but they did not give up. Instead, they remained in God and trusted in Him. Thus, God used them mightily.

In the first reading, we see Paul experiencing this. He experienced pain and persecution as a result of following God. However, he did not give up, but remained close to God. And we all know how great Paul became, and how many people Paul converted and brought to Christ. In the second reading, we see the commandment of God – to love others and remain in Him

May we continue to be faithful and remain In Chrsit, especially when faced with challenges. Let us have faith that as we allow him to lead us, as we step our of our comfort zones for him, he will use us in great ways.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another weekend. Lord, I thank you for all the blessings. Thank you for all the challenges that improve me. thank you for all the opportunities for growth. Help me remain in you as I live. I know that without you, I am nothing, so I will just stick to you and trust in you. Lord, I am willing to step out of my comfort zone for you. I am willing to experience pruning, to experience pain, so I can be better, so I can love you more, so I can serve you more. Do to me as you please, and use me mightily for your glory. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

------------------------------------------

May 3, 2015

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 53

Reading 1 Acts 9:26-31

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,

but they were all afraid of him,

not believing that he was a disciple.

Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,

and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord,

and that he had spoken to him,

and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem,

and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.

He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,

but they tried to kill him.

And when the brothers learned of this,

they took him down to Caesarea

and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.

It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,

and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.

The lowly shall eat their fill;

they who seek the LORD shall praise him:

“May your hearts live forever!”

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth

shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of the nations

shall bow down before him.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

To him alone shall bow down

all who sleep in the earth;

before him shall bend

all who go down into the dust.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

And to him my soul shall live;

my descendants shall serve him.

Let the coming generation be told of the LORD

that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born

the justice he has shown.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:18-24

Children, let us love not in word or speech

but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth

and reassure our hearts before him

in whatever our hearts condemn,

for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have confidence in God

and receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit he gave us.

Alleluia Jn 15:4a, 5b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.

Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:

“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.

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,

because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

people will gather them and throw them into a fire

and they will be burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,

ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified,

that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”