OUR LADY OF FATIMA (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Remain in me, as I remain in you

Jesus uses the beautiful image of the vine and the branches to describe the way in which we are united with and depend on him.   As the vine supports all its branches, his divine life flows into us.   Without him, we would not be able to grow or be fruitful in our life of faith.   We would be like dry, dead wood, incapable of producing anything.

That’s why Jesus tells us to remain in him.   But how do we do that, especially when each day we face a mountain of responsibilities that take our thoughts away from God?   By leaning into him continually—in love, in trust, and in friendship.

This requires a decision on our part to try to reach out to the Lord at every moment of the day.   It can begin with a morning offering in which you dedicate the day to him.   Maybe you can pray like this:  “Thank you, Lord, for giving me this day to love and serve you.   Help me to remain in you.”

You also come into the Lord’s presence during your regular time of prayer, but it doesn’t have to end there.   You can seek encounters with God as you go about your day.   As you are folding laundry, you can sing a song of praise.   At the office, you can take a moment to offer him a prayer of gratitude.   You can express your love to God even when you are in the car waiting for the stoplight to turn green.

As the day progresses, you may feel anxiety welling up in you or experience a moment of sadness or find yourself struggling with temptation.   Those are especially important times when you can cry out to God and tell him what’s on your heart and then spend a moment listening to see if he has something to say to you.

Remaining in Christ really does make a difference.   Who knows?   If you try it today, you may become aware of an opening to share your faith with a coworker.   Or maybe you’ll find the grace to be more patient with a difficult child.   The possibilities are endless as you strive to live in him and believe that he lives in you.

“Jesus, you are the vine, I am the branch.   May I always be united with you.”

Acts 15:1-6
Psalm 122:1-5