Blessed are you, Holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
From you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ Our God! Image Courtesy: Ascension Press
- “…What must I do to be saved? — Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,
you and your household.” –Acts 16:30-31
- Jesus: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.” –John 14:6- All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. –2 Timothy 3:16-17
The True Vine
Jesus to His Disciples: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the Vinegrower. He removes every
branch in Me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more
fruit. You have already been cleansed by the Word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me as I
abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither
can you unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the braches. Those who abide in Me and
I in them bear much fruit because apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide
in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; Such branches are gathered, thrown into the
fire and burned. If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and
it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My
disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; Abide in My love. If you keep My
Commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s Commandments and
abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy
may be complete.
This is My Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are My friends if you do what I commanded you. I do not call you servants any longer
because the servant does not know what the master is doing but I have called you friends
because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. You did not
choose Me but I chose you and I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last so that
the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My name. I am giving you these commands so
that you may love one another.”
The World’s Hatred
Jesus: “If the world hates you be aware that it hated Me before it hated you. If you belonged tp
the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world but I
have chosen you out of the world — therefore the world hates you. Remember the Word that I
said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will
persecute you; If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also but they will do all these things
to you on account of My name because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come
and spoken to them, they would not have sin but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one
else did, they would not have sin but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. It
was to fulfill the Word that is written in their Law,
‘They hated Me without a cause.’ (See: Psalm 69:4)
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who
comes from the Father, He will testify on My behalf. You also are to testify because you have
been with Me from the beginning.” –John 15:1-27
Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB
Tweet