A few months ago, back in Advent, I reflected upon the magnificent depiction of the Jesse Tree on our parish ceiling. Beginning above the sanctuary, we see Jesse the father of King David, with the shoot coming forth from his side. Between each of the rafters are the generations of Jesse, through David and Solomon, all the way to the one about whom the prophets foretold, the one who would be king of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus the Savior, who is depicted blessing us as we come into Church and as we go out of Church.
If we look above the altar, we see, sort of connected to the Jesse Tree, vine branches, swirling and twirling amidst the domed apse of the sanctuary. Branches, vine branches. When I was made pastor here, those vine branches looked so familiar to me, like I’d seen them before. And when I realized what they reminded me of, it all made sense. The vines and branches of our sanctuary apse are modeled after a very famous church in Rome, one of the most ancient churches in the world, the minor basilica of San Clemente, named after the first century Pope, Pope St. Clement I who was martyred around the year 99 during the persecution of the Emperor Trajan. St. Clement is mentioned in the first Eucharistic prayer, which we’ll use today.
Fr. Hanharan, 2nd pastor of St. Ignatius, charged with building this magnificent church. And my guess is that when he made pilgrimage to Rome back in the 1920s, he visited the major basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, St. John Lateran, which are certainly the inspiration for the architecture of our beautiful Church, but also he must have made a pious visit to Basilica San Clemente. Why San Clemente? Because it is there that lay the relics of our parish patron, St. Ignatius of Antioch. And there in the apse of San Clemente, is one of the most beautiful mosaics in the world of the vine and the branches described by the Lord in the Gospel today.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.” The Psalms and the prophets depict God as a vine grower. Psalm 80 says, “O God, You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out nations and planted it. You cleared out what was before it; it took deep root and filled the land.” Israel is the vine planted by God the vine grower. And the Psalm speaks of how God delivered this Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and how he continues to tend his vine, giving his people what they need to be holy. The is certainly a prefigurement of what God has done for the Church: delivering us from the slavery of sin through Christ, giving us the Gospel and the sacraments for us to be holy and bear fruit for the kingdom.
“I am the vine, you are the branches,” the Lord says to his disciples. The life and power and grace of Jesus Christ flows into the members of the Church. Jesus is the indispensable source of life for the Church, the one upon whom we constantly and radically depend. “Without me you can do nothing” he says. Nothing good comes from being separated from Jesus Christ. Nothing good comes from acting on motivations divorced from Jesus’ teachings.
Communion with Jesus is so vital, that those who are severed from him are spiritually dead branches that will be cast into the fire. The fire Jesus mentions here is of course the fires which await those who remain severed from him in this life through sin, unbelief, and failure to repent.
Rather than spiritual death, the Lord, of course, desires for us vibrant and abundant spiritual life. But just as plants need constant exposure to sunlight for energy, we need constant expose to the light and life of Jesus through the Sacraments and through prayer.
This new month of May we have a great model of one connected to the abundant life of God in Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first time we meet Mary in the Scriptures, is in the house of Nazareth. Sacred Art often depicts Mary, seat in Nazareth with the Scriptures in her lap. Mary, no doubt was a woman of prayer, and a lover of God’s Holy Word. Mary, disposed her mind and soul to the light and life and love of God through her whole life through prayer and scripture study, and the total availability and total trust she exhibited when asked to be the Mother of the Son of God, no doubt flowed from a life of prayer and a desire to follow the example of the holy men and women of the Hebrew Scriptures. We too need to expose ourselves to the light and life of God through prayer and regular reading of scripture. You might consider joining our parish bible study, which meets Monday evenings in the school, to ponder, like Mary God’s Holy Word.
Consider too how Our Lady, didn’t just pray on her own. No doubt, she prayed with her righteous husband, Joseph. Their spousal prayer was no doubt a constant source of strength and comfort in their many challenges. Our Lady also engaged in communal prayer with the apostles. As they awaited the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they gathered with Mary for prayer. Yes, we need private prayer throughout the week, but like Mary with the apostles, we also need time praying with others. Spouses, please pray with each other. Parents and Grandparents, please pray with your children and grandchildren.
Speaking of communal prayer, I’d like to share with you one of the amazing new apostolates being undertaken by our legion of Mary. Prior to easter, our parish legion discerned a new ministry of gathering at the graves of our parishioners who have died in the past year or two for the praying of the rosary. Additionally, members of our parish legion invite family members of the deceased to gather for the prayer. What a holy ministry! If you’d like to learn more about this powerful apostolate, give me a call or send me an email, and I can put you in touch with Legion Members, or you can speak with them after our May Crowning after the 11am mass.
Yearly, Pope Francis, urges Catholics to pray the rosary during the month of May. If you haven’t prayed the rosary in few months or a few years, don’t let the month of May go by without picking up the beads. For Our Lady wants to see that abundant life and grace obtained through her son’s death and resurrection flourish in us. She wants to see the gifts of the Holy Spirit grow in us. And the rosary is a powerful means of seeking her assistance and disposing our souls to the help Jesus wishes to give us through his mother.
May Mother Mary help us to remain united to Jesus in mind, body, and spirit, to pray as we ought, to bear fruit as we ought, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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