Homily for Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus describes Himself and His followers using the metaphor of the vine and its branches. He speaks about pruning away the branches that do not bear fruit. This pruning can symbolize many things, as there are various aspects of our lives that we need to trim back.

We need to eliminate those things that hinder us from following the two essential commandments: to believe in and love God, and to love one another as Jesus commanded.

It is important to prune away anything that prevents our faith from flourishing in our lives and souls. Each of us has different areas that require pruning. This might include our pride, selfishness, materialistic desires, negative thoughts, or unhealthy relationships. We can be certain that, by our very nature, we must remove perceptions, prejudices, judgments, and attitudes that obstruct our faith from bearing fruit.

Let us take some time in prayer to reflect on what prevents us from adhering to these two fundamental commandments. Together, let us commit to pruning those distractions from our lives.