Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Perseverance is one of the duties of the Christian life. Without question, we will face obstacles that impede our living as disciples of Jesus, and temptation will be a constant and ever-adapting nuisance until the end of our days. Perseverance, then, is a strugglesome duty - a duty that knows the risk and consequences of failure.
It is for our own benefit that Jesus urges us to remain in him, as branches remaining in the vine, that we may bear good fruit and be true disciples. As Jesus reminds us we can do nothing without him. Perseverance, then, is ultimately about remaining in Jesus, the Vine.
How, then, might we remain in Christ? Frequent reception of the Eucharist is one of the most efficacious ways of remaining in Christ. This is not to suggest that the Eucharist is some kind of drug that influences us against our will; we must cooperate with the grace we receive in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is, however, the sacrament that strengthens us for the struggles ahead - like true spiritual food. It is the sacrament that unites us to Christ. As Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him” (John 6:56). It is no coincidence that the Eucharist is also called Communion.
May we receive Communion faithfully and frequently. May we remain in the Vine. And, remaining in the Vine, may we bear good fruit by showing our faith in works of love.