«On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the Word of God also continues to indicate to us the way and conditions to be a community of the Risen Lord,» Pope Francis on April 29, 2018, reminded the crowds in St. Peter’s Square to pray the noonday Regina Coeli. He continued:
«The vine is a plant that forms a whole with the branches, and the branches are fruitful only when united to the vine. This relationship is the secret of the Christian life, and the evangelist John expresses it with the verb “abide,” which in today’s passage is repeated seven times. ‘Abide in Me,’ says the Lord; abide in the Lord.»
The Holy Father explained that abiding in the Lord requires «the courage to go out of ourselves» and away from comfort and protection. It requires the courage to look to the needs of others.
«When one is intimate with the Lord, as the vine and the branches are intimate and united between them, one is capable of bearing fruits of new life, of mercy, of justice and of peace, stemming from the Lord’s Resurrection,» the Pope said. «It’s what the Saints did, those who lived the Christian life in fullness and the witness of charity because they were true branches of the Lord’s vine.»
And he reminded the crowds that one doesn’t have to be a bishop, priest or religious to do this. Everyone is called to be a saint.
