For The Nine Days Following The Feast Of The Sacred Heart
Fourth Day - Jesus, The Mystic Vine
Preparation. - That we may imitate the Saviour's devotedness, it behooves us to remain united to Him as the branches of the vine to the stock. We shall therefore see, first, in what sense Jesus is the mystic vine, and secondly, how we are its branches. These reflections will induce us to pray always, being convinced that, as He Himself says, we can do nothing for our salvation without Him. "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15. 5).
I. Jesus Is The Mystic Vine.
In His Incarnation the eternal Word assumed a material body like ours, and united our souls in a mystic body, of which He is the Head and we are the members. To give us an idea of the divine influence He is to exercise over us, He compares Himself to a vine, the stock of which imparts to the branches the sap drawn from the soil. Thus our Saviour's sacred humanity draws from His divinity the sap of grace, which it then transmits to us through diverse spiritual channels.
As the wood of the vine is of itself worthless, and draws its value from its sap and the wine it produces, so the Word of God, by assuming our weak human nature, humbled and abased Himself, whilst preserving the grandeur and excellence of His divine nature. The vine needs pruning, that it may produce its fruit in abundance; in like manner, by an excess of love, He wished to undergo the incision of pain, in order to effect our redemption and render it more fruitful to us. "With Him there is plentiful redemption" (Ps. 129. 7).
The fruit of the vine, crushed in the winepress, becomes wine, which is served at the altar and at the tables of the great. In like manner, Jesus ground in the torments of Calvary, deigned to shed His infinitely precious blood, which is adored on our altars during the august sacrifice, and is received together with His body by the souls who have the courage to rule over their passions, that they may live in the state of grace, and be seated at the holy table.
O Jesus, mystical Vine, do not let me be always a tender and sterile branch, for I desire to remain united to Thee by sanctifying grace. Thou didst not shrink form insults, outrages and torments, in order to heal the wounds of my soul; and I, when my pride, my sensuality, or my self-love is hurt, I loudly complain and push away the beneficent hand which does the pruning so indispensable to my sanctification. O my Redeemer, when shall I understand my real good? Grant me the grace, first, of mortifying my senses and sacrificing those inclinations which hinder my following Thy doctrine and example; and secondly, of embracing, without complaint, all the trials proceeding from my neighbor and from my daily duties.
O mysterious Vine, which gives to the earth the wine of salvation, inebriate my soul, so that, forgetting herself and every thing created, she may seek Thy glory alone, and be ready to undergo any suffering whatever, rather than displease Thee.
II. We Are The Branches Of The Mystical Vine.
"I am the vine," says Christ; "you are the branches. As branches cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15. 5, 4). O powerful and fertile goodness of the God-man! O strange weakness of our hearts, which are powerless without Jesus! Our Saviour, as the mystic Vine, causes the sap of His grace to circulate in all those who are bound to Him by friendship, and thus imparts to them the power of practicing virtue and meriting heaven.
But, O infinitely deplorable evil, how many souls live in mortal sin, like branches separated from the trunk. Being unable to do any thing meritorious before God, they are like withered shoots destined to be burnt. Who would not pity their misfortune, and strive to avoid it himself and preserve others from a similar fate?
On the other hand, the happiness of living in the friendship of Jesus is worthy of all our exertions. "If you abide in Me," says He, "and My words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it will be done unto you" (John 15, 7). For when we live by the life of grace, and act according to the spirit of Jesus, the eternal Father will love us, seeing His Son in us, and will hear us for His sake. It is very advantageous, and even absolutely necessary that we keep ourselves united to our amiable Saviour. Out of Him and without Him, we are guilty wretches deserving of hell. With Him and in Him, God considers us as His children, loads us with His favors, and promises us the heavenly inheritance.
O Jesus, to whom shall I go, if not to Thee, to find happiness and salvation? I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts, all my desires, all my conduct. Be Thou the sole object of my intentions and my love. I am resolved, first, often to think of Thee and Thy real presence in the adorable Eucharist; and secondly, to make the days on which I receive holy Communion, days of spiritual recollection, so that I may more securely guard my heart and keep it united to Thine. O Mary, obtain for me the grace of always acting, not through natural inclination or caprice, but through principles of faith, that I may in all things be conformable to Jesus. Wherefore help me to practice recollection, self-denial and constant prayer.