5th Sunday of Easter
John 15:1-8
Homily for 14 May 2006
Fr. Frank Baiocchi

An elderly Italian lived alone in the country. It was springtime, so he decided to plant his tomato garden as he had for many years. But the soil was very hard, and he tired quickly after a few attempts to break through the hard ground. His only son, Vincent, used to help him dig the garden; but now Vincent was away in prison. So, disappointed, he wrote a letter to his son describing his predicament. It read: “Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty low because I wont be able to plant my garden this year. I’m getting too old to dig up the soil. If you were here, my troubles would be over. I know you are a good son and you would dig it up for me. Love, Dad”

A few days later he received a letter from his son. It read: “Dear dad, I’m glad you decided not to dig up the ground this year. In fact, make sure you don’t dig up your garden. That’s where I buried the bodies! Love, Vinnie”. The very next morning at dawn, F.B.I. agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area, turning the soil over and over again, without finding any bodies. They apologized and left. That very day, the old man got another letter from his son. It read: “Dear Dad, Go ahead and plant your garden. That’s the best I could do under present circumstances. Love, Vinnie”

Tomatoes! I’ve grown them myself for decades. One of nature’s true delicacies! Good roots feeding the vine, healthy vines feeding the branches; healthy branches yielding tomatoes by the bushel! But the health of the tomato depends upon the health of the branch, and the health of the branch depends upon the health of the vine. “I am the vine,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “and you are the branches.” Just think how close that connection is! All we branches have to do is stay connected to the vine, take in and use the vine’s life energies. That’s the way it’s supposed to work. That’s how connected with Jesus we’re supposed to be! But are we?

If we’re really connected to Jesus as the branch is to the vine, we’ll see things the way Jesus does, putting our priorities on things that really matter because they matter to Jesus: love over law, people over possessions, substance over appearance.

If we’re really connected to Jesus as the branch is to the vine, we’ll see ourselves the way Jesus does: and we’ll give ourselves all the love, patience and forgiveness Jesus gives us. Isn’t it true that sometimes we don’t/wont forgive ourselves? That’s a real disconnect from Jesus’ vine! We need to heal that disconnect, reattach ourselves to become healthy again.

If we’re really connected to Jesus as the branch is to the vine, our hearts will be singing words to a new song; and there is no sadness, no misfortune, no power on earth that can ruin our joy.

So, stay connected in prayer, in good works, in community worship. Dig your garden. Grow your tomatoes. Enjoy their taste. Oh, and be sure to thank all the “Vinnies” in your life, the people who help you grow your garden!