"I am the Vine; you are the Branches."

Dearest Ones,

We are all connected to one another in some way, just as branches all connect on a tree. We breathe the same air and the same sun keeps us warm. Most important of all, the same God made us. But connections among people do not always happen easily. Some people are not easy to warm up to and it requires effort on our part to make a connection. An outstretched hand, a worry shared, a smile or a handshake, can make all the difference. Jesus gave us a great illustration of what it means to be connected to Christ and to each other, when He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Everyone can relate to a tree or plant receiving life-giving substance from its roots. How does a branch stay connected to a tree? It is through the sap running up to the branches from the roots. A branch is known to be alive by its fruit. Sometimes, there are branches on a tree, which produce no fruit. They might look like they are properly connected to the root but they produce nothing; they may be compared to people who dress up and go to Church every Sunday; they volunteer for religious organizations, but inside their hearts, they only do this for show and so, there is no real connection with Christ. They produce no real fruits, such as love, compassion, humility and kindness. God sees the heart and these dead branches are no longer alive. Those of you who are farmers know that seeds which do not receive sunshine or water or proper care are likely to yield diseased, stunted fruit. Fruit that does not nourish; but instead, fruit that poisons. We need to fertilize our hearts with goodness, instead of anger, fear, or hatred. If we fertilize with bitterness, our fruit will be bitter, too. Each morning when we awaken, God has something new for us. We do not know what it is, but we need to open our hearts to his will. Whatever sufferings we may have, give us a chance to unite with Christ's sufferings. Physical or mental sufferings can be offered for the poor souls in Purgatory and you may be sure, when those souls get to heaven, they will never stop praying for you. Each new day, God calls us to Himslf, because regardless of how imperfect we are, He loves us deeply. We must not wait until we are perfect to go to Him, because that will never be in this world. I want to stay connected always to Jesus. Jesus wants to work through you and me to show His goodness, His love and His forgiveness. How can we do it when we feel weak and helpless? It's impossible to do it alone, which is the reason He said, "Abide in Me. If my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." I love those words. We can keep this union with Christ through reading His Word in the Bible and by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The root sends nourishment to the branches, so they will bear fruit, just as Jesus puts His love into our hearts and helps us to love others. He knows we can't do any good by ourselves, so He found a way for us to do it through Him. Just as the roots of a tree constantly send sap up to the branches, so they will not wither and die, so we need the spiritual strength Jesus gives to resist temptation. He said, "Without Me; you can do nothing." I don't want to be a dead branch like those branches talked about in the Bible which are to be "cut off, gathered and then burned." If Christ lives in us, then we will do the same things He did. We will love as He loves. In His last meeting with His followers, Jesus told of His great desire that they might love one another as He loved them. Again and again He spoke of this. "These things I command you," He said, "that you love one another." . To the disciples this commandment was new; for up to this time they had not loved one another as Christ had loved them. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to do so. We don't have to feel ashamed if we can't do it alone because it is part of God's plan to love through us. When we love as He did, we actually become like God. Because Christ is no longer here physically, we must become "other Christs" in this world. What a privilege this is! We must become His feet, His hands, His voice. What a great world this will be when we all let Jesus love through us! He will do it but we must ask!

With all my love.
Sister Francelle