People set up various types of institutions and organizations. Without them, social life would be impossible.
Observing the Church from the outside, we can see many features in it, which bring him closer to human organizations : it is an association of people, who have one world view, has various offices and institutions, it is ruled by people. So is the Church of Christ an ordinary human and earthly organization? ?
God's vineyard
In the Upper Room, Jesus spoke to his disciples :
,,I am the true vine, and my Father is this, which he grows. Every branch, which does not bear fruit in me, cuts off, and each, which bears fruit, cleans, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and me (I will last) w was. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself - as long as it does not remain in the vine - so do you, if you do not remain in me. I am the vine… you - the branches. Who remains in me, and I am in him, this one bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Ten, who does not remain in me, it will be thrown out like a vine and it will wither. And it is collected, and throws it into the fire, and it burns. If you remain in me, and my words in you, please, whatever you want, and it will come true for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you will bear much fruit and become my disciples " (J 15, 1-8).
Maybe you've seen a vineyard in your life, or at least a vine in your life. You must have eaten grapes. Every year, the vine grows branches, that is twigs. That such a branch would produce tasty grapes, the gardener must constantly nurture the strain, dig him up, cleanse, trim dry and unnecessary branches.
Already the prophet Isaiah compared the chosen people of the Old Covenant to a vineyard, hosted by God himself. Christ the Lord referring to the image of the vineyard known to the Apostles, he compares himself to a bush, and his disciples to the branches. The new vineyard of God is the Church of Christ. God expects abundant fruit from this vineyard. So that the branch can bear fruit, it must contain the invigorating juices of the grapevine. He is the source of life, that flows in the branches. If the branch is not attached to the bush, it withers and cannot bear fruit. She is cut off, so that it does not take up space. Everybody, who belong to the Church, they are united with Christ yes, like branches with a vine. Christ is the source of God's life. He only gives us this life then, when we are united to Him through faith and love. We are then living parts of the Church and can bear fruit, whom God expects of us. God's life, which pulsates throughout the Church, is a gift. We also call it the life of grace, supernatural life or sanctifying grace. Through sanctifying grace we become children of God, "Partakers of God's nature" (2 P 1, 4). It is a bond, which invisibly connects believers into one living organism
- St.. We are united with God and with each other. We receive the gift of supernatural life at baptism., and it grows deeper and grows in us through the sacraments, especially through the Eucharist.
This is the mystery of the Church, which God has revealed to us. The Church is not an ordinary human organization, but above all a community of God's children, the living organism of Christ.
The Church united with Christ bears abundant fruit
God is love. Therefore, Christ, who gives us the life of God, he gives us God's love. He instills it in us and he wants it, that it may bear fruit in us. God's life and love are invisible, but they appear outwardly in works, behavior and conduct. St.. Paul describes the fruit this way, which in us spend God's life and God's love :
"Love is patient, she is kind. Love does not envy, he is not looking for applause, he is not proud ; shamelessness is not allowed, he is not looking for his own, he is not angry, he doesn't remember bad ; he does not enjoy the injustice, but rejoices in the truth. He can take everything, believes everything, he hopes in everything, he will survive everything " (1 Disease 13, 4-7).
We read Christ's words about the vine and branches during the Eucharistic Assembly in 5 Sunday after Easter (year B). Christ reminds us, that He is the vine, and we are his branches. It means, that without Him we can do nothing for our salvation. Constant help, which Christ gives us, we call grace working. Christ warns us, let us through our sins, disbelief, laziness, they did not stray from him. It also encourages us, that we may constantly renew in ourselves the life of God's grace through prayer and the sacraments of St.. Prayer and the sacraments are the main sources of works of grace. Christ also encourages us, that we may develop the life of God's grace in us through work, science, love for others. He gives us strength and help at the same time, that we can overcome everything, what distracts us from him.
When I live in sanctifying grace and cooperate with the grace of work, then the whole Church is richer in God's life and love. But when I lose sanctifying grace, the whole church is at a loss.
How will I answer God ?
One year of the Great Novena before the Millennium of the Baptism of Poland was devoted to the renewal of life in grace. Believers in Jesus Christ solemnly promised to protect and develop God's life. It cannot be just a one-time resolution, but the constant concern of everyone, who belongs to the Church of Christ. I must realize a fundamental and most important truth : I am a living part of the Church, as long as I live in sanctifying grace. Am I living in sanctifying grace? ? Have I always valued life in God's grace ? Have I not become the cause of diminishing God's life in the Church? ? I am gifted with God's love. How I show it to others : at home, at school, in the street - against strangers ? With the whole Church in mind, I will pray with words :
"God, Through the mouth of your prophets, you revealed to all the children of your Church, that in every place of your reign you sow good seeds and nurture selected offspring, give to your peoples, which you called a vineyard and a field, that they uproot the thorns and thistles and bring an abundant harvest " (of the Easter Vigil).
■ Think:
1. What truths about the Church can be found in Christ's parable of the vine and the branches? ?
2. What in the Church connects people with God and with each other ?
3. Who is the source of God's life in us ?
4. Why we should strive most for sanctifying grace ?
5. In what deeds should God's life be manifested in us ?
■ Remember:
51. What is the inner bond of the Church? The life of God is the inner bond of the Church, which connects the faithful with God and with themselves.
52. What is sanctifying grace ? Sanctifying grace is God's life, which the Father gives us through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.
53. What is working grace ? Working grace is help and strength, that Christ gives us, that we collaborate with Him in the work of salvation.
■ Task :
Consider, how God's life was revealed to the saint, whose life you know.
Christ gives us his life
