ACTS 9: 26 – 31

In those days: When Saul had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus. So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.

The Word of the Lord.
 
 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 
Psalm 22: 26b -27, 28 and 30, 31 – 32 (R.) 26a

R/. You are my praise, Lord, in the great assembly.
Or:
Alleluia.

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.
May their hearts live on forever and ever! R./

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,
all families of the nations worship before him.
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust. R/.

And my soul shall live for him, my descendants serve him.
They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,
declare his saving justice to peoples yet unborn:
“These are the things the Lord has done.” R/.

 
SECOND READING
“This is his commandment, that we should believe. . . and love one another.”
1ST JOHN 3: 18 – 24

Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment,  that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

The Word of the Lord.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
John 15: 4a, 5b

Alleluia.
Abide in me, and I in you, says the Lord; he who abides in me bears much fruit.
Alleluia.

 
GOSPEL
“He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.”
JOHN 15: 1 – 8

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burnt. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Svondo 28 Kubvumbi – April;

Svondo yechishanu yoMwaka woKumukakwaJesu murufu B

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Mabasa 9,26-31

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raMabasa Avapositori
26 Sauro paakasvika kuJerusaremu akaedza kubatana navadzidzi, asi vose vaimutya nokuti havana
kutenda kuti akanga ava mudzidzi. 27Asi Bhanabhasi
akamutora akaenda naye kuvapositori akavatsanangurira kuti akaona sei panzira, Tenzi akataura
naye, uye kuti akaparidza muDhamasikusi nechivindi chakadii muzita raJesu. 28 Akagara navo
akasununguka muJerusaremu, 29 achiparidza
akashinga muzita raTenzi. Akataura achipikisana
nevechiGiriki, asi ivo vaitotsvaka zvokumuuraya.
30Vehama pavakazviziva vakadzika naye kuSezaria
vakamuendesa kuTaso. 31 Nezvo sangano rakava
norunyararo muJudhea yose, nomuGarirea, nomuSamaria. Sangano rakasimbiswa richibatsirwa
naMweya Mutsvene, rikakura richigara mukutya
Tenzi.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 22,25-26.27+29.30-31. (D – 25)

(D) – Zvandakatsidza ndichazviita ndiri muvanhu vanokutyai.
Zvandakatsidza ndichazviita ndiri muvanhu
vanokutyai.
26 Varombo vachadya vakaguta,
vanomutsvaka vacharumbidza TENZI,
dai vakangorarama nokusingaperi.
(D) – Zvandakatsidza ndichazviita ndiri muvanhu vanokutyai.
27 Nyika dzapasi pano dzicharangarira dzigodzokera
kuna TENZI,
mhuri dzose dzamarudzi avanhu dzigwadame
pamberi penyu.
29 Vose vanozvikudza vapanyika vachamugwadamira, vose avo vachapinda muguva vachatozomupfugamira chete.
(D) – Zvandakatsidza ndichazviita ndiri muvanhu vanokutyai.
30 Zvizvarwa zvichauya zvichamushumira,
zvizvarwa zvinotevera zvichataurirwa
nezvaTENZI.
31 Zvichauyawo zvigoparidza ururami hwake
kuvanhu vachatozozvarwa kuti, “TENZI
akazviita.”
(D) – Zvandakatsidza ndichazviita ndiri muvanhu vanokutyai.

Chiverengo chechipiri:
1 Johani 3,18-24

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yokutanga yaJohani
18Vanangu ngatiregei kungodana zvapamuromo
kana zvokungobatana kumeso,
asi muzviito nomuchokwadi.
19 Izvozvi ndizvo zvinotizivisa kuti tiri
pachokwadi,
uye zvinotigadzanisa mwoyo pamberi pake,
20 kana hana dzedu dzotipomera mhosva,
nokuti Mwari mukuru pane hana dzedu uye
anoziva zvose.
21 Vadikanwi kana hana dzedu dzisingatipi
mhosva, tine chivimbo pamberi paMwari.
22Tinopiwa naye zvose zvatinokumbira,
nokuti tinochengeta mitemo yake tichiita
zvinomufadza.
23Mutemo wake ndouya wokuti: Tinofanira kutenda muzita roMwanakomana
wake Jesu Kristu, uye kudanana sokutiudza
kwaakaita.
24 Vose vanochengeta mitemo yake vanogara
vakabatana naye iyewo akabatanawo navo.
Izvi ndizvo zvinotizivisa kuti iye akabatana
nesu, zvokuti akatipa Mweya Mutsvene.
Shoko raTenzi.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 15,4a.5b

Areruya, Areruya. Tenzi anoti: “Garai
mandiri, neniwo ndichigara mamuri.
Anogara mandiri ndiye anobereka muchero
wakawanda.” Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 15,1-8

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
Jesu akati kuvadzidzi vake,
1 “Ini ndini mugirepisi wechokwadi Baba vangu
ndivo murimi.
2Bazi rimwe nerimwe, risingabereki muchero,
vanoribvisa.
Uye bazi rimwe nerimwe, rinobereka
muchero, vanoripemhena kuti ribereke
muchero wakawanda. 3 Imi makatonatswa nokupemhenwa nezwi
randakakutaurirai.
4Garai mandiri, neniwo ndichigara mamuri.
Bazi zvarisingakwanisi kubereka muchero,
nokwaro roga risina kubatanidzwa
nomugirepisi, ndizvozvowo zvinemi,
hamukwanisi kubereka muchero,
kana musiri mandiri.
5 Ini ndini mugirepisi, imi ndimi mapazi acho.
Anogara mandiri ndichagarawo maari,
iyeyo ndiye anobereka muchero wakawanda,
nokuti musineni hapana chamunogona kuita.
6 Kana munhu asingagari mandiri,
akaita sebazi rakadimburwa, rinouna.
Mapazi akadai anounganidzwa,
okandwa mumoto opiswa.
7Mukaramba muri mandiri mazwi anguwo
akaramba ari mamuri, kumbirai zvenyu
chamunenge muchida, muchachiitirwa.
8Baba vangu vanorumbidzwa nezvizvi,
zvokuti mubereke michero yakawanda,
muchiratidza nazvo kuti muri vadzidzi vangu.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Seeking to be Pruned
April 28, 2024

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.” _John 15:1–3)

Pruning a vine is an important part of helping it to grow and produce not only more fruit but the best fruit. If left unpruned, a grape vine will eventually produce less fruit and poorer quality fruit. Good pruning helps to direct the nourishment of the vine to the new buds that are most fruitful.

Jesus’ teaching above uses the imagery of pruning a vine to help us understand that faith must lead to charity. First, Jesus says that He is the “true vine.” He is the only source of the nourishment we need for the new life of grace. He is the only way to Heaven and salvation. Knowing our Lord and being attached to Him firmly is faith. Second, our Lord says that He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit. This indicates that faith without the good fruit of charity is dead and is like a branch on a vine that produces nothing. Third, when Jesus finds a branch that bears good fruit, he doesn’t leave it alone. Instead, He prunes it with loving attention so that “it bears more fruit.”

To apply these teachings to your own life, begin by looking at your faith as if it were a branch firmly attached to a vine. Do you believe all that God has spoken through His holy Word? It is useful to regularly examine your conscience in regard to your faith. Since faith is the first step in the spiritual life, it must remain firmly grounded in the Truth God has revealed. This means we must regularly study the Word of God as it is revealed through the Scriptures and the catechetical teachings of the Church, and assent to those teachings with all our mind.

Next, after affirming your faith in all that God has spoken through the Scriptures and the Church, try to examine your charity. Do you see concrete acts of love in your life that result from your faith? In other words, we can “love” many things in a purely emotional sort of way. But charity is based on faith, not on how we feel. Charity is the fruit of faith. What acts of charity can you point to in your life? What have you sensed God calling you to do in a selfless and sacrificial way? Have you done it?

Finally, when you discover the ways that charity is alive within you, know that God will focus His pruning there. Pruning can be painful. It will require sacrifice, patience in the face of trial, overcoming selfishness, and doing things you don’t feel like doing. In fact, sometimes God even makes charitable acts seem unpleasant as a way of pruning your motivations and making them more pure, based more on faith than on emotion. But this is good.

Reflect, today, upon this holy imagery from Jesus. It’s a lesson from nature that reveals the supernatural life of grace at work. Don’t be deterred by the pruning God wants to do. Embrace suffering with love, respond to injustice with forgiveness, offer mercy when you don’t feel like it, and seek to serve selflessly those who seem undeserving. Doing so will prune you so that God will be able to build up His Kingdom in glorious ways through you.

PRAYER:
Jesus, most glorious Vine, You and You alone are the source of all nourishment in life. From You all good things come. Help me to have a firm faith in You and all that You have revealed, so that this faith will bud forth and bring about an abundance of good fruit for the glorious building up of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.