Fifth Sunday of Easter

Scripture John 15:1-8

A Personal Favorite – The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

• Great-Grandma Anna was a child Russian Immigrant
• Came with very little but did have her babushka
• Anna’s mom sewed clothes for her as she grew
• She used scraps from old clothes and relatives to create a quilt
• “We will make a quilt toto help us always remember home. It will be like having the family in back home Russia dance around us all night.”

The Quilt

• Anna fell in love with Great-Grandpa Sasha -Quilt part of their Jewish wedding
• Became the canopy-held above the newly-married couples for generations
• First daughter Carle wrapped at birth as well as her first daughter Mary Ellen (Patricia’s Mom
• Great-Grandma Anna was kept warm with the quilt as she was dying

Patricia and The Quilt

• As child, Patricia would run her fingers around animals and tell her mother stories
• Her mom would tell her about where the fabric came from for each animal
• Patricia’s first daughter Traci was wrapped in the keeping quilt

The Beauty of Our Stories

• Our human relationships/connections precious
• Through our family/friends and parish family-we come close to the Lord
• We come to know and are connected to Jesus through each other

The Vine and the Branches

• Jesus reminds us of our connectedness in today’s Gospel
• I am the vine, you are the branches
• Jesus flows through every branch, leaving no branch out
• What we celebrate when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion
• Jesus shares his whole life with us-keeps nothing to himself out of love for us
•  When each of us is connected to Jesus-we are connected to each other

Branches and Fruit

• Branches are worthless if they do not produce grapes
• We are to bear fruit as well
• Jesus encourages us, Show me the fruit

Saint Paul

• Those fruits need to be in our lives
• Says we are connected when we try to love like Jesus
• Be gentle, kind, patient, understanding, joyful, peaceful, generous, self-controlled

Jesus Remins Us – Show Me The Fruit

Questions for Reflection

• What impacted you from the readings/homily?
• If you were to create a quilt with remembrances from your faith upbringing or parish family, what would it look like?
• What have been the challenges and gifts of being connected to the vine in your life?
• Which fruit of the Holy Spirit resonates with you the most?

Live Connected

This week pay attention to your relationship to the vine and the fruits of the Holy Spirit
that you encounter. Share it with someone.