Vine and the Branches

The vine and the branches (John 15: 5) image connects us with our Judeo Christian heritage. In his adept work with the Gospel of John, Daniel J. Harrington, SJ relates how Israel is identified as God’s vine which is historically traced from the Exodus to the Exile.  God always desires to love and be there for Israel, even when they are not faithful, like a shepherd who always stays with the flock. 

As Salesians, the vine and branches image brings us to be united and rooted in love with Jesus so that we can in turn be there for the young in the situations they find themselves in.  The Salesian way links together dual images, the vine and the branches with that of the good shepherd.  The more John Bosco united himself with God, the more he was able to spend himself on the young.  Further, being united with Jesus meant that through temperance, he needed to do some pruning.  Early on, through a close adolescent friendship with Luis Comollo, John learned the value of temperance by pruning away his tendencies of haste.  Through temperance, the good shepherd image irrupted in Don Bosco, and fueled by fraternal living in community, the young experienced Jesus’ compassion and mercy.