Friday, August 21, 2020 - Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. John 15, 1-8 - My commandment is this : Love one another as I have loved you.
On this feast of Victoire Rasoamanarivo, the first Malagasy laywoman, Blessed, the Gospel presented to us reminds us of our unity in Christ. Indeed, we are attached to Christ through baptism, and therefore we are of the same origin, animated by one and the same life: we are his members. Communion with Jesus is always necessary for us to be fruitful. It is not enough to live with it, but we have the duty to bear fruit. So, if the root is a vine, the expected fruit can only be grapes, not thorns or anything else, and not just a seed or two, nor a bitter but abundant fruit. It is the function of the branches, nourished by the root, to bear fruit.
If we want to bear fruit in abundance, it is imperative that we live in communion with Him. It is true that we have the life of God within us, but it is often overshadowed by evil, often overshadowed by sin, so overwhelmed by all kinds of evils that it becomes breathless. Therefore, to be healthy again, pruning is necessary in order to be more productive. The teachings of Jesus help us to do this, as He says here, He purifies us, so that we can receive His teachings.
What other teaching does the love of Jesus give us? Let us abide in the Lord that He may abide in us. Without Him we can do nothing. His love is the only true nourishment that makes us bear fruit. In other words, if we have a little love, we will bear little fruit, but if we have a lot of love, we will have a lot of fruit. And when we produce, let it be for the glory of the Father alone. That's what's expected of us.
This is the very example of Victoire Rasoamanarivo, the Blessed, whose feast we celebrate today, when the missionaries were expelled, she became the pillar of faith. She did not spare herself for this, because of the love in her. Although deprived of Mass during this period, her faith showed that she was in communion with the priests who celebrated Mass elsewhere. Let us therefore ask for Victoire's intercession so that our faith may be strengthened to face this terrible epidemic. She will certainly not be insensitive to our misfortune and will intercede on our behalf.
