In our readings this Sunday from Acts, First John, and the Gospel of John, the Church calls us to absolute faith in, and deep love for, God, in Jesus, risen to life after dying on the cross. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and our lives. “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” At first glance, human speech is absent from the holiness equation for disciples of Jesus. However, we know that our manner of speech can be a loving expression of our faith and the spirit that dwells within us. Love is expressed in deeds, and speech must never be a substitute for doing the right and often difficult thing. The only way to live out this truth is to be spiritually transformed by abiding in Jesus. The Greek word that John uses means to dwell or remain, and it becomes a metaphor for life in Christ. To abide in Christ throughout your life means doing so, not snippets of time like Sunday morning. The disciple must dwell continually in Christ’s heart, mind, and consciousness. That is how we are nourished spiritually and how we are transformed. John expressed this in the metaphor of the vine. Christ is the vine, providing spiritual sustenance; we are the branches fed continuously through this vine. Our words, thoughts, and actions will flow from this dwelling in Christ, for He is the source of our transformation and holiness. This is not religiosity or piety but a way of life. It is essential to remain connected, for our nourishment ceases once we sever that connection through laziness, sin, inattention, or any other reason. This is not punishment but the consequence of failing to remain connected to our divine source. Only when we abide in Him can we ask and receive whatever is needed to do His will, for in that state, we are not separate or distant from the Lord. The Lord is only as distant as we wish Him to be. The image of the vine also reveals that since we all drink from the same well and are nourished from the same source, we are not separate from one another. When we abide in Him, we become an extension of Christ Himself.