'I am the Vine and you are the branches'

Happy New Year to you all and Happy Season of Epiphany for those who care :-) . As a first blog for the year I wanted to share with everyone one of my Christmas presents. It's the icon called, 'Tree of Life', or 'I am the Vine'. The iconographer bases this icon on the passage from John 15 when Jesus says,

'I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.'

To all who read this blog, may Christ be in you and you in Him and may your joy be made complete this new year and every year. Bear good fruit, represent Christ in all things, and most of all Love one another.

Grace and Peace to all of you,

Joseph