Jesus' analogy of the vine and the branches is a simple and picturesque way of stating that we must bear fruit through evangelization or else. If we do not evangelize:

• Three to four billion people will not hear the good news of salvation.
• We will be sinning against the Lord by our disobedience.
• We ourselves will "be thrown in the fire and burnt" (Jn 15:6).
• We will not be happy and fulfilled, since we were created to evangelize.
• Our churches will be decimated.
• The body of Christ will be in danger of spiritual atrophy because of not functioning properly.
• The members of the Church will be fighting among themselves rather than fighting the forces of hell.

Consider this last effect of not evangelizing. If we're not doing what we're supposed to do, we'll do what we're not supposed to do. If we're not minding our business, we'll mind everyone else's. If we're not fighting the devil, we'll fight each other. If we don't dispense the ration of grain, we'll abuse our fellow servants (Lk 12:42, 45). We must evangelize to win the world for Christ and to keep from losing our relationships with God and each other.

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 3, 2008

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