Years ago there was a song, now a “golden oldie,” that spoke about a “ramblin’ man” who traveled all over the country looking for life and love.  The song, “Please Come to Boston,” by Dave Loggins, tells the story of this rambling man who settles in different cities and then writes his girl to come and make a life with him there.  She keeps writing back to him and simply entreats him, “come home to me.”  She knows that he is not going to find what he is looking for in any place or destination but that the love that he desires deep in his heart can only be found at home with the one who loves him.  This song expresses a deep truth that we all need to learn and remember: that true life is not to be found in a place, a possession or in something that we build or create for ourselves.  True life is found in a relationship with the one who loves us.  If we have a rambling heart and soul we will never taste the fruit of true joy and happiness.  The sensual life of the flesh seduces us to go out and pick fruit that does not belong to us and lures us with the false promise and illusion that there is some fruit somewhere that will satisfy our desire for something sublime and fulfilling.  This fruit always leaves us empty, disappointed, disillusioned and wanting.  The true fruit that has a sublime taste is fruit that we receive as a gift and that we allow to grow within us.  It is “home fruit.”

There are many people today that are “spiritual ramblers.”  They go from religion to religion, from church to church, from spiritual guru to spiritual guru, from one experience to another, looking for a spiritual truth that will satisfy their souls.  They are visitors but never become engaged in what will produce fruit in their lives.  They want to eat the fruit of a spiritual life but they do not put down roots and allow their lives to grow and yield fruit.  They want the fruit of a relationship with God but they do not stay in one place or one relationship long enough for that fruit to grow.  Some are even fooled into believing that they can find the fruit of a spiritual life somewhere apart from God.  Some are led to believe that they will be satisfied by artificial fruit that they can make for themselves.  God says patiently to those spiritual ramblers, “Come home to me.”

In the gospel of John, Jesus points the way for us to true life.  “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” (Jn 15,4)  True, eternal, abundant, authentic life abides in Jesus and flows through him to those who are grafted on the vine.  Jesus is the true vine and the Father is the vine grower. (Jn 15,1)  As the branches draw life from the vine, so do we draw our life from Jesus.  “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” (Jn 15,4)  “Without me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15,5)  Living independently and roaming from place to place is not going to bring us life.  Sorry to all of the ramblers in life, but Jesus directs us to stay home and let the divine life flourish in us and bear its fruit.  The secret of life is revealed in this simple instruction, “Remain in me.”

St. Paul speaks to us of the mystery of our life in Christ:  “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;” (Gal 2,19f)  Eternal life is not an independent, self-directed, self-seeking life for the selfish “I” no longer lives; the “I” has been crucified and now our entire life is in Christ.  The life of Christ flows into us through word and sacrament.  “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (Jn 6,56)  The Eucharist is a source of life for us.  “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.” (Jn 15,7)  The words of Jesus are a life giving power at work in us.  “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” (Jn 15,9f)  Following the commandment of Jesus to give ourselves to one another in love keeps us in the love of God.  “Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us.” (1Jn 3,24)  Life in the Spirit is our life in Christ Jesus.  “The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” (Jn 14,10ff)  Jesus is the example for us of this mutual “abiding in” that will be the source of divine life and its fruits in us.

“Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15,5)  Life in Christ is a fruitful life that bears the fruit of the Spirit in the believer.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5,22)  This is the “home fruit” that comes from remaining in Christ Jesus and resting in his love.  The sublime life of love that is eternal and abundant cannot be found by roaming around from place to place and trying different things that the world offers.  It will not be found in sensual enticements.  Life is found in a committed, faithful and fruitful relationship with the Father in Jesus, the Son, in the Spirit.  We don’t have to go searching for life, if we remain in Christ Jesus and follow his commandments, we need only ask the Father for life and life will come to us as gift and flow through us to others, bearing its fruit in love.  “For this command which I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.  It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’  No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” (Deut 30,11-14)  Don’t be a rambler, make a home in a relationship of faith in Christ Jesus.