The Vine
Christ is the vine and his followers the branches (John 15:5). With wheat, grapes also stand for the Eucharist.
What the Vine means
The vine comes from Christ's words to his disciples: "Abide in me, and I in you.... I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:4-5, as quoted in CCC 787). Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary calls it one of the earliest symbols in Christian art.
The Catechism uses the image for the Church: the true vine is Christ, who gives life and fruitfulness to the branches, that is, to us, who remain in him through the Church (CCC 755). It also compares the Holy Spirit to the sap of the Father's vine, which bears fruit on its branches (CCC 1108).
Grapes and vines also point to the Eucharist. Wheat and grapes together stand for the bread and the wine that becomes the Blood of Christ, a pairing found in church art since early Christian times. You will see vines and grape clusters in altar carvings, on chalices and in windows.
