Sunday, January 20, 2019

Jan 20 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinal Time


+ Among the first stops of Jesus in his travels in his new public ministry was at the wedding of some friends of the family at a little town called Cana in Galilee. It was not too far from Nazareth, hence the couple being married was known by Jesus and his mother and their friends.



And so it was there, at Mary’s request, that Jesus performs his first miracle a little ahead of schedule – at least not when he was planning on it: but out of respect for and obedience to his mother he did what she asked: he turned a large amount of ordinary water into a choice variety of festive wine, so as not do embarrass the groom who apparently did not calculate the amount needed for the feast. This is significant for two reasons: Jesus did it because his mother asked; he did it because he could do it.



This therefore set up two precedents early in his public ministry: asking Mary to intercede for us and our needs will always win some kind of a hearing; and Jesus has the power to do actually anything that he wants to do, and changing water into wine was not an extraordinary thing for him, although it was pretty amazing for those who witnessed it! Jesus can make changes in our lives too (he can change the ordinary into the extraordinary) – sometimes pretty spectacularly and widely known – but sometimes, most often, it is only he and us who know about it.



The theme of marriage is also to be emphasized here today: in the first reading we hear Isaiah, as always, poetically and beautifully speaking of the restoration of God’s sinful, wayward people, the Forsaken and the Desolate who by his good favor, grace and mercy would soon be renamed his Delight and their land his Espoused. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoice in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.



These are beautiful sentiments and they stand by themselves as a testimony of God’s love for his people, but they also stand as a wonderful explanation of what the marriage of a man and a woman is supposed to symbolize and be comprised of: a couple who have eyes only for each other, and who would sacrifice their very lives for one another to prove their love!



In the second reading we see how the Holy Spirit distributes gifts not only to married couples to help them carry out their duties of fidelity and sacrificial love, but he also gives gifts to everyone in the family of God so that we are fully equipped to help one another out in our oft times difficult journey through life!



If we but recall that we are called to possess the very glory of God (the perfect wine of today’s miracle), as Jesus himself was, (he was the new wine) – then nothing will be too difficult in our married states and all the others states of life we find ourselves in. God will provide exactly what we need when we need it – if we but trust him unconditionally and unquestioningly.



Let us all sing to the Lord a new song and bless his name who continues to do such great things for us! Amen.

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