Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 66
Reading I
For Zion’s sake I will not be
silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (3) Proclaim his
marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to
the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among
all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to
the LORD glory and praise;
give to
the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble
before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He
governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
There was a wedding at Cana in
Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Today we read in The Gospel about The Miracle at Cana which began Jesus’ public ministry. Last week we learned about the full revelation of The Trinity through the Baptism of the Lord. Throughout The Christmas Season and into Ordinary Time we are slowly building an understanding of our faith and learning what we believe as Christians. Jesus turning the water into wine is a precursor to The Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion. It is through these last two events that the first is understood. The wine at Cana foreshadows His blood that will appear as wine upon the altars of the new covenant, in Masses throughout the world even until the end of the ages. What shall appear fully in time is foreshadowed in Cana. The jars that carried the water were jars for ceremonial washing. It is also a revelation on how Jesus’ authority comes from The Father and moves through The Holy Spirit. The revealing of The Trinity and the descending of The Holy Spirit came before The Miracle at Cana. The Holy Spirit moves everything into action because it is the Love of God.
Central to the workings of God has and will always be love. It is necessary to understand God and to enter into relationship with Him. When we open ourselves up to The Love of God, we are then able to receive His Spirit and then become benefactors of everything that comes with it. Just like The Spirit works through Jesus, we too can experience the same thing. We will not be in the same capacity as The Son, but we can be a part of that Trinitarian relationship. Just like all of us are benefactors of The Miracle at Cana, we can be benefactors of the working of The Holy Spirit. We will see things differently. We will understand things differently. We will also experience things differently. The presence of God and His love brings us closer to perfection.
We are all unique. No one is the same. Science has proven that through DNA. It is amazing how things that have been told to us through Sacred Scripture, which encompasses our entire existence, are continually validated up through this modern era. We all have different personalities, quirks, likes, and dislikes. We also have different talents and skills which make us unique. All of this comes from God and is given to us freely to do with what we please. It is when we let God in and let The Holy Spirit do its work that we reach our fullest potential in our lives. Whatever we are doing now, we can always do better with God. Being separate from God means our gifts and potential will never be fully realized. Realizing the presence of God and reacting to His love will bring us closer to Him That is where we need to be, closer to Him.
Through thoughtful prayer, worship, and an understanding of our faith, we can draw closer to God. Through the celebration of The Eucharist, we can unite with Him physically, mentally, and spiritually. All of it works together where we will be healed of our sinful wounds and molded into a more perfect being. What more can anyone ask for but a pathway to a more enriching and glorious life?
Deacon Tom
We have this wonderful interchange between Jesus and Mary in the Gospel today. We continue the Baptism of the Lord and now are in Ordinary Time. The readings of Ordinary Time always bring us close to the Lord in his humanity if we listen attentively. Knowing Jesus in His humanity draws us to His divinity.
The Wedding Feast of Cana gives us the first of the signs which reveal His glory. That means that if we pay attention we shall see the divinity shining through Christ’s humanity. This is another Epiphany, a manifestation of the divine.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah today tells us that God cannot be silent any longer. God loves His bride, the Church, the people redeemed by His Son. God wants to rejoice in His people and wants His people to rejoice in Him. It is true that most of us have not seen a miracle such as this one. It is just as true that there are miracles as great as this happening even in our down day.
The miracle is not just changing water into wine, the miracle is also that Jesus helps others. The water into wine miracle just is the way that Jesus helps in this situation. The miracle is impressive, so also is the help to the newly married couple and their families.
Jesus is always willing to help, even when a miracle is not required. Am I willing to help others when they need me? Am I willing to give my time and my energy to helping others when it has no benefit for me?
The First Letter to the Corinthians, from which the second reading is taken today, continues this same message. Each of us has gifts and we are to use them to build up the body of Christ, to benefit others. Perhaps we think that our gifts are negligible. Perhaps we think that others have better or more important gifts than ours. That does not matter, whatever we are given, we given to use for others.
Today as we remember the Wedding Feast of Cana and the first of the great signs of Jesus, we can also deepen our awareness that life is to be given away for others, that our gifts are not to bring glory to us but to the Lord.
If we live this mystery of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God in the ordinary human reality, we will appreciate so much more that giving to others, loving others, I the heart of loving God and living in Jesus. May our understanding allow our lives to manifest the Lord in this New Year.
Christ in the Desert Monastery
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