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,
Our true purpose and understanding of our lives can be realized through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Once we recognize the presence of Jesus Christ, we are then open to the Holy Spirit, which is the Love of God. The Spirit dwells in all of us, since we have been created by God. It is up to us to recognize its presence and react to it. We can ignore it, or we can embrace it. Depending on what we do, it can either have a tremendous impact on us or can have a minimal effect. In the Scripture reading today from, the prophet was moved by the Holy Spirit to proclaim a day of vindication and renewal for the people of Israel. He said that he would not be silent. For the sake of everyone he would not be quiet. This was an individual choice, with him recognizing that the spirit of God descended upon him and he had something to say. What was not written was the fact that he did not have to speak. He could have ignored what God wanted him to do and instead put his will before God’s; doing what he wanted to do instead. Prophets, though having a unique relationship with God, are very similar to us in nature and what we can experience. Opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit will bring forward unique talents and abilities that make us special in the eyes of God. No one is the same. At the same time, each of us are encouraged by God to use that fact as a vehicle to both give Him glory and be partners with Him to repair His creation which was broken by Original Sin. When we do good things, we feel good. When we are productive in a positive way, we are lifted up emotionally and spiritually as a direct result. This is a reaction to the presence of God’s Love.
Acts of charity and kindness are usually done because it is the right thing to do. Many times, the thought of God is not in our thoughts when they are done, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t the prime mover behind these acts. Since all good things originate from God, it is impossible to separate the act from its origin. We are vehicles of God’s love and His works. There are some who would insist they are doing things because. “it is the right thing to do,” without the influence of God, but this is impossible because God is the ultimate good and all that is good flows from Him. This means that we are workers in His field and serving in His capacity. Because of this, these good works must be our central purpose. They also become a way to proclaim our love of God. The Apostle Paul’s letter is a message of action. He reminds us that the Spirit of God is present and manifests itself in different forms. Regardless of that fact, it is the same Spirit that is the guiding force behind God’s will. We are encouraged to recognize this and validate this through our actions. The words of the Prayer of Saint Francis come to mind: “Make me a channel of your peace.” Asking for God’s assistance to the openness to the His Spirit, positions us in the best possible way to carry out our true purpose. To know God is to love God. To serve God becomes an expression of that love. We will then feel God’s love more strongly.
It is a mistake to think that all actions are linked to the physical. Just as there are Corporal Works of Mercy, there are also spiritual works that invite us to engage in the metaphysical aspects of our faith. Prayer and worship are powerful tools that can be easily underestimated and underused. Our spiritual life is a weapon against evil. It also is what completes us, revealing who we really are as a person. God wants to hear from us. He wants to engage in a dialog. Just as we communicated and interact with all those we love; it is the same with God. Even though He may already know what we need and feel, He wants to hear it from us. Prayer is a conversation. It is not one-sided. We have an opportunity to talk to our God. Through conversation, we get to know Him better. We can then understand what He wants from us and what He can do for us.
With God, there is always opportunity. We are offered this continuously. Even though there are many opportunities that we may have in our lives, this one presents the greatest chance because it involves one that includes God. We will be complete and satisfied as a result. There is no substitute, for the replacement is never as good as the original product, especially when it originates from God. At Cana, Jesus transformed water into wine, perfect wine. We too can be transformed into something perfect through His actions perpetuated through our actions, guided by His love.
Deacon Tom
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