Thursday, January 10, 2013

20 January 2013 - 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – John 2:1-11


      Sometimes when we begin something, it goes exactly as we've planned. However, other times, no matter what efforts and plans we make, the unexpected can hit us hard.  I often tell you stories from the mission field, but today I have a story from right here in Mississippi.  After working as a missionary overseas, I entered the Mississippi Teacher Corps and was on my way to Ole Miss to start my graduate studies.  I didn't even have a car yet, so I traveled to Oxford on a Greyhound bus with several large cartons of my belongings. I called ahead to make sure there was a taxi that I could take to Ole Miss from the bus station, so I thought I'd covered all of my bases. But guess what?  I arrived on a Sunday morning, & there were no taxis that day.  So there I am at the gas station where the bus left us off, a long way from the university. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do.  Suddenly, I saw this old mini-van coming down the street.  I thought: Why don't I ask them for help? So I ran into the street & flagged down the van.  It contained a large family of grandparents, parents, & children all crammed together.  I explained my situation; the grandfather said they were on their way to church & didn't want to be late.  But he looked at the others & said to me: “Come on in, we'll drop you off.”  I piled in with my luggage– it barely fit - & they very graciously took me to the university.   Wow - was I revealed, & to this day I remember their kindness that saved the day for me. 
          I never expected such an adventure on my arrival in Oxford.  I imagine that Jesus didn't expect the start of his ministry to occur at a wedding feast that he attended with family and friends.  “My hour has not yet come” is his reaction to what he's asked to do at the Wedding at Cana. I suspect that Jesus had hoped for a better planned event for the start of his ministry.  With all of the political and religious instability in ancient Israel, of an occupying foreign power in control, we can imagine that calling attention to oneself in performing a miracle at a wedding could be a matter of life or death for Jesus.  I'm sure he wanted his first big ministry event to go perfectly, to be well planned out, not to be in response to the wine accidentally running out at a wedding. Yet, Jesus' mother, Mary, believed that he would redeem the situation & would avoid embarrassment for the wedding party. 
         A famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi says: “Preach the Gospel always, & when necessary use words.”  In many ways, this is what Jesus modeled for us with this miracle.  Rather than using words to describe God's kingdom, he reveals God's glory in the here and now by having the servers at the wedding feast fill with water the empty stone jugs that were used for Jewish purification rituals. Jesus miraculously changed this water into high-quality wine for the joyful wedding celebration in his first public miracle. 
          How does this miracle speak to us today?  This miracle took place at a wedding ceremony where 2 people committed themselves to each other before God.  We Catholics see this marriage commitment as a sacrament of our faith.  Just as the bride & groom joyfully commit to each other, we're asked to make the choice to joyfully commit ourselves to Christ.  Our modern world is often adverse to commitments, seeing much of life as disposable or impermanent.  Our choice to commit to our faith is indeed radical – it is against so much of what is popular in our world today.  While committing to our faith is necessary, only God's grace gives us the strength, courage, and fidelity necessary to live out this commitment.
         Just as Jesus transformed water into wine at the Wedding at Cana, we're transformed on our journey of faith.  We're transformed into sacramental beings, into a life-giving presence in our world, just as the wine was transformed to give joy and life to the wedding guests at Cana.  But, we must be willing to change and be willing to trust and risk a transformation, just as the Virgin Mary trusted Jesus to take care of this situation that occurred at this wedding celebration.
         The miracle at the Wedding at Cana is such a marvelous story for us to share together as a community of faith.  It calls us to joyfully make a commitment to live the Good News of Christ.  It calls us to be open to transformation, conversion, and renewal.   Our lives are like the water that was transformed by Jesus.  Our lives are a gift from God that will be continuously transformed into the finest wine along our journey of faith.  

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