2nd Sunday in ordinary time Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11 The Gospel this weekend is this: John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it. 9 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 10 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." 11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. The first reading is this: Isaiah 62:1-5 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My delight is in her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. The second reading is this: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; 10 to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. MEDITATION: This Sunday is about the wedding at Cana and about the fact that God gives much more than nice wine! God gives a love that just won't fail - even when we die, even though it meant him putting up with a very painful crucifixion. In fact the blood flowing on Calvary is precisely what the miracle of Cana was prophesising. And it’s relevant that the water converted into wine was the water that the Jews had in store for their ceremonial washings. The Old Testament of the Jews links with the New. That’s why we have more than one reading at mass. In fact the ‘unclean lips’ of Isaiah (first reading) end up becoming holy scripture! A nice drink may cost a few euro, but the wine of the Last Supper (the consecrated wine at mass) cost Jesus a massive amount of suffering, but he gave it voluntarily because he's really keen to seduce our hearts and to make our lives joyfull. So we should take communion at mass today (the bread or the wine) as if we were guests at a joyfull wedding. And there's no need to put on any fancy outfit! Christ calls us to be more than onlookers at the wedding. He proposes to each of us to take his hand! And taking his hand means taking the hands of thousands of millions! The first reading today of Isaiah describes someone who just can't keep his emotions quiet, and I think that also represents God seeking our love. Many may complain that they can't hear God say anything, but that's the marvelous truth: God won't impose, but waits for us humans to open our eyes to his Word, and to give it time of meditation to 'sink in'. I thought that I was a bit of a 'looney' when I first gave time to meditation and prayer, but for some reason, it became really interesting! And many years later, it keeps getting even more interesting! It's interesting how Mary wasn't keeping quiet or trying to get the people to put up with the upset about the wine, but rather she passed the message on to Jesus, and he resolved the problem. That's a good way of describing the role of Mary. It's relavent that both Jesus and his mother had been invited to the wedding. Mariology is inherent in Christology. We pray with her as a way of praying with Jesus. And Jesus stimulates thoughts in us as we think of her. Her reply today is fundamental: "Do whatever he says". Maybe we often see ourselves more like boring glasses of water, but the priest prays as he puts drops of water in the wine after the 'offertory' at mass: "By the mixture of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity". We may end up not wanting 'the wine' just for ourselves, but in order to give it to others. And if someone takes to the trouble of passing the Word of God on to others by preaching, or by simple conversation, (or even by e-mailing!) then they may become like a good band for the dancing at this wedding reception! That links with the second reading today where Paul talks of the gift of tongues etc. (1 Cor 12). I can't speak Chinese (yet), but here's English and Spanish at least! Thanks! ¡Gracias! Merci! (French) Go raibh maith agat (Gaelic Irish)! Obrigado (Portuguese)! Danka (German)! Yahoowa-balamahama (Chinese)?!! .........Dara. En ESPAÑOL:
2° Domingo del tiempo ordinario: Is 62:1-5. 1°Cor 12:4-11. Jn 2:1-11. Este Domingo es de las bodas de Cana ¡y del hecho de que Dios da mucho más que vino bueno! Dios da un amor que no fallará nunca - aún cuando morimos. Lo da aunque significaba para Él aguantar una crucifixión. De hecho, el milagro de Cana era justamente una profecía del derrame de sangre en el Calvario. Y es relevante que el agua convertido en vino era agua guardado por los Judíos par sus lavaduras ceremoniales. El Antiguo Testamento de los Judíos vincula con el Nuevo. Por eso tenemos más que una lectura en la misa. De hecho ‘los labios impuros de Isaías (primera lectura) acaban siendo ‘sagrada escritura’! Puede ser que una buena bebida cuesta unos euros, pero el vino de la Última Cena (el vino consagrado en la misa) costó a Jesús muchísimo sufrimiento, pero lo dio voluntariamente porque anhela seducir nuestros corazones y hacer nuestras vidas gozosas. Entonces, deberíamos comulgar hoy (el pan o el vino) como si fuéramos invitados en una boda gozosa. ¡Y no hace falta un vestido lujoso! Cristo nos llama a ser más que observadores en la boda. ¡Nos pide a cada uno tomar su mano! ¡Y tomar su mano significa tomar los manos de miles de millones! La primera lectura de hoy (de Isaías) es de uno emocionado que no puede callar, y aquello representa a Dios anhelando nuestro amor. Puede ser que muchos se quejan por no oír a Dios decir nada, pero aquello es la verdad maravillosa: Dios no se impone sino espera a que la humanidad abre los ojos a su Palabra y la da tiempo de meditación para que se llega al profundo. Yo me vi como loco al principio de mi camino de meditación y oración, pero por alguna razón, empezó a interesarme mucho. ¡Y años más tarde, sigue animándome más y más! Es interesante ver, que María no se quedó callada ni pidió a la gente aguantar la falta de vino, sino que se dirigió a Jesús, y él resolvió el problema. Es una buena descripción del papel de María. Es significante que se habían invitado Jesús y su madre a la boda. La Mariología es inherente en la Cristología. Le pedimos a ella una forma de pedir a Jesús, y Jesús estimula pensamientos en nosotros al pensar en ella. La respuesta de María hoy es fundamental: “Haced lo que él os dice!”. Quizás nos vemos muchas veces más como vasos aburridos de agua, pero el sacerdote ora al poner un poco de agua en el vino después del 'ofertorio' de la misa: “Como la mezcla de esta agua y vino, qué podamos nosotros compartir la vida divina con aquel que se dignó compartir nuestra humanidad”. Puede ser que acabemos queriendo 'el vino' no solamente para nosotros mismos, sino para dar a otros. ¡Y si alguien está dispuesto a compartir la Palabra de Dios con otros por la predicación o por las conversaciones sencillas, pueden servir como grupo de música muy bueno para esta fiesta-recepción de la boda! Esto vincula bien con la segunda lectura donde Pablo habla del 'don de lenguas' etc. (1°Cor 12). ¡No puedo hablar el Chino (todavía!), pero al menos en Inglés y Español! Thanks! ¡Gracias! Merci (Francés)! Go raibh maith agat (Irlandés)! Obrigado (Portugués)! Danka (Aleman)! Yahoowa-balamakama (Chinese)?!! .........Dara. Comments are closed.
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