Sunday Reflections
1. 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.(Jn2:1-11). Taken from today’s Sunday gospel.
2. God’s love for humanity is scripturally understood through his encounters with the people of Israel. In the prophecy of Isaiah (62:1-5) which is read in today’s first reading, God assured his people that he is eternally interested in their wellbeing. “I will never rest until your vindication shines out before the whole world.” This prophecy continues to be fulfilled in the life of the world. Today’s gospel is a good example of God’s love for humanity.
3. Wedding feast is a symbol of the feast that God has prepared for his elects. The wedding at Cana is peculiar in the sense that wine which is the symbol of merriment was lacking. How can people make merry without wine? It was at this point that Mary intervened with Jesus. The result was that more than 120 gallons of water became wine of high quality. In this way Jesus is shown as one who promotes joyful celebrations. The miracle was the first sign that Jesus worked at the beginning of his ministry. The old wine, sign of the Old Testament was finished and Jesus brought a new wine, sign of the New Testament. God in Jesus was inaugurating a new era.
4. We are the New Testament people like the couple of Cana. We, like them, have Mary and Jesus. If we want the joy of marriages not to be cut short by lack of wine, if we want our water to be turned into wine, then we must, like the couple of Cana, invite Jesus into our feasts. Jesus wants to promote our joyful celebrations but he does not force himself on us. He needs to be invited: “I stand at the door knocking. If anyone hears me and opens the door for me I will enter and feast with him”(Rev3:20).
5. How does one invite Jesus to his/her celebration? The scriptures show that we can do this in three ways: prayer, Word of God and righteousness. When we pray together we invite Jesus to our company. He was the one who said: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.” Jesus is equally present in the scriptures. When we read, meditate and hear the Word of God we directly invite Jesus into our lives. According to John:” In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Building our life on the Word of God is building it on God. It means being with God. Finally, righteous living is the culminating point of prayer and Word. The way to verify the sincerity of our prayer and our knowledge of the Word of God is our practical life. When we live by the Word of God we live in his perpetual presence and his blessings envelope us. In the words of the psalmist: He who is pure in heart and whose hands are clean shall climb the mountain of the Lord. Such a person shall receive blessings and rewards from God (Ps24:3-5).
6. We are still beginning the year. You certainly want wine of celebration not to lack in your household. You certainly like your water to be turned into wine. God is willing to do all these for you if you would invite him to your household. Please do this by praying, by reading and meditating his word and by living an upright life. ©Vita, 16/01/22.
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