In Cana of Galilee

We are invited to a wedding. In a sense, we can still participate in it. . .

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Is 62:1-5; Ps 96; 1 Cor 12:4-11; John 1:2-11

Today’s beautiful Gospel recounts the wedding at Cana in Galilee, where two young people, through the miracle of turning water into wine, symbolise the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecies about the banquet that God will one day prepare for all nations. This feast will include the finest wines. “On this mountain, he will remove the veil that covers all peoples and the shroud that envelops all nations; he will eliminate death once and for all,” the prophet foretold. That time has arrived. Jesus came to save everyone, all nations, to conquer all evil, including the greatest evil — death — and to wipe away human tears. This is the significance of the sign at Cana.

However, the second reading resonates more with our current reality. Paul explains to the Corinthians that there are various gifts of grace, types of service, and different actions, yet there is one God, Lord, and Spirit. Isn’t that relevant? Too often, instead of nurturing their own vocations, many today aspire to take on the roles of priests. Many, forgetting their own responsibilities within the Church, seek to blame others for the state of affairs that do not meet their expectations.

The contrast between these two readings is intriguing. On one hand, we have the mundane disputes within the Church community, and on the other, the promise of imminent salvation for all. If we truly recognised the immense grace bestowed upon us by God, we would likely complain less about others not meeting our expectations. Yet, it seems that many of us struggle to embrace the gift of God and the promise of eternity, remaining fixated on the temporal, even within ecclesiastical matters.

Thank you, Lord, my God, that you need me in the realisation of Your work of love. Let my faithful obedience to Your, sometimes perplexing, commands be the response to this. Amen.