The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to share the Love of God as the gift of the Spirit as we seek to “do whatever He tells You”.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims the Vindication and Salvation of Zion.
* [62:1–12] As in chap. 60, the prophet addresses Zion, announcing the reversal of her fortune. Several motifs reappear: light and glory (60:1–3, 19–20), tribute of nations (60:11), and especially the marriage (61:10; cf. also 54:5–8). (Isaiah, CHAPTER 62 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 96 offers Praise to God Who Comes in Judgement.
* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33. (Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB, n.d.)
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares the Gifts of the Spirit.
* [12:4–6] There are some features common to all charisms, despite their diversity: all are gifts (charismata), grace from outside ourselves; all are forms of service (diakoniai), an expression of their purpose and effect; and all are workings (energēmata), in which God is at work. Paul associates each of these aspects with what later theology will call one of the persons of the Trinity, an early example of “appropriation.” (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of John presents the Wedding at Cana.
* [2:1–11] The first sign. This story of replacement of Jewish ceremonial washings (Jn 2:6) presents the initial revelation about Jesus at the outset of his ministry. He manifests his glory; the disciples believe. There is no synoptic parallel.
* [2:1] Cana: unknown from the Old Testament. The mother of Jesus: she is never named in John.
* [2:4] This verse may seek to show that Jesus did not work miracles to help his family and friends, as in the apocryphal gospels. Woman: a normal, polite form of address, but unattested in reference to one’s mother. Cf. also Jn 19:26. How does your concern affect me?: literally, “What is this to me and to you?”—a Hebrew expression of either hostility (Jgs 11:12; 2 Chr 35:21; 1 Kgs 17:18) or denial of common interest (Hos 14:9; 2 Kgs 3:13). Cf. Mk 1:24; 5:7 used by demons to Jesus. My hour has not yet come: the translation as a question (“Has not my hour now come?”), while preferable grammatically and supported by Greek Fathers, seems unlikely from a comparison with Jn 7:6, 30. The “hour” is that of Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension (Jn 13:1).
* [2:6] Twenty to thirty gallons: literally, “two or three measures”; the Attic liquid measure contained 39.39 liters. The vast quantity recalls prophecies of abundance in the last days; cf. Am 9:13–14; Hos 14:7; Jer 31:12.
* [2:8] Headwaiter: used of the official who managed a banquet, but there is no evidence of such a functionary in Palestine. Perhaps here a friend of the family acted as master of ceremonies; cf. Sir 32:1.
* [2:11] The beginning of his signs: the first of seven (see Introduction). (John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)
Sara Schulte-Bukowinski comments that without escaping through naiveté, or an excess of detachment, she does find hope in today’s first reading. The people who first received these words were never promised they wouldn’t be desolate, or feel forsaken.
I witness the wounds of the world, strive to do my own part in response, and trust that God will transform my (and our) very basic and ordinary offerings into something beautiful, rich, restored—like bringing wine from water. I will strive to “do what he tells you,” even if it doesn’t seem in any way adequate to the need. On this eve of Martin Luther King Day I witness not just the wounds of the world, but the grace-filled ways God continues working in, through, and alongside us.
I will not be silent, I will not be quiet. I will speak, and echo the speech of others, proclaiming confidence in God’s companionship of us, and hope in a future of delight.
Don Schwager quotes “The touch of the Lord,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)
"Why did our Lord change nature at the beginning of his signs, if it was not to show that the divinity that changed nature in the interior of the jars was the same that changed nature in the womb of the virgin? And at the conclusion of the signs, he opened the tomb to show that the insatiable nature of death would not keep hold of him; he confirmed and ratified these two uncertainties of his birth and of his death. As to their nature, these waters were turned into the [fruit of] the vine; their stone vessels were not changed within their own nature. They were a symbol of his body, which was wonderfully conceived in a woman, and in a marvelous way by [the intervention of] no man within the virgin. He thus made wine out of water to teach about the manner of his conception and birth. He called upon the six jars as witness to the one virgin who gave birth to him; for the jars conceived in a unique way that was not customary for them, and they brought forth wine, and then they did not continue to produce [it]. Thus did the virgin conceive and give birth to Immanuel, and then she ceased and did not continue [to give birth]. The offspring of the jars was from smallness to grandeur, and from vileness to excellence, for from water came good wine. In this case [the birth from the virgin], however, it was from grandeur to weakness and from glory to contempt. Yet in the case of these jars, they were for the purification of the Jews, and our Lord poured his instruction into them, to teach that he came in the way [found in] the Law and the Prophets, and he transformed everything by his teaching, just as wine [was made] from water." (excerpt from Commentary on Tatian's DIATESSARON 5.6-7) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 2:1-11 comments that we all have times when we trust that Jesus can do what seems impossible—and we have times when we fail to trust in his power and compassion.
Take this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for instance. Throughout the week, believers from all Christian traditions will come together to pray for an end to divisions in the body of Christ. It takes faith to join with people whose traditions and worship look different from ours and pray that God will make us one. We may think that unity is impossible, even for God. Or we may personally not want to extend Jesus’ compassion and care to those who are divided from us.
Jesus can do the impossible! So let’s believe his promises. Let’s take a step of faith and join with our brothers and sisters this week in praying,
“Lord, make us one!”
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reality facing the exiles returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. God promises to espouse the returnees. The order of the gifts of the Spirit enumerated by Paul places glossolalia at the end of the list to prioritize gifts that serve others rather than ones that risk promoting superiority. Friar Jude reminds of the symbolic language in the account of the marriage at Cana that presents the sign of Jesus as the Bridegroom to the Church.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that an essential aspect of Franciscan spirituality is what Father Richard Rohr calls “the integration of the negative.” Rather than insisting that God values perfection or an idealized morality, Francis of Assisi intuited, through the example of Jesus’ life and death, that God could be found in all things, even those our religion and culture urge us to reject.
Francis and Clare made what most would call the negative or disadvantage shimmer and shine by their delight in what the rest of us ordinarily oppose, deny, and fear: things like being insignificant, poor, outside systems of power and status, or weakness in any form. Francis generally referred to these conditions as minoritas. This is a different world than most of us choose to live in. We all seem invariably to want to join the majority and to be admired. Francis and Clare instead made a preemptive strike at both life and death, offering a voluntary assent to full reality in all its tragic wonder. They made a loving bow to the very things that defeat, scare, and embitter most of us, such as poverty, powerlessness, and being ridiculed. (Rohr, n.d.)
We contemplate the “signs” that we have encountered on our journey and invite the Spirit to guide us to a response to the “New Wine” offered by the Bridegroom.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 62 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/62?1
John, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/2?1
Meditation on John 2:1-11. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/01/19/1182813/
1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/12?4
Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/unafraid-of-our-faults/
Schute-Bukownski, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011925.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jan19
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