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Second Sunday – Year C – Ordinary Time
Readings: Isa 62:1-5; I Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-12.
1/ First Reading: NAB Isaiah 62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. 2 Nations shall behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. 3 You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. 4 No more shall men call you “Forsaken,” or your land “Desolate,” But you shall be called “My Delight,” and your land “Espoused.” For the LORD delights in you, and makes your land his spouse. 5 As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.
2/ Second Reading: NAB 1 Corinthians 12:4 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.
3/ Gospel: NAB John 2:1 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. 12 After this, he and his mother, (his) brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.
Written by: Fr. Anthony Tien M. Dinh, O.P.
I. THEME: Unity in differences
God creates people differently, gives various blessings and different missions. He wants each person to fulfill his mission according to His given blessings, to build up his family, society and Christ’s mystical body. Many people don’t understand God’s providence; they consider themselves as the standard to compare, to criticize and to demand others to be like them. The results of this attitude are contention, separation and hatred.
Today readings invite people to recognize differences in each individual about the gifts and the mission so that they should respect each others and work together to build up God’s kingdom. In the first reading, due to the disobedience to God and the disrespect for others, Jerusalem was compared as a wife who was left desolated by God, her husband, and her children were miserably scattered everywhere; but the prophet Isaiah also foresaw the day when God shall have compassion and remarry with Jerusalem because He is a faithful husband. In the second reading, St. Paul emphasized the important key to protect the unity and the happiness in a family or a community is to recognize what each member has in common and their differences so that they should respect their differences and work together for the common good. The ideal example is the unity between the Holy Trinity. In the Gospel, the Blessed Mary knew that the only person can restore the couple’s difficulty is her son; but she only let Jesus know the problem and said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem held by your God.
1.1/ God shall have compassion for the desolated Jerusalem: The prophet Isaiah compared Jerusalem as a wife to represent for the Israelites. Jerusalem was left desolated because she was unfaithful to God, her husband, and unjustly treated others. The results of these acts were the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of all her children. However, God’s faithful love is the reason for the recovery of Jerusalem. God isn’t please when He saw a desolated Jerusalem but He must punish her so that she might recognize her sins and return to His real love for her. Without God’s punishment, Jerusalem shall die in her sins and be separated from God forever. In today passage, the prophet Isaiah was permitted by God to foresee the day that Jerusalem shall be recovered, as he said: “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. Nations shall behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the Lord. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem held by your God.”
1.2/ Jerusalem shall be happy when she correctly lives her relationship with God: Because of her disloyalty and forsaking of God’s commandments, Jerusalem was jeered by people as “Forsaken,” or her land, “Desolate.” When she returns to God, He shall love and cares for Jerusalem as a beloved wife. Then, Jerusalem shall be called by God as “My Delight,” and her land “Espoused.” “For the Lord delights in you, and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” In short, when the Israelites know how to live their correct relationship with God, they shall be God’s joy and pride.
2/ Reading II: There are many different gifts, but only one Spirit.
This is the important idea in St. Paul’s theology of the body, and the effective key to build up unity, peace and happiness. St. Paul wanted people to recognized two important points.
2.1/ What all people have in common: In order to live and to work together, people must recognize what they have in common. He listed out some importances which people have in common:
(1) One Spirit: who bestows different gifts on people to build up the common good and Christ’s mystical body which is the Church.
(2) One Christ: who died for people’s sins and brings salvation for all people. All of us are members of one body which is Christ’s mystical body.
(3) One God: who creates and controls everything in every person. Each person of the Holy Trinity, though has a different mission, has the same purpose which is to benefit all human beings.
(4) One baptism: In other place, St. Paul also listed out the same baptism and the same faith in the Holy Trinity, and predestined to go to the same ultimate goal, the eternal life.
2.2/ What are their differences: Besides what people have in common, they also have many differences:
(1) Each one is given different gifts: St. Paul wrote, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.”
(2) Different gifts lead to different vocations: teachers to teach; pastors to care for the faithful’s souls; the faithful to provide human power and help for society and the Church; doctors to heal, etc. Each has a different work; there should be no comparison between vocations; and all contribute for the common good.
(3) Each was differently created, such as: sex, temperament, body, etc.
(4) Moreover, people also live in different environments and cultures; they are also raised up, taught and matured in different families.
We can never find two persons who are like each other in all aspects; therefore, we should never expect others to think and to behave like ours in all things.
3/ Gospel: “Do whatever he tell you.”
Today passage marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and was his first miracle in the Johannine Gospel. This is the important miracle because it begins a new era of the Messiah. Jesus expressed his power and concern for his mother, disciples and people so that they might believe in him. There are three different reactions in today passage.
3.1/ The Blessed Mary’s sensitive reaction: Mary, though only a wedding guest, acted different than all other guests. She was the first one who recognized the couple’s difficult situation. She knew that the lacking of wine in the wedding day shall affect the couple’s happiness; it is a shame for them. So, she came to her son to make an intecession for the couple, saying: “They have no wine!” Her action showed two things:
(1) Her faith in Jesus’ power: Mary knew that Jesus is the only one who can help the couple.
(2) She didn’t command but asked for help, Jesus had freedom to respond.
Then, she came out to the kitchen and told the servants an important thing, “Do whatever he tells you.”
3.2/ Jesus’ reaction: After listened to his mother’s intercession, Jesus answered, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ hour in the Johannine Gospel is the hour when he is glorified by being hung on the cross. The whole of Jesus’ life is oriented to this hour.
When listened to Jesus’ answer to his mother, many people thought that Jesus didn’t respect his mother. This needs to be reconsidered. In life, each one has a mission which God gives to him to fulfill and a certain time to complete that mission. We can’t tell people to speed up that mission according to our request and time. This is the important key to preserve peace, unity and happiness of the family.
The remark of the headwaiter is another example for forcing others to do what he thinks because each has a different situation. He called the bridegroomand 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.”
3.3/ The servants’ reaction: The passage reported: “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.” Jesus’ command isn’t easy to do because they have to draw a big amount of water on the wedding day and they were busy with other things. They obeyed him and filled them to the brim.
– Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” This command again isn’t easy to do because it requires their faith; but they obeyed him and took it to the headwaiter.
– The wonderful result: 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 bridegroomand 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.”
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We need to avoid the prideful attitude which thinks that we can do all things without the need of others’ help.
– We must respect other’s difference with us. We shouldn’t expect them to be like us in viewpoints, the way to present and to solve a problem.
– What we can do is to present the truth and invite people to respond. We must let other to have freedom to think and to respond according to their time and situation.