THE WEDDING AT CANA

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - John 2:1-11

In the gospel of John, Jesus begins his ministry at a wedding to which he was invited with his disciples. It is as if, in the beginning, the Church is already present: Jesus is the centre of all attention, surrounded by the disciples whom he leads to faith. In the middle of this Church, we find Mary, the mother of Jesus, playing an important role as she pleads with Jesus, bringing forward his ministry of salvation. This passage of the gospel leads our attention in two directions: Jesus at the wedding and the role of Mary. The scene of the wedding brings to memory some passages of the Old Testament, where marriage is presented as a symbol of God’s relationship with his people. God is a true lover who cannot forget his beloved, in spite of her betrayal. When she runs away, he looks for her and seduces her with his love. According to Isaiah (in the first reading), God will call his people “My Delight”, “for the Lord takes delight in you and your land will have its wedding” and “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Is 62:4-5). At the wedding of Cana, Jesus comes to the forefront as if he is the Bridegroom, revealing his glory to the community of disciples. It is interesting that the passage does not pay attention to the wedding ceremony and concentrates only on the banquet, a banquet in which Jesus provides the best wine, indicating that he is fulfilling God’s Promise: When the time of salvation comes, “the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Is 25:6). The wedding banquet at a Cana provides a foretaste of the salvation feast in which God’s people will enjoy life and peace. In the wedding at Cana,  we find already the active presence of salvation brought about by Jesus.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, played as well an important role. She was attentive to everything and, noticing the shortage of wine, she decided to do something about it. On her own, she could do nothing, but she knew who could, and approached him. It is interesting that she did not ask, that is, she did not make a formal request; she knew that it would be enough to point out the needs and the shortcomings of all those involved in the wedding celebration. Jesus would not and could not ignore the plight of the people. And Mary went to the servants giving them the only instruction that was needed: “Do whatever he tells you.” This is the same instruction that she gives today to each one of us and to the Church as a whole: “Do whatever he tells you.” This the only condition for the Lord to grant us joy to the full.

Let us learn with Mary to listen wholeheartedly to God’s word and then do what his word tells us to do.

BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - Luke 3:15-16,21-22

In his baptism, Jesus assumed the role of the Servant of the Lord (the Servant of Yahweh) and he would exercise his ministry in that role. The figure of the Servant of the Lord comes from the prophet Isaiah, where is presented as “the chosen one”, the “one in whom my soul delights”. Being God’s delight, we immediately guess that he is much more than a servant. Since “I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Is 42:1). And “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations”. He was chosen to be the liberator and the Redeemer, in order “to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness”(Is 42:6-7).

When John appeared in the desert calling people to repentance, many thought that he was the promised one, the one coming to fulfil Isaiah’s words. However, John himself refused such a role, telling people that he was only baptising them with water and was not even worthy to untie the strap of the Messiah’s sandals. John came to prepare people and his baptism in water is no more than a sign of repentance and conversion. And  John announces the coming of someone mightier than him, who will baptise with the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16).

And so it happened that, in solidarity with the sinful humanity, Jesus went to John and was baptised by him. As the Servant of the Lord, Jesus, the sinless one, carried our sins (Is 53:12). Just as his baptism was ending, while at prayer, the divine mystery of Jesus came to the front and became manifest: “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22).

In the baptism, being anointed with the Holy Spirit and being proclaimed the “beloved Son”, in whom the Father finds his delight, the words of Isaiah came to fulfilment in Jesus. And being the “beloved Son”, Jesus baptises us with the Holy Spirit, so that in him we become children of God.

The feast of the baptism of the Lord must be an occasion to celebrate our own baptism and to reflect upon it. We were baptised with the baptism of Jesus, that is we were baptised with the Holy Spirit, who has marked us with his seal for eternal life

GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION IS FOR ALL

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY - Matthew 2:1-12

In the feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate the universality of salvation. Jesus reveals himself and is recognised as the Saviour of the world, meaning that salvation is offered to all. The first reading, taken from the prophet Isaiah, already gives the idea that God has a plan for all humankind, affirming that all peoples will walk towards the Light that shines in Jerusalem.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul asserts that salvation is not the privilege of a group, of a nation or of a race. The same promise was made to all and all will “share the same inheritance” (Ep 3:6). According to Paul, there is no reason for any kind of bigotry or xenophobia, since “there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Col 3:11). All may fill at home, “members of the household of God” (Ep 2:19).

In Matthew 2:1-12, the Magi stand for all the outsiders who want to come in and sing with all the elect God’s glory, thus partaking the same inheritance in Christ. Coming from the East, they might have belonged to the nations that were the great enemies of Israel. However, God is not bound by such old quarrels and enmities, since all nations belong to him. Those foreigners were moved by a great quest which they would not abandon until it had been fulfilled. In their pursue, they were moved by hope, so that they would not accept defeat or failure. They were on a long journey in search of a new king and they would not give up until they found him. And enlightened by the star which guided them, they knew that the newborn king was divine. Once they found him, they prostrated themselves before him in adoration (Mt 2:11).

In contrast with them, the people of Jerusalem, guided by their religious and political leaders, were so concerned with themselves that they saw in the child a threat to their power and influence. Their knowledge of the Scriptures and their religious practice made them conceited and unable to care about a child, even if he was an extraordinary and divine child. Closed in the past,  they had lost the vision of the promises, leaving them hopeless and bitter. Rejecting the Child, they planned his death and were willing to massacre the innocent to protect their interests. 

One day, Jesus would warn the leaders of the people, saying, "Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” (Lk 13: 27-29).

Are we like the Magi, searching tirelessly for life and salvation, which is only found in Christ; or are we so full of ourselves that we see a threat to our way of life in everything that is different and that demands change?

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND GRANT YOU PEACE

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD - Luke 2:16-21

We begin the New Year in the company of Mary, the “mother of the Lord” (Lk 1:43). It is with her that we ask God’s blessings, mainly the good wine of love and peace.

In the Catholic Church, the first day of the Year is a day of prayer for peace and of reflection on what should be done to bring peace into our world. For the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis guides us on a reflection about politics and peace, affirming that “Good politics is at the service of peace” (see http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/papa-francesco_20181208_messaggio-52giornatamondiale-pace2019.pdf). A good politician is someone who is committed to building a society based on justice, without exploitation and oppression. At the heart of his decisions and his actions, a good politician tries to put into practice the great commandment of love.

In his message to the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis quotes the “Beatitudes of the Politician”, “proposed by Vietnamese Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyễn Vãn Thuận, a faithful witness to the Gospel who died in 2002: 

Blessed be the politician with a lofty sense and deep understanding of his role.
Blessed be the politician who personally exemplifies credibility.
Blessed be the politician who works for the common good and not his or her own interest. 

Blessed be the politician who remains consistent.
Blessed be the politician who works for unity.
Blessed be the politician who works to accomplish radical change. 

Blessed be the politician who is capable of listening. 

Blessed be the politician who is without fear.”

Psalm 67:2-3,5,6,8

And we can ask God’s blessings with the Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us.

O God, be gracious and bless us

  and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

  and all nations learn your saving help.

O God, be gracious and bless us.

Let the nations be glad and exult

  for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

  you guide the nations on earth.

O God, be gracious and bless us.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

  let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his blessing

  till the ends of the earth revere him.

O God, be gracious and bless us.

May the Lord bless you all and give a New Year full of his graces. May he grant you peace.

JESUS REMAINED BEHIND IN JERUSALEM

THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY - Lk 2:41-52

Jesus’ family, which we call the Holy Family, was a very special family, yet in so many ways it was a family like many others. Joseph and Mary had to struggle and work hard in order to survive and to provide for Jesus the best they could. As a carpenter - self-employed or working for others, maybe even in the huge projects of King Herod - Joseph would not have an easy life. With him, Jesus learned the craft; that’s why he would be known as the “carpenter” (Mk 6:3).

We know nothing about the daily life of Jesus’ family. This Sunday’s gospel gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They were a devout family who followed the religious traditions of their people and who initiated Jesus in the ways of the Lord. It was the duty of every adult Jew to participate in the Passover celebration. And so, each year, big crowds went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the big feast. Jesus’ parents kept to the tradition and every year “used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover”. Being the only child, it was probable that, most of the times, Jesus was taken as well. At thirteen years of age, he would undergo the rite of passage Bar Mitzvah, thus being considered an adult, responsible for his own acts. The Gospel presents Jesus at the age of twelve, still under the tutelage of his parents, but already becoming an adult. He accompanied his parents on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and there he became so carried away by the Temple and its liturgy that he forgot everything else. It was as if all his dreams were fulfilled and he didn’t need anything else. There, in the Temple, he found the purpose of his life, and he remained.

Reading this Sunday’s gospel, we get the impression that Joseph and Mary considered Jesus as being already a responsible adult, allowing him freedom of movement so that he could be with relatives or with friends who came from Galilee or even from Nazareth. So, until they found out that he had remained behind, they did not worry too much. Then, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him, and, to their big surprise, they found him in the Temple in conversation with the great teachers of the law. And everybody was “astounded at his intelligence and his replies”. While all the onlookers saw in him a child prodigy, his mother was not pleased and reproached him that he had been so irresponsible, causing them so much trouble. Hearing his mother’s complaint, Jesus was surprised that Mary and Joseph could not understand his attitude: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?” In his answer, Jesus already shows awareness of his vocation and clearly tells his mother that one day he will leave home and family to be only at the service of the “Father”. For this, he would live and die. 

Meanwhile, "Jesus went down with them to Nazareth and was submissive to them.”

A HOLY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU

With the ecstasy of Mary

and the simplicity of Joseph,

let’s approach the baby Jesus

born poor and humble,

ignored by the wise and powerful,

but recognized, loved

and adored

by those who are touched

by the mystery of life

in which they experience

the wonders of the Lord

who saves us.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, full of Jesus' blessings - Fr. José

Mu kupokelela ipalo nga Maria

na mu kuicefya nga Yosefu,

natupalamine Yesu mwana,

uwafyelwe umupina,

kabili uwasulilwe ku bamano na bamaka,

lelo bamwishibe, bamutemenwe

no kumupepa

kuli abo bonse abakumishiwe

ku bwile bwa bumi

umo basanga ifisungusho fya Mfumu

uwaisa mu kutupususha.

Musefye Noel ne cimwemwe, kabili Yesu Mwana amufumfumwine amapalo. - Fr. José

MARY IS PROCLAIMED BLESSED

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Luke 1:39-45

After being informed by the angel that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant, Mary wasted no time and with strong resolution, she “set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah”. It was a difficult journey, a journey that would not be done by a young woman, unless under very pressing circumstances. Did Mary venture to go alone? There is no way of knowing, but it is well possible and probable that she went with some family member or friend or she might have joined a group of people going to Jerusalem. In doing the journey from Nazareth to “the hill country of Judah”, in the South, Mary showed the determination and courage fo someone who is strongly motivated. At all costs, she needed to go and contemplate the wonders which the Lord had done in Elizabeth for the sake of his people. And she had to share her secret with someone who had also been graced and favoured. Carrying with her the mystery of God’s love, she felt the need to be with someone who had also embraced the mystery, so that her words of joy, praise, and thanksgiving would find echo and response. 

Upon hearing Mary's greeting, Elizabeth felt the child leaping in her bosom with joy and, there and then, she was filled with the Holy Spirit, making it possible for her to recognise that Mary was the mother of the Lord.

There are people who try to ignore Mary or to despise her role in God’s plan of salvation, speaking of her as a common woman. Elizabeth, guided by the Holy Spirit was able to recognise her dignity and her role. Mary is not a simple villager from Nazareth or an ordinary woman from any other village or town, but she is the chosen one of the Lord. That’s why Elizabeth proclaimed her "blessed among women" and she is blessed because she "believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

In order to share in Mary’s blessing, we must have the same attitude of faith, accepting God’s word and putting into practice in our lives. Only this attitude of faith enables us to recognise and to accept God’s gift of grace and love. With Mary, let us prepare ourselves, guided by the Holy Spirit, to welcome Jesus in our lives. May he be born in our hearts.