Sunday, January 19, 2025

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: God Transforms Things

The readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year C, January 19, 2025, offer a rich tapestry of themes and insights that invite us to reflect deeply on our faith journey. The liturgical readings for this Sunday include Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 96, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and John 2:1-11. Each of these readings provides a unique perspective on God's relationship with His people and the transformative power of His love.

Isaiah 62:1-5

In the first reading from Isaiah, we encounter a powerful message of hope and restoration. The prophet Isaiah speaks of God's unwavering commitment to His people, promising that their righteousness will shine like the dawn and their salvation like a blazing torch. This passage is a reminder that God never abandons His people, even in times of desolation and despair. The imagery of a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride underscores the intimate and joyful relationship that God desires with each of us. As we reflect on this reading, we are called to trust in God's promises and to recognize the ways in which He is actively working to bring about our redemption and renewal.

Psalm 96

Psalm 96 is a hymn of praise that calls all creation to sing a new song to the Lord. This psalm celebrates God's sovereignty and His marvelous deeds among the nations. It invites us to acknowledge God's glory and strength, and to worship Him with reverence and joy. The psalmist's call to "declare His glory among the nations" challenges us to be witnesses of God's love and to share the good news of His salvation with others. As we meditate on this psalm, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude and worship in our spiritual lives, and the need to proclaim God's greatness to the world.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the diversity of spiritual gifts within the Christian community. He emphasizes that these gifts are given by the same Spirit and are intended for the common good. Paul lists various gifts, including wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, and prophecy, and highlights that each gift is a manifestation of the Spirit's work in the believer's life. This passage encourages us to recognize and appreciate the unique gifts that God has bestowed upon us and others. It also challenges us to use these gifts in service to the community, fostering unity and building up the body of Christ.

John 2:1-11

The Gospel reading from John recounts the wedding at Cana, where Jesus performs His first public miracle by turning water into wine. This event is significant not only because it reveals Jesus' divine power, but also because it symbolizes the transformative nature of His ministry. The miracle at Cana points to the abundance of God's grace and the joy that comes from being in His presence. It also highlights the role of Mary, who intercedes on behalf of the wedding couple, demonstrating her faith and trust in Jesus. As we reflect on this Gospel passage, we are invited to consider the ways in which Jesus transforms our lives and to respond with faith and gratitude.

Reflection

The readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C invite us to reflect on the themes of hope, praise, unity, and transformation. They remind us of God's unwavering love and His desire to be in a joyful and intimate relationship with us. As we meditate on these passages, we are called to trust in God's promises, to worship Him with gratitude, to recognize and use our spiritual gifts for the common good, and to embrace the transformative power of Jesus in our lives.  Jesus can turn water into wine. Imagine what He can do in your life?  Jesus has the power of space-time, matter and the laws of physics. There is nothing He cannot do.   You just need to ask as we read in the Gospel

Today's Gospel also highlights Marian theology regarding her intercession to Christ.  She intercedes to Christ while Christ is the Sole Mediator to His Father.  We read of the waiters going to Mary specifically to voice their concerns about the lack of wine.  Why her?  There are many things we can think about here.  Perhaps Mary knew the family or couple getting married and had a role in the organization of the wedding. Maybe they knew who her Son was and what He could do.  There are many ideas we can come up with, however, we know that this story and particularly this detail was placed in the Gospel for a reason.  

The Apostle John was the one who Jesus told to take Mary as his own mother.  In light of this, we can see why John would highlight Mary's unique role in salvific history in regards to being the intercessor to Christ her Son.  Mary knows Jesus more than anyone on Earth. She is only best by God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and possibly the heavenly host of angelic beings.   Nevertheless, she is the only human to truly know the Lord Jesus on a personal and deep level.  She bore Him in her womb, fed Him, changed Him, bathed Him, taught Him, and so on. St. Joseph had a hand in this as well, but based on tradition, he passed before Jesus took on His ministry.  

The waiters telling Mary that there was no more wine shows us that Mary has a unique power and role as an intercessor and advocate, mediatrix of grace, and co-redemptrix.   Because of her, Jesus performed His first miracle before the time was set to take place.  We know God is immutable, but in this Gospel, we see God "change," so to speak. As a human actor, Jesus did the miracle before He was supposed to perform any miracles. As God, He cannot change. In light of this, we see the awesome intercessor that we have in Mary, Our Mother and Mother of God. 

Moreover, we cannot forget Mary's last words in the Gospel reading, "Do whatever He tells you."  These words are very powerful.  Many of our separated friends in the Protestant faith accuse us of paying too much attention to Mary or even worshiping her. This is false. No Catholics worship Mary. We give her extra attention or hyperdulia, but only God gets latria or worship.  We see how Mary points us to Christ. Even throughout the centuries,t he many apparitions of her both approved and not yet approved but permitted by the Church show a Mother pointing to her Son and asking the world to repent because it offends God.  This is not a woman seeking attention or worship. She is a fellow Catholic Christian evangelizing the world even after her Assumption into heaven.  In light of this, it is hard to process why many of our Protestant friends loathe Mary and speak ill of her.  It is just strange and quite frankly, demonic-influenced.  Only satan hates Mary with a passion.  

In our daily lives, we can apply these reflections by seeking to deepen our relationship with God through prayer and worship, by being attentive to the needs of others and using our gifts to serve them, and by remaining open to the ways in which Jesus is working to transform us. Let us take these readings to heart and allow them to inspire us to live more fully as disciples of Christ, bearing witness to His love and grace in all that we do.

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