My dear Brothers and Sisters,
We return today to ordinary time in our liturgy celebrations. Last Sunday we celebrated Baptism of the Lord and we renewed our baptismal vows during Holy Mass. Today is second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Gospel from Saint John for today’s Sunday is telling us about first miracle which Jesus did in the beginning of His public ministry.
For 10 anniversary of my priesthood I went to Holy Land. I went for pilgrimage with my classmates priests. We spent two weeks traveling from one to another historical place. We visited different towns, villages and places connected to the Bible. One day we spend at Cana in Galilee. We touched the place where Jesus did the first miracle during the wedding and started his public ministry. At that time I felt like new ordained priest one again. After this pilgrimage to Holy Land I understood better the Holy Bible and Jesus. Jesus changes me, my personality, my priesthood and my style of preaching.
My dear brothers and sisters the public ministry of Jesus begins, as John tells today in his Gospel, at the wedding in Cana. How this happened!
Mary notes that the wine is about to run out and she is concerned. How embarrassing it would be for this young couple to begin their lives together if they could not provide sufficient food and drink for their guests. Mary brings her concern to Jesus and water is turned into wine in abundance. The wedding reception continues and the party goes on. What a wonderful work Jesus does! Because of him the joy and happiness of the celebration continues.
In the last sentence of today’s gospel we read: “Jesus did this as the beginning of His signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed His glory, and His disciples began to believe in Him.†This sentence is central for John.
The divinity of Jesus is manifest in this sign and His glory is revealed. Seeing these great wonders, His disciples begin to believe in Him.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers,
In Cana of Galilee Jesus worked the first of His signs and throughout his public ministry He would continue to work and perform miracles. For the most part what He did was either ignored or rejected. His public ministry would culminate in the saving act of our redemption – His death and resurrection. In this Christ event He revealed His glory for all. His disciples believed even more fully that He truly was God’s Son.
Jesus continues to work His saving acts in our midst. Day in and day out Jesus is there for us. Without fanfare and in the quiet of our souls He works with us. The trick is to see these saving acts and to know of His presence so that we can believe even more fully that Jesus is the very center of our being and, then to publicly avow this.