Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

January 19, 2025

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

When the wine ran short,

the mother of Jesus said to him,

"They have no wine."

And Jesus said to her,

"Woman, how does your concern affect me?

My hour has not yet come."

His mother said to the servers,

"Do whatever he tells you."

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."

So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them,

"Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."

So they took it.

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 headwater called the bridegroom 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."

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.

A VIEW FROM THE PULPIT ...

Embarking On the Journey Through Ordinary Time: Building to Our Own Gift of Self

~ Rev. Thomas Whittingham

Pastor, Saint Laurence Catholic Church + Upper Darby, Pa.

The miracle at the wedding in Cana is presented by John as the first sign that “revealed (Jesus’) glory” to the disciples who “began to believe in him.” The standard Jesus sets is one of abundance in both quantity and quality. Jesus shows that, like God, he too can do “whatever” is needed for the disciples. The simple command of Mary to “do whatever he tells you” is heavily weighted. She knows better than anyone just how all-encompassing this 'whatever' can be. We recall the rest of what Jesus will command in the Gospel of John:

no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (Jn 3:3)
whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (Jn. 4:14)
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. (Jn. 5:21)
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. (Jn. 6:51)
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (Jn. 8:12)
My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. (Jn. 10:27-8)
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. (Jn. 11:25-6)

Just as the signs that Jesus works throughout these chapters build to his self-offering on the cross, so also the ‘whatever’ that Jesus asks of us builds to our own total gift of self. Today, when Jesus asks us to undertake some seemingly impossible, or perhaps even pointless task (filling wine jars with water), we should be ready to comply. We should also expect his assistance in our more difficult endeavors around our Christian vocation. What Jesus asks is often a lot! But the Divine assistance he provides is more than enough. As we embark on our journey through Ordinary Time, let’s be ready to say, "yes!" to God’s commands … “whatever” the challenges.

A VIEW FROM THE PEW ...

Surrendering the Will to God

~ Dennis Mueller

Saint Albert the Great Church + Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

There have been so many times in my life when my fear of the potential cost of doing what the Lord was asking led me to drag my feet for as long as I could, or to my initial response being a flat-out “No.” It’s always during these times of resistance, that I find myself stressed, unsettled, and usually a bit unbearable according to those who know me best. However, when I finally surrender my will to what God is asking of me, I’m always in awe of the peace and happiness that it brings, even despite the challenges and crosses I may have had to bear in doing what was asked of me.

Mary was able to say these words in confidence to the servants because she knew her Son. As I have come to know Jesus more deeply and intimately in my life, I have come to see that it is his grace alone that enables me to overcome my fear and step out in faith and trust to do what he asks of me. With the assurance that God is truly with us in Jesus – our Emmanuel, still resonating in my ears from the Christmas season – Mary's words fill me with hope in the knowledge that he will be with me every step of the way when it comes to achieving what he asks of me. And that makes me very happy indeed.

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