January 17, 2016
Gospel: Jn 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 (1), each
holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the them, “Fill the jars with
water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw (2)
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 headwaiter
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.
The difficult words
(1) In the Jewish religion,
people often performed ceremonial washings: in other words, they would
wash their feet, their hands, or their head as a sign of purification.
(2) Before water came from pipes and
faucets, it was drawn by lowering buckets and other
containers into wells.
This week’s spotlight
Green vestments
It's been a long time since you’ve seen the Priest
wear green vestments. This Sunday we begin Ordinary Time, a wonderful time to
find God in the ordinary events of daily
life. The Priest wears a green stole and chasuble because green is the
color of hope. It reminds us of our hope for eternal life with Jesus Christ.
Charisms
The word "charism" comes from a Greek word
that means "free gift." Charisms are special spiritual graces or
talents from God. They are ways that the Holy Spirit is working in us for the
good of the whole Church. They are given to us freely so that we can do good
things for those around us. These gifts bring joy to those who receive them. In
today’s second reading, Saint Paul mentions some of the charisms (faith,
healing, etc.) but there are many more! Every baptized person is given gifts by
the Holy Spirit. What is your charism, and how can you use it to help others?
Reflection
Invited to the feast
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is at a wedding with his
mother Mary. Mary notices that the guests have run out of wine. Concerned for
her friends, she brings their problem to Jesus, because she knows that he has
the power to help them. Mary knows that Jesus is God and that nothing is
impossible for him - even turning water into wine! She puts all her trust in
her Son, and he responds by working his first miracle. We too can entrust our
troubles and worries to Mary. She will bring them to her Son. She is a mother
who is concerned for our happiness. Like Mary, we need to put all our trust in
Jesus. We also need to “do whatever he tells you," as Mary tells the
servants at the wedding. God speaks to us in many ways - through the Bible, through
our parents and religion teachers, through our friends. We must know how to
listen for and hear his voice, so that we can put his words into practice!
Discussion questions
1. What problem did Mary tell Jesus about?
2. What did Mary want Jesus to do?
3. What did Jesus say when Mary brought the problem to him?
4. But what did Jesus do?
5. What do you learn from Jesus today?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Help me
to always hear your voice so that I can joyfully carry out your will. Help me to use my spiritual gifts to
serve those around me.
Crossword Puzzle
