St. Norbert's Church - Sunday Reflections

Always this Sunday is the Sunday of the miracle at Cana, the miracle of turning water into wine. This means that the other two readings must be seen in the perspective of today's Gospel.

Certainly this miracle is one of the most delightful miracles in the Gospels. We hear Jesus tell his Mother: Woman, how does your concern affect me? It is clear that Jesus does not intend to cooperate. But Jesus is like the son later in the Gospels who at first says that he won't do something and then does it. Mary, His Mother, knows this already and simply tells the servants: Do whatever He tells you.

We can remember that Mary had lived with Jesus as her son now for perhaps thirty years. Like all mothers, she has a good understanding of how her son responds to situations. What a huge amount of wine Jesus makes! We expect huge amounts of water in any dry country, but huge amounts of wine are more difficult to come by! The people at this feast would have gone home, joyful with the drink given to them.

The first reading, from the Prophet Isaiah, can be understood in relationship to the Gospel fairly easily. The Prophet tells us that at some point Jerusalem will be restored to her great glory as the City of God. For us Christians, this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. His Holy Name is always associated with Jerusalem. Jerusalem is where Jesus is crucified and it is where He rises from the dead. Incredible glory!

The second reading, from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 12, tells us of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This reading is also quite easily seen in the light of the Gospel today. God's plan of salvation is God's plan. Far too often we want to make it our plan. We disagree with our God. We get disappointed because the plan of salvation does not go the way we think that it should go.

Perhaps we are not given the gifts of the Spirit that we think we deserve. Perhaps we think that we have not received any gifts of the Spirit. Perhaps we are jealous of the gifts that we see in others. Perhaps we see no use in Christ Himself. Perhaps we have chosen to follow others gods in our daily practice even while we profess faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps we feel that God never answers our prayers. The list can go on and on as a sort of review for confession. What is important is that we begin to recognize within ourselves the complexity of our thinking and feeling. We need to be aware if we are in any way refusing the accept the gifts that God gives only to us or if we are desiring gifts that God has given to others.

We can ask this week that we would be like the servants in the Gospel and learn to do whatever Jesus asks of us. May the Holy Spirit give us this gift.