Homily - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

We all love weddings. Weddings are such joyful occasions. Sometimes we are quick to judge a wedding by where the reception was and the quantity of food served. Everyone loves to go to weddings at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach, Queens, New York.

There is certainly no shortage of great food and drink there. I love it when the guests say how full they are after the cocktail hour and dinner, only to see them race up to the Viennese table when it’s presented an hour later.

I am sure the folks in Jesus’ day did somewhat the same. After all, the headwaiter noticed how the good wine was served first.

When I am privileged to witness and preside at a wedding, I try to emphasize that a marriage is more than a wedding day. Couples spend an enormous amount of time preparing for a wedding day and often forget about a marriage, which should last a life time.

St. John gospel is telling about something far greater than the reception.
This story, told in the context of a wedding, reveals the first of Jesus’ signs. Signs point us to something important. A great example of this is a stop sign, which is intended to prevent us harm.

Often in scripture, Weddings symbolize our relationship with God. How often we hear St. Paul speaking about the union between Christ and His Church?

All the signs in John’s Gospel aim to tell us the importance of Jesus presence among his contemporaries and about His Glory achieved through his passion, death and resurrection.

The wedding at Cana, Marriages today, and our relationship with God are all about transformation. God changed ordinary water into extraordinary wine.

How do we transform our lives?

Mary had the answer - Do what ever he tells you?

In today’s Second reading, St. Paul in his letter tells us of all the gifts each of us has been given by the Spirit. The Spirit gives gifts not only to those who are leaders, but to everyone. The Spirit has given us these gifts to transform our lives so we can be signs of God’s Glory among God’s people.

We begin that transformation by opening our minds and hearts to understand St. John’s message about Jesus and to recognize the presence of the risen Christ in our midst.

This past week, we have all seen the death and destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti. But we have also seen the presence of the risen Christ in the faces of all those who are reaching out with their time, talent and treasure.

May we too recognize the signs of Jesus among us.
May we become signs of the presence of Jesus to all those around us.