Living the Gospel – January 16, 2022

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – Though the Feast of the Epiphany occurred twelve days after Christmas, the early weeks of Ordinary time have their own “epiphanies.” Last week, with the Baptism of Jesus we recognize our relationship with God as co-heirs and beloved children of God. This week is another one of those “a-ha” moments, when the disciples begin to recognize Who Jesus is and what He has revealed about our relationship with God. This week we are at a wedding. The wedding at Cana in Galilee is often referred to as the start of Jesus’ public ministry and is the first miracle story in the Gospel of John. If we’re sons and daughters of God, it’s because we’ve married into the family. Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenant relationship God desires with His chosen people. He is the Groom, humanity His beloved and sought-after bride. Images of marriage feasts and bridegrooms – wine and water appear in the Old and New Testament with great regularity. The relationship between God and Israel was often seen as a marriage – Israel the bride, God the bridegroom. The coming of the Messiah was described in terms of a wedding feast – and later, in Revelation, we hear of the marriage feast of the Lamb. Jesus spoke of himself as the vine – and of longing to celebrate Passover, blessing wine into the cup of his blood. It is into these layers of symbol that we can set today’s Gospel. Jesus “so revealed his glory” as he used a human event point to something greater. The steward, we are told, calls the human bridegroom over and compliments him on saving the best wine until last. We know, however, who was the provider of that wine…In Jesus, the divine Spouse has become the incarnate Bridegroom inviting each believer to a new covenantal relationship, sealed in the saving blood of Jesus on the cross and celebrated in the Eucharistic bread of his body.