2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time - John 2: 1-11 (A God Who Listens)
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time/ John 2:1-11 (A God Who Listens)
The story of the wedding feast at Cana has several unsettling elements to it. Jesus seems to be dismissive of his mother’s concerns about the wedding feast running out of wine. His words seem rather harsh when he says, “Woman how does your concern affect me?” But then he seems to change his mind. He reverses course. He helps. What does this say about him?
In our modern world changing your mind seems to be considered a poor character trait. Maybe we have all heard someone in authority say, “Once you make a decision don’t look back.” Also, “never admit you made a mistake if you want to be a good leader.”
We can think of an old John Wayne quote that he said in a couple movies. “Never apologize it is a sign of weakness.” Another quote about decisiveness says, “Be decisive, right or wrong, make a decision, the road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a choice.”
Politicians seem to hold to this creed. The worst thing is to be seen as someone who waffles. If elected officials are confronted with videos of evidence of themselves having two opinions on the same subject, they most often say their remarks were taken out of context. Or they may refuse to concede that they contradicted themselves. If you hold elected office, you never want to say you changed your mind.
But if we read materials from those who are experts on leadership this a very poor way to lead. If a leader adjusts their thinking with new information this is a virtue. We all remember the film, the Wizard of Oz. The wizard presents himself to Dorothy, the scare crow, the tin man, the lion as all powerful. He projects his face on a screen with smoke and sound effects to intimidate his visitors. He is the wise and all powerful one. He also seems unfeeling and cruel.
But then the Wizard is exposed when Dorothy’s dog pulls back a curtain. The wizard, at first wants to send the characters away who have traveled the yellow brick road. When he must interact with the face to face, he changes. He listens to their problems. He reacts with compassion. He does not necessarily perform miracles, but he shows how lending an empathetic ear can have a life changing effect on others. The wizard transforms into a true wisdom figure when he comes into the real world.
Luckily for us God isn’t a politician. Nor is God an unfeeling wizard. Jesus changes his mind in the Gospel today. Wedding feasts were very important events in the life of a village community in the time of Jesus. A wedding would take place in the evening. The bride and groom would join in marriage. After that, they would be marched to their new home through the village streets. The longest route possible would be taken so that the couple would greet as many people as they could. A canopy would be carried over their heads. The couple would wear crowns. It was as if they were a king and queen for a few days.
When they reached their new home, they would consummate their marriage. After that, they would have an open house for a week. The new couple were expected to provide food and drink for all. Relatives would move into their home for the duration. The bride and groom were on stage. Hospitality was the key. Failing to provide it would bring shame to the bride and groom. In rural Palestine, where most people lived in poverty, marriage feasts were the preeminent event. You only had one chance to get it right.
The couple in the gospel were probably relatives of Jesus. Cana was so close to Jesus’ home in Nazareth that you could see it with the naked eye. Mary, we suspect, was related to the couple so she was one of those in charge of hospitality.
Jesus, at first, seems unconcerned with the problem Mary presents. We know most men go to weddings reluctantly don’t they. “Just lay out my clothes and tell me when we are leaving for the celebration.” But Jesus, thanks to his mother, is confronted with what is happening. He sympathizes with the plight of the married couple. With divine power he solves the problem. The sign of changing water into wine is a reassuring one. God is not distant. God is here.
The Wedding Feast of Cana has always been considered an Epiphany story. God comes out from behind the curtain to show what divine mercy looks like. Empathy means that we identify with fears, suffering, embarrassment, the struggles of others. Jesus does that when he helps the married couple, but he goes beyond that. The wedding banquet is a symbol of what the kingdom is like. God is one with us, now and always providing for us in abundance.
Reflection Questions:
- Is God concerned about my life? What proof do I have one way or another?
- Where do I find empathetic understanding? Who is Jesus for me?
Dear Parishioners,
Everyone is probably wondering how our building process is going. Our building committee continues to meet with our architect. We are moving toward having working documents. Once we have those, we can arrive at a more accurate cost estimate. Then we will try to come up with a financial plan to pay for the building.
Our whole building process has been complicated by the pandemic. The contractors we are consulting continue to be reluctant to put a number on costs. Raw materials are fluctuating wildly, and supply chain issues continue. The message is that we are fighting many things beyond our control.
We would like to go out for bids on the building as soon as we can. This will help with cost. It is suspected that many institutions will be building additions this summer. Public schools still have government funds to spend. This means, once again, impacts cost.
We need some divine intervention. I have been asking St. Damien de Vuester to pray for our project. I figure a good Belgium saint might be on our side. We all must keep praying for a return to some normalcy.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark
Under Finances:
Please remember to send in your offertory collection donations. The last few Sundays have seen even lower attendance than usual. Our normal bills continue. We need everyone to pull together. The Finance Committee appreciates your support of our parish.