2nd Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C January 17,
2010 Isaiah 62:1-5, 1Corinthians 12:4-11,
John 2:1-
11
When Jesus is directly involved, always be very, veeery careful
how we judge a situation. Or especially another person’s intentions.
Be very careful.
In this story of the wedding at Cana (does anyone get married in
January?), in listening to this Gospel once again, it’s easy to feel
sympathy for the bridegroom on his own wedding day. Not because
he’s getting married, but because the headwaiter accuses the
bridegroom of holding back on the good wine. The headwaiter
accuses the bridegroom –on his wedding day – of doing something
deceitful and dishonest. He tells the bridegroom that he somehow
wanted to save the good wine for a private party after the wedding
reception with all of his friends. Yes, that he somehow left all the
good wine outside in the parking lot in his pickup truck, or his van,
but it was somehow discovered and brought into the banquet, thus
tipping off the headwaiter that the best wine was held back at the
headwaiter’s expense, with the bridegroom making him look like a
fool. How’s that for a mystery
novel?
Well, maybe the bridegroom didn’t like his in-laws, or maybe he
wasn’t well disposed toward the guest list. Either way, the poor guy
gets accused of holding back the best wine when in fact he has no
clue as to where the best wine came from. And the Gospel story of
the Wedding at Cana doesn’t provide us with the bridegroom’s
reaction to the headwaiter. But we can safely assume that his
reaction was very defensive and denial-ridden: “What are you
talking about, Mr. Headwaiter? I didn’t hold back the good wine! In
fact, I have no idea where it came from! Maybe that Teacher over at
that table with his mother had something to do with it!” In the midst
of this conversation is the overwhelming confusion as to where the
good wine came from.
Be very careful how we judge when Jesus is involved at an
event.
Because when Jesus does in fact get involved, especially at the
prompting of his mother, expect the best results, the best wine, the
best of everything. But results that we may not fully understand in
the present.
As disciples of Christ, each one of us is blessed with good wine that
we can share with the guests who come to the wedding of our lives.
Our life is like a Wedding at Cana in that we have much good wine to
give to others. And I just happen to have a bottle here as a for
instance. A bottle of “Vintage Papi,” Championship Edition. And on
the back it says, “The David Ortiz Children’s Fund…Big Papi
recognizes that it takes a big heart to swing a big stick. That’s why
proceeds from Vintage Papi benefit the David Ortiz Children’s Fund.
You can help Papi come through with another clutch performance
to help keep children around the globe safe and healthy. From
Boston to the Dominican Republic (and I’m going to add the
suffering folks of Haiti this weekend), one long ball at a time, one
child at a time. Cheers.” Although there isn’t much to cheer about in
Haiti for the foreseeable
future.
But as we can see, this is wine with a good cause. And that’s how
we know that Jesus is involved. We know that Jesus made this
wine, most especially because it’s a Red Sox wine. When we use
our own wine, whatever brand it may be, and use it for the causes of
goodness and love, for causes of building up (or re-building up in
Haiti) and concern, then Jesus is most certainly
involved.
In fact, in today’s 2nd reading from Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians,
Paul shares with us a Christian wine list. It’s not an exhaustive list,
but it’s a list that is meant to bring out the best wine in us. It’s an old,
vintage list. The older the wine, the better it tastes. It’s a list where
Jesus gets involved, raising our spirits and lives to newer levels.
Levels that reach the opening in heaven I talked about last week at
Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan. And here’s the list created by,
and made possible by the Spirit of God through St.
Paul.
First, there’s the wine of wisdom. When we drink this wine, we
discern the ways of God. The headwaiter in this Gospel didn’t
discern the ways of God. The headwaiter in the Gospel of the
Wedding at Cana didn’t drink the wine of wisdom. He rushed to
judgment. He accused the bridegroom of holding back without any
effort at first finding out the facts. Judgment prevailed over wisdom,
and negative judgment is a poor tasting wine. Cooperating with
Divine wisdom, on the other hand, is good tasting wine.
And then there’s the wine of knowledge. In many situations of
growth, knowledge involves reading. We drink this wine when we
make reading Scripture part of our daily routine. Us Catholics need
to drink more of this good tasting wine. Even if it’s only a few verses
to ponder. This wine helps us to know that Jesus is involved with
us on a very deep and personal level. To the level of a cross and
empty grave.
And then Paul gives us the wine of faith. Drinking this wine helps us
to carry our crosses each day. The wine of our faith should be the
strongest of wines. It informs us we don’t walk this journey
alone.
And then the wine Paul calls the gift of healing. St. Paul zeroes in on
the gift of physical healing with this bottle of wine. But it’s wine that
all disciples can drink. We bring healing to others when we listen.
We bring healing to others through our presence. We bring healing
through praying for others, which our Prayer Line here at Christ the
King has done so well. Even the young folks can drink this
wine.
And further down the list is the wine of mighty deeds. Those who
drink this wine reveal the overwhelming power of God in this world.
God doesn’t wait for us to show up in heaven before His mightiness
is manifested. It’s all around us. We just need a certain set of
eyes.
The Christian wine list continues with the good tasting wine of
prophecy. Drinking this wine is a toast to the truth that all prophecy
is contained in Jesus Christ. That we don’t have to go searching the
far corners of the globe to discover God’s immanent presence. To
search elsewhere, outside of Christ, for the meaning of life is to
search in an empty wasteland. True meaning is realized in Christ
alone.
Then there’s the wine of discernment of spirits. Rejecting the bad
and choosing the good. That’s what this wine does. Yet, since no
one is perfect, meaning no one person can drink enough of this
wine, we have God’s infinite mercy.
And near the bottom of the list of Christian wines is the wine called
variety of tongues. Yes, variety of tongues. Very simply, drinking
this wine is to speak blessings (even about the Yankees once in a
while). Avoiding this wine is to speak curses. Like the headwaiter in
the Gospel.
And the last bottle of wine on this Christian Wine List is called
interpretation of tongues. This bottle is an invitation into God’s
voice. Interpreting the voice of love as it touches our
lives.
So, the Christian Wine List is long and challenging. And by no
means can it be exhausted. It includes so much more by way of
growing in discipleship and responding to the urgent needs of
others. May we always seek to taste the wine – the best tasting wine
– that Jesus has turned from
water.