January 20, 2013

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 66

Reading 1 from the Holy Book of Isaiah
Is 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.

God will not be still until Israel is redeemed.

Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.

And all people will see the glory of Israel when the Lord redeems His People.  And Israel will be called by a new name.

I believe this is a prophecy of the New Israel, the Catholic Church.

You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”

The Church is the Bride of Christ also known as the Heavenly Jerusalem:

Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.

Ephesians 5:31-33
King James Version (KJV)
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Praise God always.

Second Reading from the 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor 12:4-11

Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 
The Spirit gives us many and varied Spiritual gifts.


there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
There are different ranks within the Church: Apostles, Prophets, Teachers,

Lay Priests and Ministerial Priests




there are different workings but the same God
Works of corporal mercy, works of spiritual mercy


who produces all of them in everyone.
All good works are from God:
Philippians 2:11-13
King James Version (KJV)
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory 
of God the Father.  12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and todo of his good pleasure.


To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
I think this means "to each individual who has been baptized".  Baptism and at every Sacrament, we receive the gifts of the Spirit but some of us are never aware of them.

To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
These Spiritual gifts are not the same as the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit 
which we learn in the Catechism #1831.  Wisdom, understanding, counsel, 

fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  Those come from Isaiah 11:

Isaiah 11:2
King James Version (KJV)
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of 

the fear of the Lord;

But maybe we can correlate them.

Expression of wisdom-wisdom

Expression of knowledge-knowledge

Faith-piety, fear of the Lord

Healing-understanding

Mighty deeds-fortitude

Prophecy-counsel

Varieties of Tongues-wisdom, knowledge

Interpretation of Tongues-understanding, counsel

The only pairing I have trouble with is healing and understanding.  I know 

that frequently, understanding someone's problems brings about healing of 

emotional distress.  Perhaps understanding also brings about the healing of

physical ailments?  

Gospel
Jn 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.

Mary attended a wedding in Cana along with her Son.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”

During the celebration, they ran out of wine.  And Mary mentioned this to Jesus.

And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?

Many take Jesus' response as one of hesitance to obey His mother.  But I read it as feigned surprise.  Jesus is chiding His mother.  As though to say, "Don't you want to wait a couple more years?"  That's why His next words are:

My hour has not yet come.”

In other words, "why don't you wait until I'm crucified to give me permission to begin my ministry?"

Jesus has been anxious to begin His ministry since the time He slipped off to the Temple as a child.  He can't believe His ears that His mother is giving Him permission to perform His first public miracle.

His mother said to the servers,“Do whatever he tells you.”

I envision Mary, with an understanding smile waving at the servers and giving them the direction to do whatever Jesus wants.

This is also a veiled direction to us, to do the will of her Son, to whom she always points.

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told the them,
“Fill the jars with water.”

In those days, Jewish homes kept several big jars for ceremonial washings.  Apparently, the feet of guests were frequently washed with this water.  Jesus told the servers to fill them with water.

So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

Jesus then instructed them to take some of the water out of the jars and take it to the Wedding Planner, the person in charge of the ceremonies.

So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”

When the Wedding Planner tasted the wine, he assumed that the bridegroom had saved the best wine for last.  Not realizing that Jesus had made wine from the water.

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.

And this was the first of Christ's miracles to begin His ministry.