Alberic Jacovone OSB
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YEAR C
SECOND SUNDAY - 14.1.07
Is 62,1-5; 1 Cor 12,4-11; Jn 2,1-11
CHANGING WATER INTO WINE?
An
amazing exchange. Today’s
Mass moves out of ‘Christmas’, to engage us at deeper level of
‘manifestation’: why on earth the creator of the universe would want to
engage in a most unique
‘commercial deal’ with us, insignificant human beings as we are? but he has.
Amazing as it will always be, God has chosen to swap, trade, exchanged his
divinity of immense value with our poor, human, worthless, -even sinful- nature.
By coming to be incarnate among us, God gives us access to his divine life &
in return he takes on himself our miserable, frail, insignificant, sinful human
nature: & for us he died on a shameful cross. This ‘admirable exchange’
is indeed ‘amazing grace’! Since the earliest centuries Christian Authors
have pondered over this ‘amazing grace’. They have found aspects of this
wondrous generosity, hidden as it were, in many events of Jesus life & one
of these is read at today’s Mass: the miracle that Jesus performed at a
Wedding Feast in Cana of Galilee, when he changed a large amount of water into
excellent wine. Today we ponder on such a unique ‘condescension’: How could
God have given us his very self as Father, Son & Holy Spirit -almighty &
creator as he is- in exchange for our poor, frail, wounded, hopeless & lost
human condition? But he has!... The early Christian Writers spoke in highly
exalted terms about this outstanding & admirable exchange; they compared it
to a most amazing commercial deal, called it ‘Admirabile Commercium’. An
exchange which is so unique, that no one has ever thought or heard of before,
& no one will ever think or hear of, in the future: it’s never to be
repeated. Today, we too are invited to pray & reflect on this ‘amazing
grace: through & since Baptism, we’ve been chosen by God & we’ve
been let-in a “wonderful deal”, & a union with God: what does it make me
feel? More importantly: how do I respond to this superabundant generosity &
grace of God?
Faith
is a blessing not a power. Today’s Mass reflects on the ‘first’ manifestation of Jesus, where
he ‘showed his glory’ & revealed God’s immense generosity for us.
John’s Gospel remarks that the miracle of changing water into wine is ‘the 1st sign’ that Jesus gave to ‘let his glory be
seen. In this miracle, Mary -mother of Jesus- is the person who models for us,
the attitude of confidence & humility, with which we are to respond to
God’s amazing condescension & generosity, & express it in our
Christian conviction. Beautifully, Mary displays for us, the feelings that we
should make our own, as we hold the conviction that we have been let-in God’s
most wonderful deal, & cooperate with him in humility & care. Today,
let’s revisit those tragic events in past centuries & even in our life,
when people have turned (I dare say: usurped!) God’s spirit, glory & power
on themselves, & claimed to act on God’s command, causing destruction,
outrage & wars.
A
sobering lesson:
The early Fathers of the Church coined a famous proverb to highlight how God’s
wonderful deal has ennobled our frail human nature. They said: ‘God has become
one with man so man can be one with God’. Sadly however, modern believers
& unbelievers have turned this proverb back the front, & defiantly say:
We’ve taken God’s place & hold his power;..which of course is utter
fallacy. God’s ‘Deal’ is & will always remain a ‘blessing’ & a
grace’, given freely to us by our loving Father through Jesus our Saviour. To
this superabundant gift, we respond & remain: grateful - graceful -
blissful; never powerful. We remain thankful, merciful, peaceful, never spiteful
& arrogant. We remain hopeful, brave & encouraging, never invincible,
domineering & power-hungry.
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