2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some of the most joyous events in the life of a parish are weddings. We all rejoice when couples come together to declare their love and fidelity to each other in the sacrament of marriage. They promise to be true to each other in good times and in bad times, in sickness and in health and they promise to love and honor each other all the days of their lives. God makes similar promises to us repeatedly throughout scripture. God says, “With age-old love I have loved you” (Jeremiah 31: 3). God made a covenant of love with us that was fully revealed when “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him” (1 John 4: 9). The bonds of this love are so powerful that St. Paul tells us, “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8: 38 – 39).

The unfailing and eternal love that God has for us is described all through scripture in terms of marriage. And the kingdom of God often is described as a wedding feast. So, it is not surprising that Jesus’ first public miracle or sign, transforming water into wine, takes place at a wedding feast. This miracle demonstrates in a very graphic way the infinite generosity of God and the abundance of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ miracle is an extraordinarily generous gift. He did not change a few bottles of water into wine. He changed over 100 gallons of water into wine – enough to meet all the needs of the wedding party. And this is our challenge.

St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading from 1 Corinthians 12: 4–11, that God gives each of us spiritual gifts that we are supposed to use to build the kingdom. Just as Jesus was generous in sharing his gifts, so we are called to be generous in sharing our gifts in the service of God.

Faithful and loving God,

your Son Jesus shared with ordinary people in the joy of a marriage feast.

Set for us the table and pour for us the delightful wine of your covenant, 

bring us close to you and to one another 

and warm our hearts with your own love.

Make us your faithful stewards, ready to do whatever Jesus tells us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

AMEN

Spiritual Longing

In everyone's heart stirs a great homesickness.

~ Rabbi Seymour Siegel

We ask ourselves what drove us to do some of the things we did? We went to extremes even when we knew our actions were not rational. Still today, we are drawn to extremes. At times we still long for things that we know will hurt us. Are we puzzled by these desires? Wise men and prophets have searched their own deep truths to understand their desires and longings. Many say that our desires and hungers are, at the base of our being, a search for a spiritual home, a place where we know we are welcome, safe, and loved. Perhaps we are all born longing for that home. Maybe we first taste it when we first experience the warmth of loving and caring parents, even when it was only a taste, and only partially satisfied. Then we spend the rest of our lives in pursuit of that good feeling again.

The wisdom of our Faith in a God of love points us toward that spiritual home, a lifetime of growth and development follows in which we feel the spirit in our fellowship with other men and women, and we learn from others how they have found their way home.

Today the stirring in my heart will be a sign of my spiritual longing.

Ball of Yarn

“When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.” ~Winston Churchill

A rolled-up ball of yarn does not take up much space--it sits, ready to be used when needed. It gets unrolled a little bit at a time--just as much as is needed and no more. But a ball of yarn that gets unraveled can be strewn across an entire room. It becomes a jumbled mass, entangled and confusing.

When we live our lives a day at a time, we are like that rolled-up ball of yarn. Our thoughts, feelings, and skills are ready to be used as they are needed. But when we worry, our spirit becomes a jumbled mass of yarn. We get ahead of and behind ourselves--our thoughts are scattered and often our feelings are confused. Worry adds clutter and confusion to life.

What is most helpful is to put the worry away--to roll up the ball of yarn and bring ourselves into the present moment. In this way, we stand ready for each new stitch--and we will never be given more than we are able to handle.

Do I have worries that are cluttering my life today?

Building Wisely

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but they would get by. He needed to retire.

The contractor was sorry to hear his good worker was leaving and asked him to build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and he used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to leave such a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished the work, the employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the carpenter the key to the front door.

“This is your house,” said the employer, “It is my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked. If only he had known he was building his own house, he would have done it differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives one day at a time, often putting less than our best effort into the building. Then with a shock we realize that we have to live in the house we built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently. But we can’t go back.

You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board or erect a wall. “Life is a do it yourself project,” Someone once said. Your attitudes and choices you make today, build the “house” you live in tomorrow. Build wisely.

Directions

The airline pilot announced over the intercom, "Folks, I've got good news and bad news for you. The bad news is … we're lost. The good news is … we're making great time!"

It's too easy to live our lives like that, isn't it? Always a bit too busy. In a hurry to accomplish the day's tasks. Rushing around but not clear exactly where we want to ultimately end up.

It's been provocatively said, "Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." The problem is they know they would like to accomplish something important with their lives or they would like to make a certain income or they would like to be happy. But when it comes to making the journey toward those destinations, they feel stuck. In short, they are lost.

Author and speaker Danny Cox, in his book SEIZE THE DAY (Career Press,1994), tells of a man who made a great success of his life in spite of tremendous hardships. The moment that ultimately turned this man's life around was when he sat down and asked himself four important questions:

1) What do I really want? He didn't want to just sleepwalk through life, nor look back someday and feel regret.

2) What will it cost? In time, money and commitment.

3) Am I willing to pay the price?

4) When is the best time to start paying the price?

Answer these four questions and you will be clear on the direction you want to take your life.  Commit to these answers and you'll make great time.

Two Days

There are two days in every week
about which we should not worry,
Two days which should be kept free of fear and apprehension.

One of these days is YESTERDAY,
With its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders,
Its aches and pains.
YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.
We cannot undo a single act we performed;
We cannot erase a single word we said.
YESTERDAY is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW
With its possible adversities, its burdens, its larger promise.
TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control.
TOMORROW, the sun will rise,
Either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
But it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW
For it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day – TODAY.
Any man can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
– YESTERDAY and TOMORROW –
That we break down.

It is not the experience of TODAY that worries people.
It is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY
And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.
Let us, therefore, live but ONE day at a time.

The Jesus Nut

I read a little story about helicopters recently that I imagine is true, and I would like to share it with you. Also, I have often wished I had a helicopter and could fly it. They can go just about anywhere and land anywhere. Neat! But that is pie in the sky. Anyhow, the story I read pointed out how complex a machine the helicopter is and went on to say that despite its complexity the whole thing depends on that whirly blade or rotor that keeps it in the air and moving. The story said that these rotors are held in place by one simple hexagonal nut. And the name given to that nut is “the Jesus nut.”

Jesus, the one who comes from above, the one who speaks the words of God, is also the one who holds our lives together and permits us to “fly”