John 2:1-11

Isaiah 62:1-5

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

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

John 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there.

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.”

And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, how does your concern affect me?

My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servers,

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,

each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them,

“Fill the jars with water.”

So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them,

“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

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.”

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.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are truly generous with your grace. Shower upon me the abundance of your Spirit and fill my heart to the brim with your love.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Wedding Epiphany: The Gospel today completes the celebration of Jesus’ epiphany. The early Greek church celebrated the Epiphany and commemorated not just the visit of the Magi, but also the Baptism of Jesus and the wedding at Cana. Each of these events was an epiphany, a divine manifestation or theophany. In the visit of the Magi, Jesus was revealed as the king, the Lord, and the savior of the entire world. At the Baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus was revealed as God’s Son, as the Lamb of God, and as the Anointed Servant of the Lord. Today, Jesus is revealed as the author of the new creation and as the divine bridegroom who, through his passion on the Cross, will give us the wine of salvation. If we count the days in the opening chapters of John’s Gospel, we realize that the wedding of Cana took place on the seventh day. This recalls the creation of the world, the creation of Adam and Eve, and their sin. In Genesis, Eve listens to the serpent and tempts her husband. In John’s Gospel, Mary, the New Eve, is attentive to the needs of humanity, and urges her Son, the New Adam, to address their deepest need.

2. Jesus the Bridegroom: The prophets of Israel promised that one day, God would come to his people as a bridegroom, and establish a New Covenant with them. Jesus fulfills those promises. He is the bridegroom who washes his bride in the waters of baptism and offers her the gift of his blood. Just as the old Eve was fashioned from the side of the old Adam, the gift of salvation will pour forth from the side of Jesus on the Cross and be given to his bride, the Church. The inferior wine of the Old Covenant was unable to effectively cleanse the people from sin. The superior wine of the New Covenant, which effectively cleanses us from sin, is offered as a gift to all humanity in the Church. At the wedding of Cana, Jesus performed a sign that points to something greater: the miracle of gallons of water turning into wine looks forward to the mystery of the Eucharist, in which wine is transformed into the saving Blood of Christ.

3. Spiritual Gifts: The Second Reading is taken from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. It associates gifts with the Spirit, service with the Lord Jesus, and works with God the Father. It is a meditation on the different spiritual gifts given to members of the Church by the Holy Spirit and on the different types of service in the Church. It speaks of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and interpretation of tongues. We see these gifts manifested especially in the saints. There are saintly Doctors of the Church who manifest the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. Some saints established hospitals and places of care for the poor, the sick, and the elderly. There are saints who undertook the evangelization of far-off lands and converted entire nations. Some saints tower as spiritual guides and have led others to the heights of great holiness through spiritual direction. The Spirit of God produces all of these gifts and charisms and distributes them freely as he wishes. We need to ask for these gifts in prayer so that we may serve God’s people more generously and effectively.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the true Bridegroom who cares deeply for his Bride, the Church. You know what I need even before I ask. Help me to be aware of my defects, faults, and sins, so that I may overcome them, and turn from them to you.

Living the Word of God: Am I aware of the spiritual gifts God has given me or wants to give me? As I read the list of spiritual gifts from St. Paul, which one most moves me to request it from God? What will I do with that gift?