READINGS FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 2025.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 62:1-5
PSALM: 95
SECOND READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 12: 4-11
GOSPEL: JOHN 2:1-11
REFLECTION BY FR. CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM.
DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Last Sunday, 12 January, 2025, we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Ordinary Time began on Monday, 13 January after the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Today, we celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Next Sunday, 26th January, we will celebrate Sunday of the Word of God.
Today’s reflection focusses on the phrase “Do whatever He tells you.” This phrase comes from the Gospel of John. The context of this phrase is the miracle at Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine. This miracle is Jesus’ first public miracle, performed in response to our Blessed Virgin Mary’s request.
In today’s Gospel according to John, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, instructs the servants at the wedding in Cana to follow Jesus’ instructions. Mary’s directive emphasizes the importance of trusting and obeying Jesus, the Son of God. By instructing the servants to do whatever Jesus commands, our Mother Mary underscores the belief that Jesus’ will is aligned with God’s divine plan. Mary’s confidence in Jesus signifies her recognition of His divine authority and miraculous power. The servants’ obedience, signifies the abundance and generosity of God’s grace. This reflects a broader Christian call to acknowledge and have faith in Jesus’ ability to guide and provide. As Christians, we are called to use our gifts to serve and do what God tells us to do for our common good. (John 2: 1-11).
I am fascinated by what St. Paul said in his second letter to the Corinthians. He says, “There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses.” (2 Corinthians 12:4-11).
However, experience has shown that life is full of challenges that expose us to a series of conflicting signals. When our gifts and visions are seemingly gone, our mutual call to service seems dried up, relationships become challenging and our hope for the future is relatively unknown. A voice commands us in today’s Gospel to “Do whatever He tells you.”
This command was given by our Blessed Virgin Mary at Cana in Galilee. This command also reveals a necessary condition for miracles to happen in our families and our lives. It reveals the power of Divine Providence at the service of those in need. Our Blessed Mother Mary shows us how to do the will of God and effect salvific changes in our daily lives by doing whatever God tells us to do.
Jesus did the will of the Father. He went about doing good. Jesus performed his first miracle of changing water into wine in a dramatic way at a wedding party in Cana of Galilee. Jesus and His Mother Mary were in attendance. In the midst of this celebration, Jesus who is truly God and man manifested his divine power by performing a miracle that saved the newlyweds from serious embarrassment.
The Gospel revealed that “when they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2:1-11).
This is an extra-ordinary miracle by Jesus in Cana. What a surprising miracle? Going above the confines of this miracle, pertinent lessons noted can be of great help to us. Jesus challenges us to always invite Him and His Mother Mary to remain with us in our families. Their presence will enable us to enrich the empty lives of those around us with the new wine of love, care and non-judgemental attitude to their needs.
Jesus and Mary intervened by ensuring that the wedding feast never ended in shame. They restored the joy of that occasion. Mary’s involvement here is significant. She acts as an intercessor, guiding others toward Jesus. This role of Mary is cherished. She is seen as a mediator who points the faithful towards her son. This shows our Mother Mary and her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ as good, loving and caring persons. They are persons who bring joy into people’s lives.
Christ is the fullness of our joy. We are called to be people of joy, people that bring joy and peace to others. Let us share our joy wherever we are. We should not deliberately inflict unnecessary pain on others. We have been called by Christ to become children of God and allow ourselves to be a light to each other. As Christians, we cannot but share our joy with those in need of our support. This is what today’s Gospel tells us to do. We pray for a change of heart to enable us be aware of the presence of Jesus and Mary in our families and lives.
May the presence of Jesus and Mary encourage us to create an atmosphere of prayer, mutual love, peace, respect, a spirit of forgiveness and sacrificial service in our families and for each other now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.