1st Reading – from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 62: 1-5
For the past three weekends Sunday’s 1st readings have originated on the Book of Isaiah. By now we are familiar with the fact that this book is divided in three parts, and we can easily recognize that today’s reading has its roots on the third and last part of the Book.
At this time the people of Israel has already returned from Babylon. Although they have been freed from the shackles of slavery, they find themselves under great emotional stress. God, the Great Doctor, the Great Psychologist, identifies that what His beloved people is experiencing is what we, on the 21st Century, would categorize as Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD). So being a wise and caring Father, he remains close to them, tending to their needs, providing them with immeasurable reassurance and encouragement.
God tells them “I will not be silent until she (Jerusalem) is saved”. As clear as water from a mountain stream, God assures Jerusalem that His help is available until they have successfully emerged from their dark stage, and He reaffirms that He will no longer be quiet about it. He will rename her, and with the new name vindication will reach all of Jerusalem. This message from God implies joy, and it encourages the people of Jerusalem to delight in their long awaited moment of triumph.
In our times of need, God is with us… Though He never leaves us by ourselves, He makes sure that we are aware of His presence during times of sickness or distress. When the bad times are gone and the good ones have arrived, God wants us to cry out loud our bliss, so that the rest of the world can also delight in our victory.
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2nd Reading – from the 1st Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians, 12: 4-11
Unity; no divisions; one tree and many branches; one mansion and many rooms… This is the message. The Corinthians have managed to turn the extraordinary talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit, into a source for discord and pride. These gifts, though different from one person to another, have the same simple objective: to glorify our Lord so we can find our way to Heaven and an eternal life in His company.
If we have difficulty comprehending the letter’s message, this analogy could help: the Holy Spirit is the equivalent of a successful company, and His gifts to us are the equivalent to the different departments that are a fundamental part of the company. Payroll is different from Human Resources, which in turn is different from Customer Service, which in turn is different from Purchasing, and so on. Each department can work independently from the other and yet their goal is to work together to achieve success. Just like this, our individual gifts from the Holy Spirit are interconnected between one person and the next.
Individualism is important and yet, it becomes obsolete unless it is put to work for the greater good. We must take a moment to look, find, and recognize our own individual gifts, received from the Holy Spirit; and once we have become acquainted with them, it is our responsibility to use them and share them in the building of a stronger parish, and a better world.
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The Gospel according to John – 2: 1-11
This reading narrates Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana. In turning regular water into fine wine, Jesus demonstrates one of the abundant gifts that He came to share with us. Mary’s intervention is pivotal, and she gives her son that last oomph just so his ministry can become public. With unwavering trust in her son, she states to Him “They have no wine.” Demonstrating complete faith in her son’s abilities, she tells the servers “Do whatever he tells you.” A model to us, leading by example, Mary shows us how much faith we can have in God.
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