Volume 8 Release no. 11
January 14, 2007
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
John 2: 1-11
1ON the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there;
2Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
4And Jesus said to her, "O woman [Lady], what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
8He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast." So they took it.
9When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now." 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
“Lady, my hour has not yet come,” Jesus gently said. And Mary said, tenderly, sweetly, “Son, change your schedule; the time is now; make us happy. Besides, I want another glass.” So Jesus transformed water into wine. Tuloy ang ligaya. And for that Jesus got a kiss from mama.
At Cana Jesus learned vital lessons for sound human God-living:
- He learned to listen to good advice from his mother, who must have enjoyed parties and a good glass of wine.
- He learned that the future of the future is now. Now is the time to help people enjoy themselves and one another’s company and food and wine. Now is the time to enable people to enjoy a good life any day, every day. Later he would heal the physically and spiritually disadvantaged so they too could enjoy life. He would enjoy the hospitality of both Pharisees and publicans like Levi and Zachaeus. Indeed, life is not life if it is not joyous and enjoyable. His word for life would be “the kingdom.”
- He learned that time, his time specially, is for people with enjoyment as a natural need. Time is for people and not people for time. Later he would say the Sabbath is for people and not people for the Sabbath.
- He learned that time, always now, is and must be, most of all, a mode of divine presence. And so did he manifest his glory, and enabled his disciples to believe in him. Time must be filled with events of God’s glory so people will adore and praise the Lord.
We do well to learn what Jesus learned and taught, namely that all life --symbolized by 180 gallons of excellent wine! -- is to be shared, consumed, enjoyed. The lessons he summed up in the event of the Last Supper.
Let us also “fuse horizons” with John and our bible scholars to learn more about the Cana event. The experts tell us that the water jars provided water for the Old Testament purifying ceremonies of the Jews. Not to cleanse the feet on entry to the house was taboo; and so too not to handwash before a meal and in between courses. The scholars believe that the transformation of exclusivist ceremonial water into excellent wine for the enjoyment of all meant the end of the old order and the beginning of a new order proclaimed by Jesus. Ritualism gives way to worship and fellowship in spirit and in truth, and we add, in joy. Cana of the Old Testament is changed into Cana of the new testament of the kingdom of God. Cana becomes a mode of divine presence.
The Cana event suggests that we ask ourselves whether there are today families, communities, nations, and even local and global church formations that are Canas drinking insipid wine of a severely limited social order, one hoarding water that is changeable into wine of joy. Can there be transformations into Canas of everflowing wine?
We do well to imagine the mother of Jesus telling us today: “Mga anak, wala ng pantulak. Your country has become a Cana where joy is running out. Kulang ng pagkain at inumin para sa mga anak ng bayan. Ang lahat niyang kayaman ay kamal-kamal na naubos. Ang lahat niyang kalayaan ay sabay-sabay na natapos. But you are other Christs, and my children too, no?”
Indeed there is unduly limited joy and much pain and sadness among the people, our people, and the poor, deprived and oppressed of other counties. Mother Mary (or is it Inang Bayan?) suggests we can do something. There jars of water around; plentiful human, natural and technological resources for a hundred miracles to happen in a pax americana of greed, monopolies and monopsonies, cartels and wars of aggression; and in a pax gloriana of trade liberalization and privatization, deregulation and human rights violations. Should not the enemies of life be denied entry into the nuptial hall of life?
People of the New Testament that we are, just stewards of creation that we are, we have been blessed by God. We have wisdom and power; we have methods of science and of faith to bring about the good life through genuine land reform, nationalist industrialization, just struggles for justice, cultural and spiritual renewal of self and community. Our hands are intended to be extensions of Jesus the miracle worker to end the time of unholy Empire and Temple, to bring about the peace of God that all people of good will may enjoy the banquet of life. The crucial key is owning the wholesome attitude of Jesus and his mother. Readjust our schedules for miracles, we must; for our time has come, and it is now.
The Cana event commands us all: Reveal God’s glory! Thou shalt not kill joy!
-- Rev. Fr. Francisco R. Albano, Diocese of Ilagan
No comments:
Post a Comment