Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year C

In this Sunday's Gospel we hear the story of the wedding at Cana - the story of Jesus' first miracle. In the first chapter of John's Gospel we hear John the Baptist acclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God - a theological title that identifies Jesus from the very beginning of the story as one destined to effect our salvation. Immediately two of John's disciples leave John to follow Jesus. The very next day Jesus calls two more disciples of his own. Then the day after that we see Jesus and Mary in Cana.

John acclaims Jesus, Andrew calls Him the Messiah, Nathaniel calls Him the Son of God and then Jesus Himself performs a miracle that saves a newlywed couple from humiliation. Talk about hitting the ground running! (Or at least about the writer of John's Gospel making his point with a sledgehammer.)

For many years I have heard this story and heard reflections about Mary and how she drew Jesus into revealing His glory. But this time around something else has struck me.

From the very beginning, Mary has known who Jesus is and what He is destined for. Similarly, these first disciples who have just been called and who we are told were also at the wedding, seem to have a pretty good idea of who it is they are following. But the servants - they don't know. And even if they do know Jesus (after all he is not only attending the wedding but seems close enough to the couple that its ok that he brings his new friends along as well), they don't yet know the Christ. Yet, when he proposes that the solution to running out of wine is to go and fill the jars with water, draw some out and give it to the steward, that's exactly what they do.

It doesn't make sense, but they do it anyway. And it works!

There are plenty of times in my experience when life just doesn't make sense. When the metaphorical wine just runs out and I have no idea what to do next. But as this story plays out yet again in the liturgy it strikes me that maybe I don't always have to have a plan of my own, or to know what the plan is. Maybe at times like this a good dose of 'Do whatever He tells you' is just what I need.

Artist - Jen Norton

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