Isaiah 62.1-5

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
    and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
    and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord ,
    and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
    and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
    and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
    so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
    so shall your God rejoice over you.

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REFLECTION

The prophesy gives hope to the Israelites that they will one day stand out to other nations. Their shame and being ruled by another nation will end and they shall shine out to the World. What did they think this new place of honour looked like? Was it to be the most powerful? The richest? In the end there shining light is Jesus as saviour of the world. 

 

Psalm

Psalm 36.5-10

5 Your unfailing kindness, O Lord, is in the heavens:

and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains:

and your justice as the great deep;

you, O Lord, save both man and beast.

7 How precious, O God, is your enduring kindness:

the children of Adam shall take refuge

under the shadow of your wings.

8 They shall be satisfied

with the good things of your house:

and you will give them drink

from the river of your delights.

9 For with you is the well of life:

and in your light shall we see light.

10 O continue your merciful kindness

toward these who know you:

and your righteous dealing

to those that are true of heart.

 

 

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1 Corinthians 12.1-11

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

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REFLECTION

I assume Paul used the imagery of gifts for a reason. A gift is an object given to someone and is something the person wants or/and can use. A gift is different to a fruit. A fruit is something a person can grow. To grow something requires time and effort and creating the right environment. Gifts do not require anything more than to receive them. In this reading gifts are given to serve a purpose. They are not for personal gain, but for the good of the community. They are meant to be used, so I doubt God would give a gift to someone knowing they would keep it to themselves or not use it. When we look for the gifts of the Spirit in our church, can we find them? Jesus had many gifts because he did God's work and gave the father the glory. I think many believe they wait for God to give gifts or think we have received our gift at birth and their worldly things, strong, intelligent, friendly, kind. Some of these are frits. those that are gifts the question is are you using it for the building up of God's church? The thing is there are spiritual gifts and they are given when need, to those who need them and will use them for God's church. Have you received a spiritual gift? Do you see them in our parish? If so which one? And if not, why are they not in our parish? Some may say we don't need them, but are we just making excusses and justification.

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Gospel

John 2.1-11

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4 And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ 6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

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REFLECTION

The most common reflection on this reading of Jesus turning the wine to water from the point of view of his first miracle, but i would like to look at it from the point of view of Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Jesus was given the gift to turn the water into wine. This gift was given by God the Father. As far as we know, he never did it again. Why was Jesus given this gift at this time. God the Father alone knows, but as a father, why would I give my child this ability? I have a number of reasons, one because my child asked. Another, to help others. Yet another, to give a glimpse into Jesus true identy. My last, because the Father could.