2nd Sunday Cycle C

THEY
HAVE
NO
WINE












1st Reading: Is 62:1-5
2nd Reading: 1Cor 12:4-11
Gospel: Jn 2:1-12

Reflection 1

A homely scene some 2000 years ago
A wedding feast at Cana.
Jesus, God and man invited,
His disciples too.
The wine runs short
Mary, God’s own Mother takes note,
Her appeal to her Son bears fruit.
Water is turned into wine and in abundance!
And today?
Jesus loves the Church, you and me, as a Bride.
He conquered our sin and death by His appalling Death
And glorious Resurrection.
Brought us redemption; blessed us with his Spirit.
Shamefully we, members of the Church, have been unfaithful.
The God of love does not forsake us:
“No longer are you to be named ‘forsaken’
nor your land ‘abandoned’
but you shall be called ‘my delight’
and your land ‘the wedded’
Dare we once again heed God’s Mother
And do what he tells us?
‘Repent and believe the Gospel.’
‘Love one another as I have loved you’.
‘Forgive and you shall be forgiven’
‘As the Father has loved me so I have loved you
remain in my love'
He let his glory be seen (through us) and his disciples
Believed in him.
As the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
So will your God rejoice in you.

Thank you, Merciful Jesus, friend of sinners.


Reflection 2

About Zion I will not be silent
About Jerusalem I will not grow weary
until her integrity shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation flames like a torch

In this 1st.reading of to-days liturgy we hear an echo of Jesus' great cry on the Cross---- I THIRST.

Thirsting-yes but for what?-----Water to be sure, to quench the terrible physical thirst he was enduring ---- but far, far more He thirsted for our love---yours and mine ------everyone’s-----He says 'I will not grow weary'

Julian of Norwich tells us that He still has that same thirst and longing which He had on the Cross. This desire and longing and thirst were in Him from the beginning and they will persist until He has won the last soul for his Father.

Listen again----About Zion I will not be silent-----About Jerusalem I will not grow weary. Hear the yearning and pleading in these words. This is Jesus' spiritual thirst - His longing in love to gather us all into the safe place of His Heart, to our endless joy. As truly as there is in Him a quality of compassion so there is in Him a quality of thirst and longing, and the power of this longing in Christ enables us to respond to His longing.

His is a longing to possess us - "As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride - so will your God rejoice over you". In nearly every page of the Prophets and the Gospels we can sense this thirsting love of our God.

The Saints heard it - Dominic heard it - Mother Teresa in our own day felt in her inmost being this thirsting love of Jesus on the cross, and it became a living flame within her. He asked her to bring this love into the dark corners of every heart.

He even turns to us, pleads with us to sow the seed of His Word in every heart.
Maybe the ground of my heart is parched, but if I plead with Him He will surely send His Spirit to irrigate it, and transform me into a missionary of His love.

Most Holy Spirit let your power overshadow me, and come into my heart with fire and love, and make it one with Mary's love and Mary's will to save the world.

We have only to say to Mary------'I have no wine'----and she will ask Her Son to transform our lukewarmness into her own thirst for souls.

My Jesus do not grow weary,

With Mary I will satiate your Thirst for souls