(Isaiah 62: 1-5, John 2: 1-11, Cor 12: 4-11)
1. Attention all married couples. This is the Gospel that gets the credit for the institution of the sacrament of marriage. With that in mind, I hope all of you remember the moment you met your spouse.
Let me give you my slant on the ‘Good News’ contained within what Beth (my wife) and I call the Nestles chocolate CRUNCH BAR meeting.
I recall with great fondness the day I met the VERY CUTE, 103#, Miss Elizabeth Lefler for the 1st time. I myself weighted about 185# and my hair color was brown. It was at about 3:00 on Oct. 2nd of our freshman year in the Briar Cliff College library.
I invited Miss Lefler over to my STUDY table to share my NESTLES CRUNCH candy bar. The invitation used the pretense that it was so she could meet one of my friends who too thought she was a DELIGHT to look at. But the sharing of the CRUNCH bar at that Hour and day, forever changed the two of us.
It was the HOUR we each began the transformation to be more cognizant of the other person. It was the HOUR from which we would grow, to rise each day to a new way of THINKING, LIVING and CARING. It was the HOUR when LOVE took us through a door, where ONLY TRUE LOVE can. Where we were offered the chance to grow not only in, JOY and COMFORT, but also endure SADNESS and PAIN …but LOVE would make them INDISTINGUISHABLE. This, so that no matter what the situation, we would always be there for each other, or together for others.
Hopefully our marriage that resulted from the CRUNCH BAR meeting will go down as a Salvation history success story.
2. Today, in harmony with Gods Word and Sacrament, we need to keep in mind, the power of the love of a man and a woman for each other. The Scriptures, Church and the nature of our Vocations, has always likened the Love of a husband and wife, as being like the LOVE of God for Israel and Jesus for His church. Our readings underlie some of this theology which in all cases requires us to be a Transformed people.
3. Isaiah recounts that ‘HOUR’ when the Jews returned (in 583 BC) from the Babylonian exile, where they found Jerusalem in ruins. Its TEMPLE, its WALLS, its HOUSES razed to the ground, DESOLATION on all sides. At this HOUR, this was a SIGHT that cast a deep gloom on the joy of returning and despair was widespread. But God sent his prophet to cheer and encourage his spouse the people of Israel. For God would transform a ‘FORSAKEN’ Israel, build her back up and promised there would be great times in store for the New Jerusalem. Her splendor and glory would be someday admired by the world. The Chosen People would be God’s bride once more and would become “HIS DELIGHT.”
4. The day Jesus turned water into wine, was an important beginning. Scripture says the disciples grew in their belief. Jesus in His first miracle, TRANSFORMED about 130 gallons of WATER into a very good WINE. For practical matters, this miracle at Cana, made this small village wedding, maybe with 100 guests, a very memorable event. People haven’t stopped talking about it yet.
And there is a spiritual meaning as well. For the transformation in the Gospel of water into wine, becomes the SYMBOL of how the LOVE Jesus has for His Church, expresses how He will transform a seemingly ‘FORSAKEN’ PEOPLE into His ‘DELIGHTFUL BRIDE’.
5. Yet again, as Jesus said, this HOUR at Cana, was only the PRELUDE to a more meaningful hour. This miracle was just the first in a series of transformations that Jesus would need to make and we to follow.
While again, the 1st change of water into wine, is to represent the JOY of LOVE as mirrored in married couple at the wedding feast of Cana. The 2nd change came at the Last Supper. In His love for His spouse the church, He next changes WINE (again the symbol of joy) into His BLOOD (the symbol of pain and suffering). But remember it is God’s TRUE LOVE that makes them (Joy and Pain) INDISTINGUISHABLE. So then the 3rd change comes at His death on the cross. Jesus Lovingly Shed for His spouse the Church, His blood (or pain) that changes our sinful human condition into the drink of the Wedding Feast of Heaven which is the WINE (again the Symbol of Joy) of our salvation.
Yet there must be a 4th and final Transformation or change that must OCCUR. Namely, you and I must change or be transformed. The change is not just from sin to good behavior or defective human being to healed human being. No, we are to receive the transformative graces so we can change our human life into a sharing of Jesus’ divine life.
6. Now going back to Beth and I, the ‘Good news’ of the CRUNCH BAR, might just be the ‘Bad News’. Too many CRUNCH Bars only served to Transform our hips or stomach. I do not weigh close to 185 pounds now. And Beth…well…she is close to it. But for sure her hair is the same color. But the Good News of God’s Love was there. Remember I said we met at about 3:00. The Hour of Divine Mercy. And Oct. 2 is the feast of the Guardian Angels. Beth and I have always thought God had a hand in our meeting. And the ‘Good News’ of God’s LOVE still remains available today too. We are the WATER Jesus wants to Transform. And its through the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist), the devotions and the help of the saints and angels that this will come about. Remember, Mary was the impetus of the Change at the wedding of Cana. So we are all in this together. God desires for us all NOW, to become the WINE or Joy of the world for all to see.
7, And the last thought is this. The SOONER THE BETTER. For our World, our Country, our Families and our selves are in need of Transformation. And sometimes things could be in dire need of Spiritual and moral Transformation.
And we need to transform NOW, how each…and every person… views…family…life…issues. From how we view Holiness in Dating, Marriage, Contraception, Abortion, Poverty, Scientific research, and End life moments; it is transformation of water inTO WINE, transformation of mans’ ways into GODS’ ways that must take place.
This the HOUR we must enter TRUE LOVES DOOR. Transforming ourselves and help transform the world.
Recent Comments