Lovely Wine at Cana

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time C

John 2:1-12

January 16-17, 2009

Lovely Wine at Cana

One Sunday night, a police officer signals to a car driver to pull over to the side of the road, due to the fact that he appears to be driving crazy.

He says to the driver, "You appear to have been drinking!"

The driver answers, "No sir, I am just tired. I had a long day."

The policeman looks into the car and notices that the driver is wearing a Roman collar. He is a priest! He also notices that there is an empty bottle on the floor.

He says to the driver, "Father, what is, or should I say was in this bottle?

The driver answers, "Just water!"

The policeman opens the bottle and says, "Father, I am afraid it's not water, it's wine!"

The priest driver looks up to the heavens and says, "I can't believe it. It's a miracle! Oh Lord, you have done it again!"

The Gospel story of the Wedding at Cana where Jesus changed water into wine is a relevant story.

We can only find this story in the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels, namely, Matthew, Mark and Luke, don’t have a record of it. The Gospel of John, also called the Fourth Gospel, compared to the Synoptic Gospels is highly theological and filled with deep symbolism. There are symbolic figures and images used to glorify Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah. And one of the best examples of a story filled with symbolisms is the Wedding at Cana.

First, it is in Cana that Jesus performs his first miracle (“sign”) and reveals his glory. It is here too that his disciples begin to believe in him.

Second, the sign is performed by Jesus upon the intervention of his Mother. This tells us the role of Mary in our Christian life – she is our intercessor or helper because she is mindful and aware of our needs. When we pray to Mary, we can always expect that she is interceding and aiding us in prayer to her Son on our behalf.

Third, Jesus addressed Mary as “Woman” not “Mother”. The word “Woman” in no way shows lack of respect to Mary but in fact Jesus raises the prominent role of Mary as the New Eve.

Fourth, Jesus refers for the first time here to his “hour”. He said, “My hour has not yet come.” The “hour” is a word he will use later on as he approaches his Passion-Death-Resurrection.

There are more other images and symbols we can look up it’s impossible to expound them all in ten minutes.

Human story

I think we can all relate with the human side of the Wedding of Cana. During the party Mary comes to know that the wine has run out. This is a very serious predicament that can lead to a serious disaster. It would be very embarrassing for the newly-wed couple should the wine run short for the guests. If you are hosting a party you have to make sure that there will be enough food and drink for everybody.

I remember three years ago, shortly after my ordination I went back home to the Philippines to celebrate a "Thanksgiving Mass" in my home parish. For a newly-ordained priest first “Thanksgiving Mass” is really a festive celebration. It’s an open invitation to the whole town and parish community.

My mother and sisters planned carefully how much food and drinks needed. We hired a food catering service. There were seven roasted pigs in addition to other menus. While my mother didn’t worry if we ran out of wine, it’s not our tradition, she was rather very concerned if we had enough rice to feed at least 2000 people who turned up! Thankfully we had more than enough food and drinks to satisfy our guests.

Meaning of the Story

Going back to the Gospel Story. Jesus changed water into wine not simply to save the newly-wed couple from embarrassment. Again it is a symbolic story. It has much to tell us as a sign of something deeper.

It is really a story about Jesus and his mission. It tells us that Jesus is the “true God-become human.” When Jesus dwells in us we will be transformed and have life in abundance. When water is changed into the best sparkling wine, more than enough for the guests, Jesus demonstrates a superabundant blessing we can all receive from Him.

Jesus performs signs and miracles not to entertain people but to invite them to faith. Jesus performed hundreds of miracles in his time; he cured the sick, raised the dead, walked on the water, to name a few, but still not everyone believed in him.

Miracles happen in our daily life. Even in this Mass, believe it or not, the greatest miracle will happen, later on the Holy Spirit will change the Bread and Wine into the sacred Body and Blood of Jesus for our nourishment.

People can still refuse to believe in miracle. Jesus respects our freedom. We have a choice either to believe or not to believe. Notice how John ends the Gospel reading today: “..at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.”

If we believe in Jesus' power then we are His new disciples. If we believe in Jesus, trust him with all our hearts and minds then...

• Jesus can change our fear into trust.
• He can change our sorrow into joy.
• He can change our depression into hope.
• He can change our anxiety and fear into peace.
• He can change our weakness into strength.
• He can change our selfishness and hatred into love.

If we have faith in Jesus, if He is welcomed in homes, hundreds of miracles can always happen in our life. Water is change into wine. It means with Jesus, and with Mary in our life, we can be assured, the best is yet to come.

joke from the internet

suggested reading: "Jesus Goes Public" by Bishop Ted Bacani

Let Go, Let God...

Funeral Mass for Kevin Salem

January 14, 2009

Gospel: John 14:1-6

Let Go, Let God...

We celebrate and give thanks for the life of Kevin Salem, for his very special role in our lives, and for the gift God has given to us in him - as the only son to Clem and Cora, a brother to Kathy and Kathleen, and a “smiling-face friend” to all his cousins and family friends.

I only met the Salem family last week at the Royal Children Hospital when I was requested to administer the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick and say the Prayers of Commendation for the Dying for Kevin. Before I anointed Kevin with Holy Oil, I read a scripture reading from the Gospel of John which recounts the final moments of Jesus on the Cross. It was the scene when Jesus uttered his last words before he died, “Into thy hands Father I commend my spirit...”

I can only pray at that moment inside the ICU that these words of Jesus would give some comfort and strength to Kevin’s family as they painfully watched his little body succumbs to death. A few moments later, like Jesus, Kevin finally commended his spirit to God his Creator.

The second time I met Kevin’s family was last Tuesday morning at their home. They showed me Kevin’s room, his wheel chair and his childhood and recent photos, the ones displayed at the foyer of the church. It was a short visit but I got to know more not only about Kevin but also his parents and sisters who provided him the best security and comfort the world could offer him. Clem and Cora, Kathy and Kathleen, were the important people who surrounded Kevin with such enormous love, support and friendship.

Kevin was a gift to his family, as his family was a gift to him. In his lifetime he was a gift to his family in so many ways. They have been lifted up and cheered by his smile. Through Kevin’s fragile condition, the Salem family proved their patience and endurance to make sacrifices for each other no matter what the cost. They never saw Kevin’s disabilities a burden, rather it was for them wonderful opportunity to create their home a haven of friendship, support and unconditional love.

Tito Clem and Tita Cora I can only imagine your enormous pain of letting go Kevin. A child is supposed to outlive his parents, but if he is called home before them, then parents must let go for his eternal home. Letting go is very hard. We never want to let go those who are dear to us. But love is proved in letting go.

We don’t let go as if it’s the end of Kevin’s story. We don’t let go as if death has the final say in fragile life. As Christians, we let go with hope, we let go with sure confidence that one day we shall be reunited with him again. We let go and we let God. We let go and let God, knowing that God who is the author of life, now takes care of Kevin, where there is no room for any pain, sickness and death, rather eternal joy and happiness.

Kevin’s Dependence

Kevin was a dependent person from the day of his birth, he was dependent every single day of his life – he was dependent on something, he was dependent on the doctors and medications, he was dependent on his family to get him out of bed, to give him food, to get him dressed and washed. He was dependent on people to put him to bed at night.

Because Kevin was a dependent person, he was blest. Because Kevin was a dependent person, he was closer to God. As Jesus said lovingly on children, because of their simplicity and dependence, the Kingdom of God belongs to them.

The Gospel reading today gives one of the most comforting words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me…there are many rooms in my Father’s house.” These words bring us comfort knowing that Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, will open wide the gates of heaven for Kevin who depended solely upon him.

If God surrounded Kevin with so much love, through the love and care of his devoted parents and two sisters, during his brief earthly life, we can be sure that God will take good care of him, now that he has gone home to Him.

Thanking Kevin

We are thankful to Kevin for what he taught us and gave us. Blest are we, when we recognise our dependence on God. Blest are we when we accept the limitations we have, and draw our strength from the one who created us and loves us.

As we pray for Kevin today in this Mass, we also pray for ourselves who are still making our journey on earth. Remembering the words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me” we pray that like Kevin, we also may have a child-like heart, humbly recognising our dependence on one another. We pray that like Kevin, we too, may increase our trust in God and find security in His Divine providence.

We also pray that our Lord Jesus and his Blessed Mother Mary will enfold Clem and Cora, Kath and Kathleen in their loving arms, and assure them all will be well with Kevin, and that all will be well with them.

Kevin finally rests in God’s secure peace now.

We let him go now but our eternal love goes with him.

Adorable Baby

Epiphany Sunday 2010

January 2-3, 2010

Adorable Baby

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turned to the other and said:

"Jack, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my

age. How do you feel?"

Jack said, "I feel just like a newborn baby."

"Really? Like a newborn baby?"

"Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants."

The Church is still in a joyful mode of adoring the newborn baby lying in a manger whom we have waited patiently during advent season. We awaited for four weeks of Advent for the birth of baby Jesus. We lighted four candles in our advent wreath anticipating the newborn Messiah. The Feast of Epiphany is like a second Christmas. The radiance of our little baby Jesus is still with us to adore and worship. We continue celebrating the baby Jesus born to be our Saviour.

According to the Bible the “Three Kings” or “Three Magi” journeyed from the East following the Big Star leading to the place where the child Jesus is born, so they could worship him. Traditionally their names are Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They represent the Gentile world: non-Jewish or pagan people.

They were pagans but they must have felt that like everyone else they too are members of God’s children. They said, “We have come to do him homage.” They did not care if they were foreigners, strangers, pagans from the East.

Paradox

The Gospel story today highlights the paradox: the Jewish leaders who have received the Scriptures and heard about the Messianic prophecy (the coming birth of the Savior), were the ones who rejected it. While the Gentile people, represented by the Three Magi, would be the first ones to witness and adore the newly born Messiah.

King Herod, the Jewish national leader of that time, ended up trying the Child Jesus by massacring all the male children in Bethlehem under of two known as the "massacre of the innocents". He would not accept a newborn King is born. He will do everything for his love for power. He will compete directly with God in order to stay in power.

On the other hand, the Three Wise Men, acted the exact opposite, when they found the baby, they worshipped and humbly offered him gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh. These three precious gifts tell us something about the life and ministry of the Child Jesus: Gold signified his kingship; frankincense signifies his priesthood; a sign his offering/sacrifice to God; and myrrh a symbol Christ’s saving death (myrrh, used in anointing a body).

For All Nations

More than anything else the Adoration of the Three Magi to baby Jesus brings us a theological illustration that Jesus Christ belongs to all. The child Jesus was born not for a particular group of people alone but for the whole human race. Christ is revealed as the Saviour, not of a select group of people, but of all peoples.

The Feast of Epiphany is something equivalent to “United Nations’ Week”. We celebrate the progressive unification of all nations around Christ as our center. St Paul explains this in the Second Reading, “it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Christ Jesus, through the gospel.”

The Feast of Epiphany is like a Second Christmas because it brings everybody together. Jesus broke down the great barrier that existed between Jews and Gentiles. Everybody is welcome to receive and adore Jesus, the Universal King.

Our Journey to find the Star

Like the Three Magi we have our own journey to take, some are searching for enlightenment others for success. Like the Three Magi may we all persevere to reach whatever goals or journey we need to undertake in life.

Unfortunately sometimes we see ourselves perhaps like King Herod, who instead of welcoming Christ’s humbly and wholeheartedly, we reject him because we prefer comfort, popularity and power. Our pride closed our eyes, our ears and our hearts before the presence of Jesus. We are afraid to let God control our lives.

New Year’s Resolution

As year 2010 unfolds what gift or New Year’s resolution we could offer to God?

My New Year’s resolution is to eat healthy food. Unfortunately I broke my New Year's resolution on New Year’s day! I celebrated New Year's even with my sisters and cousins. We partied till late, had a few drinks. When I got up in the morning my sister was still asleep. I didn't want to wake up her up just to ask for some breakfast. I went to the town center to find somewhere to eat. As expected most of the shops were closed except for Hungry Jack’s and Mc Donald's. I said to myself, "Burgers are better in Hungry Jacks". So I had “Angus Beef burger” as my first meal for 2010!

Gift for baby Jesus

We don’t have to buy the expensive gifts of the wise men. The most inexpensive gift but the most precious gift we could give to God is a pure and contrite heart. The Feast of Epiphany reminds us that as Christians we are called to like baby Jesus, a small but an effective agent of love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.

Maybe what we can offer to baby Jesus is the gift of peace and reconciliation. Maybe we missed out forgiving someone last Christmas, it’s never too late. Maybe we missed out saying sorry to someone last Christmas, it’s never too late.

The Feast of Epiphany invites us to be a more welcoming people, humble and peace-loving citizen. It’s a good and wonderful way to start the Year - it really makes us feel like a newborn baby… fresh, cuddly and beautiful.

Prayer

Christ, Help us now to come to you,

We want to walk in your light and rest in your warmth.

Please keep us on the right road,

heading toward your radiance,

bringing our treasures, our assets,

our gold, frankincense and myrrh, of our hearts.

Christ, be born again and again in us.

Be the gift we bear, the treasure in our hearts.

Amen.