Some of you may remember TV commercials in the late 1970s and early 1980s with actor/director Orson Wells speaking for Paul Masson wine. Well’s tagline for those spots was “we will sell no wine before it is time.” The point of the line was stressing that Masson was not simply rushing out a product but that only when the time was right, when everything was ready, would a wine be released for sale. Today, with the wedding feast at Cana, the headwaiter is shocked because the best wine has been saved for a later time. Why? Because the time is right; the time is now.
This Sunday’s Gospel reading of the wedding feast at Cana is traditionally considered the Lord Jesus’s first miracle. Once again we find the theme of epiphany, of revealing or making known, in the Gospel this weekend, a theme that will continue over the next several Sundays. With that in mind, when we look at this Gospel selection, we may be naturally inclined to say that this passage in John is about marriage; yes, but to a lesser extent. Jesus is at the wedding feast with Mary his mother and his disciples. We can easily deduce that he sees marriage as something good and, naturally, our Lord in his plan of salvation raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament, but there is something more here and its all about the wine.
There are two details about the water made wine that we need to note as recounted for us by John: its quality and its volume. As with any miracle, there are two realities at work: the actual miracle that takes place and a greater truth that the Lord is making known to us through it. It is clear from the testimony of the headwaiter that the wine made by the Lord is good, very good, and while other good wines have been served, surprisingly, and even better wine is offered later on. This wine is offered in superabundance, 120 to 130 gallons if you do the math in John’s account. That is MORE than enough wine for the celebration. Everyone can be satisfied without any worry that this new wine might run dry.
This miracle of the water made wine shows us that a special time has come. Now is the time of the Messiah. The quality and abundance of the new wine tells us that, while God’s grace has been made manifest in times past, it is being made manifest again in a new, wonderful, and abundant way in Jesus Christ. The time of the Messiah does not refer to the time only when Jesus walked on the earth. That time is now!
Here in the early days of 2019, this is the time of the Messiah and every day, month, and year will be until his glorious return. The grace of God continues to be offered to each and every heart freely and in superabundance. These are the days of redemption. Heaven has been flung open to everyone that will hear the word of Christ and strive to keep it, and the Lord will grant us the fullness of his grace to help us along the way.
Now is the time for the wine of God’s grace. He is lovingly and generously offering it to each and every one of us. Drink freely!
Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.
As the students took their seats again and the laughter turned into “shhh” from the teachers, we regrouped and I asked if they could tell me what any of that had to do with stewardship. As you are reading this, you are probably wondering the same thing! The students responded with some great answers, “It’s fun,” “We did it together,” “We volunteered.” I asked them if they felt joy or laughed. All responded, nodding their heads. Then I said, “Perfect, that is the beginning of stewardship, acknowledging the gifts we receive.” Acknowledging that gifts are not just tangible, but often the grace filled moments of laughter, friendship, joy, and happiness.
The Mass is without a doubt one of the most privileged moments in the life of a Christian. It is there that we hear the Word of God proclaimed once again among the community of the faithful. It is there that we gather as a community around the altar of sacrifice, offering ourselves and our intentions and uniting them to the one true sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. It is there that we receive His very Body and Blood—the “source and summit of the Christian life”—which makes us united to God and to each other, giving us the strength and grace to live our mission as disciples in the world.
Some six weeks ago we began our Advent journey and over the course of that journey we heard those familiar words of the Prophet Isaiah that are proclaimed to us again this Sunday. The second reading for this feast, from the letter of Titus, is the same second reading that was proclaimed at the Mass at Night on Christmas. We might say that in today’s feast we are given a recap of what has already been revealed and proclaimed: that God has heard the cry of his people and has responded to that cry in the coming of Christ his son. What was already made known to Mary & Joseph, the Shepherds, Simeon & Anna, and the Magi is made known to a wider audience by the Spirit at the Jordan River when the voice of God proclaims of Jesus “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke’s Gospel for today’s feast tells us that “the people were filled with expectation.” May it be the same for us. ay expectation of the good things that God wants to do for us each day be the fruit of our faithful discipleship. May we carry the light and joy of Christmas with us throughout the year and as this liturgical season of Christmas gives way now to Ordinary Time may we remember that, because of Jesus, there is nothing ordinary about who we are because we belong to him.
One of those ministries of service—and a privileged one at that—is altar serving. An altar server is entrusted with serving the priest in the act of sacrifice. This entails holding the book during the various prayers offered by the priest, helping to prepare the altar, receiving the offertory gifts alongside the priest or deacon, and carrying the cross, incense, or candles during the processions into and out of the Church. But more than the mere responsibilities of the altar server, the role is privileged because of its proximity and importance to the Mass. Altar servers have a unique opportunity to serve directly the Body and Blood of Christ, to be present in the sanctuary for the sacrifice of Calvary, and to aid the priest as alter Christus (an “other Christ”).
