Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading I: Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 62:1-5
Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Messiah with several references and images. The Messiah is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Messiah has delivered his salvation the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the Messiah and the people of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
The psalm selection is one of praise and worship. It begins with songs of proclamation then moves to imploring praise and honor and finally an instruction on attire and demeanor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:4-11
St. Paul associates different gifts within the community to the same Holy Spirit. He thus calls out the beauty of diversity and the need for it within the community of faith. All gifts serve the same purpose; the greater glory of God. All gifts are needed within the body of Christ which is his Church.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 2:1-11
St. John gives us the story of Jesus first revelatory action following his Baptism by John in the Jordan. He and his disciples are invited to a wedding, the wine runs out, and Jesus’ mother lets her son know that the time has come for his revelation, even though Jesus does not think so.
Ironically the stone water jars were there for the ceremonial cleansing, the very Hebrew custom John the Baptist took and created the call to repentance. The Hebrew custom was symbolic; the Lord would later make it efficacious.
The final statement in this story; “…his disciples began to believe in him” is the only time in John where there was any doubt about the Lord’s true identity on their part.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today we celebrate the great wedding feast of the Church. We have heard in St. John’s Gospel the story of the Wedding at Cana, one of what has been called the “Wow” miracles of the Lord because it is so spectacular. The Lord, along with his disciples goes to Cana to a wedding. While he is there, the host runs out of wine. It would be very embarrassing for the couple to have this happen so Jesus’ mother brings it to the Lord’s attention.
We see the Lord struggle with this. He tells his mother; “My hour has not yet come.” But she tells the servants; “Do whatever he tells you.” She knows, somehow, that something remarkable is about to take place. The Lord then tells the servants to fill six large stone jars with water and somehow that water becomes wine.
It is almost difficult for us to look past the miracle to see all that this event says to us. We see the image of Jesus stepping out of time.
-He at once is the wine; his blood poured out for us.
-He is the groom who takes the church as his bride.
-He stands with our Priest as once more water and wine become our salvation.
-And we have a part too. We stand as the servants who hear Mary say; “Do whatever he tells you.”
-We stand as the servants who know where that “Best” wine came from and how it came to be in those stone jars.
-We know there were only six and not seven because it was not yet His time.
Is this just an Ordinary sequence of events in the life of Jesus? What a wondrous gift he has given. And all he asks in return is our acceptance of that gift, accepting our role as the children of that marriage of the Lord and His Church.
Pax
Readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading I: Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 62:1-5
Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Messiah with several references and images. The Messiah is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Messiah has delivered his salvation the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the Messiah and the people of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
The psalm selection is one of praise and worship. It begins with songs of proclamation then moves to imploring praise and honor and finally an instruction on attire and demeanor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:4-11
St. Paul associates different gifts within the community to the same Holy Spirit. He thus calls out the beauty of diversity and the need for it within the community of faith. All gifts serve the same purpose; the greater glory of God. All gifts are needed within the body of Christ which is his Church.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 2:1-11
St. John gives us the story of Jesus first revelatory action following his Baptism by John in the Jordan. He and his disciples are invited to a wedding, the wine runs out, and Jesus’ mother lets her son know that the time has come for his revelation, even though Jesus does not think so.
Ironically the stone water jars were there for the ceremonial cleansing, the very Hebrew custom John the Baptist took and created the call to repentance. The Hebrew custom was symbolic; the Lord would later make it efficacious.
The final statement in this story; “…his disciples began to believe in him” is the only time in John where there was any doubt about the Lord’s true identity on their part.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Today we celebrate the great wedding feast of the Church. We have heard in St. John’s Gospel the story of the Wedding at Cana, one of what has been called the “Wow” miracles of the Lord because it is so spectacular. The Lord, along with his disciples goes to Cana to a wedding. While he is there, the host runs out of wine. It would be very embarrassing for the couple to have this happen so Jesus’ mother brings it to the Lord’s attention.
We see the Lord struggle with this. He tells his mother; “My hour has not yet come.” But she tells the servants; “Do whatever he tells you.” She knows, somehow, that something remarkable is about to take place. The Lord then tells the servants to fill six large stone jars with water and somehow that water becomes wine.
It is almost difficult for us to look past the miracle to see all that this event says to us. We see the image of Jesus stepping out of time.
-He at once is the wine; his blood poured out for us.
-He is the groom who takes the church as his bride.
-He stands with our Priest as once more water and wine become our salvation.
-And we have a part too. We stand as the servants who hear Mary say; “Do whatever he tells you.”
-We stand as the servants who know where that “Best” wine came from and how it came to be in those stone jars.
-We know there were only six and not seven because it was not yet His time.
Is this just an Ordinary sequence of events in the life of Jesus? What a wondrous gift he has given. And all he asks in return is our acceptance of that gift, accepting our role as the children of that marriage of the Lord and His Church.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is ” The Marriage at Cana” by Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, c. 1530
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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