Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Fr. Michael D. Accinni Reinhardt, MA, Mdiv, MS  |  01/19/2025  |  This Sunday's Reading

Who couldn’t use a miracle right about now? For the past month or so, we have been planning, partying, preparing food and exchanging gifts. Now it is time to get back to normal. Christmas for most of us has been stored back into boxes or bins and fruit cakes have either been eaten or given away to others. We are now dealing with dark nights and cold mornings and endless heart-shaped boxes lining the shelves at Walmart.

But this Sunday, we encounter something wondrous. Just when we need it, we get a miracle, the first recorded miracle of Jesus as He began His public ministry. In this miracle we don’t hear about cures or healings but rather a transformation. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, water becomes wine. Think about it, whenever or however we encounter Jesus, can’t help but bring about a change. In this gospel reading we have a wedding. an occasion where two people are changed, becoming one flesh: it’s a sacred union. In this reading we should look more closely at just how it’s told. We hear that there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Then we hear that Jesus, and his disciples were also invited to the wedding, We know who was present, and we realize that Mary had a big role in her son’s first miracle just as she had a role in Bethlehem. When you think about it, in some ways Cana echoed Bethlehem. Both involved God intervening to make the ordinary extraordinary; a manger became home for the Almighty; a humble and obscure family became Holy; water became wine, and in Cana, as in Bethlehem, Mary’s role made it happen. Did you know that what Mary said at this wedding feast were her final recorded words in Scripture, her advice to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” Those five words tells them, and us, all we need to know: this is where discipleship begins. Listen to him. Then do it. We are recovering from Christmas and are getting back into our daily life and Ordinary Time in the church year. And in this time, we need to keep our minds and hearts alert to the simple, divine truth: Jesus changes everything. When we least expect it, wonders await. Miracles abound. So welcome back to Ordinary Time, the longest of the Church Seasons! This is our base line, our normal; the other seasons celebrate something (Christmas, Easter) or anticipate something (Lent, Advent). But good old Ordinary Time is when we cover most of the day-to-day the story of Jesus’ life, preaching, using parables, doing great things with the day-to-day struggles and successes. The readings this Sunday, focus on the joy and blessings we receive from God, encouraging us to use our gifts and work together in unity. The Holy Spirit gives each of us unique gifts, like wisdom, knowledge, and faith, meant to help and strengthen not only ourselves but our community. This message calls us to recognize and share these gifts, knowing each one has purpose and value. Though we are all different, our gifts come from the same Spirit, meant to unite, not divide. When we embrace our differences and use our gifts together, we create a community that reflects God’s love. This way of living shows that diversity can bring us closer to each other and build a stronger Church. The readings invite us to recognize our gifts, live in unity, and trust in Jesus.