Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 18, 2004 – Blessed Sacrament
There’s a dimension of our existence as Christians, as the Church, that is set out in today’s readings and is worth a thought or two. The passage from Isaiah prepares for the Gospel account of the wedding feast of Cana, and it makes it clear that we are not to read the latter simply on the literal level. We should know this even from the last words in this Gospel, which tell us: “Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs, and so revealed his glory and his disciples began to believe in him.” Cana, in Galilee, saw the first of the “signs” which the evangelist has included in his Gospel, as he tells us “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The sign is only intelligible against the backdrop that is illustrated by the reading from Isaiah: that the relationship between God and Israel is a spousal one, a marriage. During the exile, the prophet says, people looked at Israel and called her names like those used of a widow or an abandoned woman: “Forsaken,” “Desolate.” But there will come a time, he goes on, when the exile will be ended, and a new name must be used for her: “No more shall people call you ‘Forsaken,’ or your land ‘Desolate,’ but you will be called “My Delight,’ and your land ‘Espoused’ (Married). For the Lord takes delight 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.” We must imagine the exuberant joy of a wedding reception and the passionate joy of a honeymoon. “So shall your God rejoice in you.” (What a lovely thought: that God rejoices in us!) (more…)
Like this:
Like Loading...