January 16
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
Sat., 4:00 PM – Hilda Loguidice / Diane Harrington
Sun., 7:30 AM - John Dawson / Fran B.
Sun., 10:30 AM - Thomas Dadey, Sr. / Antonacci Family
Sun., 5:00 PM - John P. Wagner / Elaine Lostumbo
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 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.
Second Reading
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.
Gospel Acclamation
Cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
“Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
Reflection
Having recently completed our Christmas celebrations recalling the Lord God taking on flesh and making his “dwelling” among us, we are reminded again this Sunday of the implications of this relationship and the magnitude of the Incarnation.
What happens to our flesh as a result of God assuming flesh? No longer shall people look at you and see you as beyond hope, abandoned, “forsaken” or “desolate” (cf. Isaiah 62:4). Rather the Lord now somehow delights and rejoices in us, and he actually espouses himself to us like a bridegroom to a bride, like lover to beloved. Through his intimate dwelling in us, he produces his fruit that otherwise could never have grown.
What does this look like? Through this unfathomable love he bestows his Spirit upon us, a gift that was solidified for us in Baptism. St. Paul relates to us today that now when we give God permission, he transforms us and produces all his “gifts” in us for each of our individual benefit (1 Cor 12:6-7). How beautiful for the world that God gives generously to all, but he also gives in unique ways to each of us, too.
As a result though, now we must live our lives as a response to this relationship. God gives gifts to individual members for the sake of his whole body. We must glorify God through our discipleship, which has both individual and communal dimensions. How do we live so as to glorify God and sanctify the world? Ah! Our Gospel today: At Cana, the mother of Jesus appears as the embodiment, in a single person, of the faithful, obedient people of God...she is the model of what our discipleship looks like.
We must be companions in the work of Jesus who allow him to always take the lead. Sometimes we are given a task to do that we don’t even know the first place to begin. Being a disciple of Jesus is not one of those tasks! Mary instructs us with the first and most important guideline: "Do whatever [Jesus] tells you." Take the words of Jesus seriously and you won’t be led astray, he will produce his fruit in you.
God bless,
Fr. Brendan Foley
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