Fill the jars with water...

Upon hearing the Gospel passage for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (what happened to the first?)  there are many routes that one can choose to take in reflection and thought.  Due to events that happened this past week, I couldn't help but focus on the fact that water was brought up.  Sure, there was intercession by Mary, there was Jesus' first sign (not miracles for John, they're always signs, Mr. Hoity Toity over here!) and there were other elements in this Gospel that could so easily become a great homily.  In all of that though, I was touched by the water.  The servants took the jugs and "They filled them to the brim."  And that's all it took.  There must have been some mumbling among them and perhaps even some hesitancy, after all, these jugs were not your average milk jug with handle and all, they were stone or clay jugs that held twenty to thirty gallons of water, (its like taking one third off of those 55 gallon barrels).  Either way, the servants did as they were told, after all, they were servants, and then something happened... almost from no where, the water is turned into wine!  and not just your average Albertsons (or Publix or Vons)  aisle #13 wine, but your HEB (or Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)  wine!  (Now that's fine wine!)  And that is what is amazing to me, here, in his great love and mercy, Jesus shows us the measure of what he is willing to do for us!  Yes, this sign is a precursor to the great banquet which is set before us at every Eucharist, and yes, it is a foretelling of the sacrifice that Jesus Himself will make, but it is also a sign of what our Loving God is willing to do to make us happy.  He takes what we can give, (which by the way, we give what we have been given) and creates from that a person restored.  He takes our brokenness and begins to send His Spirit into us, and just as water is changed into wine, I, a sinner, is changed into love, into sanctity, into hope, into life!  And so I reflect on this reading and think back to what God has done in my own life, I cannot take credit for the good which I have received,  I can only praise God and hope that out of this water, that out of me, he can make great wine, (or at least a good priest).  No matter what, I pray that just as He has entrusted me with the great gift of the priesthood, and all of us with being a part of the Body of Christ, so too I may be able to witness and testify to the great works that He can do with my, your, our hearts no matter where they've been.  Mary tells the servants: "Do as He says."  and today too, we are told, to come, to bring what we have, for in His love and in His mercy, we will be wine!  As always, know that I love you, and may God bless you.  Fr. Ricky