Dear Friends,
We have taken down the decorations for Christmas and stowed them away for yet another year. Life has returned to its ordinary, everyday pace, even with the ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19. We do not live our life is a perpetual spirit of holiday and feasting. Holidays and celebrations are occasional in nature and that keeps them from becoming hum-drum and boring. Most of our lives are lived on the everyday, ordinary level, and the same held true for Jesus.
In the Church’s calendar, we have concluded the Christmas Season and now return to a stretch of weeks, seven in all this year, that are called Ordinary Time, or perhaps more precisely, winter Ordinary Time, the time between the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. During these weeks, we will be walking along with Jesus as he begins his public ministry, gathers disciples to himself, and proclaims the message, the standards of living day to day life as his disciples, as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel today, taken from the second chapter of John, tells of the wonder that Jesus worked while a guest at a wedding celebration in Cana in Galilee. The wine ran out, a source of major embarrassment for the host family, and the celebration was jeopardized. Mary, a guest at the wedding, comes to Jesus and informs him of the situation, implying that he can and should do something about it. Jesus tries to beg off, but Mary is insistent. Her words to the waiters that day, I think, give us all good advice as we live our daily lives. “Do whatever he tells you.” That sums up in a mere five words what it means to be a disciple of Christ, a Christian. Do whatever Jesus tells you. How can we know what Jesus is telling us to do? We have means at our disposal to help us: our own conscience, which should always be followed, the Scriptures, the teaching of the Church, advice from spiritual masters. As we begin this stretch of Ordinary Time, may we take those simple words of Mary, who knew Jesus better than anyone, to heart: “Do whatever he tells you.”
This Friday, January 21, is the memorial of St. Agnes, a virgin-martyr who has been revered in the Church since the earliest centuries. Her name is mentioned in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). Since the Church permits us to do so, next weekend at St. Agnes Church we will celebrate the Mass in honor of St. Agnes. The readings, however, will be those of the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Next Monday, January 17, is the national holiday in honor of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The parish office will be closed and confessions will not be heard that evening at St. Mary’s even though the regular novena service will be held. That day might be a good opportunity for us to reflect on the sin of racism and exclusivity, and ask the Lord to help us overcome whatever bias or prejudice might be keeping us from coming together with others.
Finally, a word of thanks to all who sent in cakes, cookies, or other food items to the rectory during the holidays. Your thoughtfulness was much appreciated and the goodies were enjoyed by all.
Have a nice week!