Words of Spirit and Life

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 95 (96): 1-3. 7-10. R. v. 3; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11

John 2: 1-11

Theme: THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE

 CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY

1. Today is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The readings today tell us about the Church! The gospel and the first reading tell us that the Church is the bride of Jesus Christ, and the second reading tells us that the Church is the Christian community of unity in diversity!

    The gospel today tells us that Jesus was at a wedding feast and when the wine was finished, he changed the water into wine – all 120 gallons! And when the steward tasted the wine, it tasted better than the wine that was finished!

    More importantly, the second part of the gospel tells us that it is not just a miracle, but it is a sign of Jesus’ glory and the disciples believed in him!  

    The gospel tells us on a deeper level that Jesus is the real bridegroom and the Church is the real bride! Jesus through his death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, changed the Law of Moses into the Love of the Holy Spirit, Judaism into Christianity, the Old Testament into the New Testament, and Israel and the Temple into the Church and the Christian Community of believers!

2. The first reading follows the theme of the gospel. The first reading tells us that God marries Israel as a young man marries a virgin, and as a young man rejoices over his bride so God rejoices over Israel!

    In fact Israel was not a virgin! Israel was an adulteress and a prostitute, worshiping alien and false gods! But God in his love, mercy and forgiveness changed Israel from an adulteress and a prostitute into a virgin!

    Thus we read in the first reading: ‘For Zion I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem I will not be tired, until her saving justice shines like the dawn, until her salvation shines like the torch. All nations will see her saving justice and all kings will see her glory. She will be called by a new name, given by the Lord! (New name means a change in status! (HCSB), a new state of happiness! (CSB)) She shall be a crown in the hand of the Lord and she will not be called “Forsaken” and her land will not be called “Abandoned”, instead she will be called “My Delight” and her land called “Married”! For the Lord will delight in Israel and her land married. As a young man marries a virgin so will the Lord marry Israel, and as a young man rejoices over his bride so will the Lord rejoice over Israel’!

3. The responsorial psalm is a hymn of praise to God! The responsorial psalm invites all the peoples of the world to praise and worship God! The first and second stanzas of the responsorial psalm invites all the nations to praise God, and the third and fourth stanzas invite all the nations to worship God the just ruler! (CSB) Thus the response of the responsorial psalm: “Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples”, so that all the peoples will praise and worship God!  

4. Again, the second reading tells us about the Church! The second reading tells us that the Church is a Christian community of unity in diversity! The second reading tells us that there is a diversity of gifts: (i) the gift of preaching wisdom and the gift of preaching knowledge. (ii) the gift of intense faith that can work miracles, the gift of healing, and the gift of working miracles. (iii) the gifts of prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The first group of gifts is the most important and the last group of gifts is the least important!

    But more importantly, the second reading tells us that all the diversity of gifts is from the same (i) Holy Spirit, (ii) to serve the same Lord Jesus, (iii) and the same God the Father working in them all! And most importantly, all the gifts are for the good of the community and for building the community! Again, the second reading tells us that the Church is a Christian community of unity in diversity!        

    Incidentally, Fr. Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest and a paleon-anthropologist tells us that there is also unity in diversity in creation! He tells us that evolution leads to consciousness in human beings, and consciousness leads to unity!

5. Today in the Eucharist, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we eat his body and drink his blood, and our Risen Lord will give us his Holy Spirit and make us into his bride and Church, and make us into a Christian community of unity in diversity, so that we can be a “sacrament of salvation” (Vatican II) for the world!

Amen!

VIDEO HOMILIES:

FACEBOOK : Nicholas Ong

Tiktok : Fr. Nicholas Ong

Youtube : Msgr Nicholas Ong