Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11
Weddings today require a great deal of preparation. There is the guest list, the ceremony, the clothing, the décor, the menu for the banquet and all of the other social amenities that go with weddings. Any of the least details not going exactly as planned can result in a major melt-down by the bride or her mother. The bigger issues not going exactly as planned might even result in a degree of social embarrassment.
Thus was the case at the Wedding Feast of Cana. I am sure the bride and groom thought of every last detail for the event. The guest list was carefully selected, even including Mary, Jesus and his disciples. The menus were planned carefully for the several day celebration, with one unfortunate oversight. They ran out of wine. Mary, in her appeal to Jesus, may have been concerned with the social embarrassment of the couple. But, filled with grace, I believe she felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to act in some way. I say this because even after her Son responded with his terse, “Woman, how does this concern of yours involve me?” she instructed the waiters to “Do whatever he tells you.” I believe in her heart, she knew that God had placed them there for a purpose. She knew that only God could remedy what was lacking, just as God had always done.
Now it is important to note that Jesus did not replenish the wine supply without a modest human contribution. He included them in the action with what little they had, six stone jars of water. Jesus could have produced wine out of thin air, but instead he involved others in the miracle. That is how God has chosen to act from the beginning of time. God has always involved human instruments, human action, in his works. God commanded Noah to build an Ark so that God could start things over again once everything was destroyed in the great flood. God called Abraham and Sarah into a blessed relationship as the father and mother of a people God chose as his own. God used a Jewish boy, Joseph, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, to bring his people into the safety and security of Egypt. Centuries later, when their safety was no longer secure in Egypt, God used Moses, a murderer on the lam, to be the spokesperson for his people who would free them from slavery and guide them on their journey into the promised land.
And so God has always utilized human persons, and human resources, to work his miracles and graces in the world. When the time was right, God even sent his Son, who took on our human form, to teach us how to do God’s will here on earth. And because death had come into the world as a result of human sin and folly, God gave His Son as the ultimate sacrifice to restore the original grace of eternal life to the world.
God continues to use humans as instruments of his grace here on earth. Through the bishops, priests and deacons of his Church God gives the primary source of grace, sacramental grace, to His people. But grace is given not only through the sacraments. God, from the beginning of time, established the family as the first source of grace as wives and husbands bless each other in the union of marriage; and parents bless their children with the gifts of life, love, and faith.
God also though established his Church on earth, the entire body of baptized believers, as a source of grace for the world. The Church, oftentimes referred to as the Bride of Christ, is the symbol of the union of heaven and earth, God incarnate in our world today. And so God chooses to use us to bring his grace into the world. This happens each time people respond in faith, like Mary, to the needs of others. She saw a need at the wedding feast, and she turned to the only one who could supply that need. And so when we see any need in our family, in our community or nation, or in our world, God is calling us to be instruments of grace to respond to that need.
Oftentimes we feel helpless in the face of so much need, just like we have all felt this past week as the devastating news of the country of Haiti continues to unfold before our eyes. Our hearts are compelled to do something, and yet we can feel so inadequate in our response. This is where we need to turn to God first, as the only source of grace that will bring healing to the survivors of this catastrophe.
As we listen to and read the news reports the very first thing we must do is pray. Pray for the little girl with the bandaged head awaiting medical attention in Carrefour. Pray for the scavengers gathering up what little there is left to feed their hungry families. Pray for Cindy Terasme, the 14 year old girl who lost her brother, and Gladys Jeune, the woman who was trapped for 43 hours in the rubble of her home. Pray also for the hundreds of thousands of nameless, faceless people who will have to live through this for days, and weeks, and months. Pray also for the safety and strength of the tens of thousands of rescue workers descending upon the nation even as we pray today.
If you have the skills to provide rescue care, and the ability to travel over there, then get to Haiti if you are feeling God calling you to this. Trust that God will use what little human resources you have, like 6 stone water-jars, and God will transform what you have to give into a miracle beyond your imagining. For the rest of us, who cannot offer any first-hand care, a time will come when our monetary resources will be essential. Next weekend we invite you to make an offering by simply placing money or a check, in an envelope marked Haiti. We will send the money on to the Diocese for distribution through one of the many Catholic global relief agencies.
I urge you though, resist the American affluent temptation. So often, without even thinking, we will immediately give our money and then get on to the next thing in life. We move on and tend to forget that the people in the midst of such devastating tragedy will never be the same. The prayer support and even ongoing monetary support will be needed for months on end. Don’t forget these people. Take the time also to remember also the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, September 11th, and the many other tragedies that have been in the news. Whenever tragedies of such extent rock our world, survivors often have recurring memories of their personal tragedies and could be greatly blessed by our prayers.
Most importantly, let us never forget, that no matter what, God is always with us. God is always gracing His people and including His people in the act of salvation and redemption for the world. Be instruments of God’s grace, with what little resources you have, even if it seems no more significant than six jars of water, and prepare to be amazed at the wonders and miracles God can work through you.
