“They have no wine.”
I hear a question in Mary’s voice as she points out to her son, Jesus, that the wedding guests have run out of wine. It’s a question that I carry within myself, a question familiar to many of us: Will I have enough? Are we running out? Are we rich enough? Safe enough? Good enough? Will we go over budget? Mary’s statement speaks of lack.
Years ago, a friend of the family was sharing with us anecdotes of her joys as a grandmother. She laughed about the physical aches and pains that “came with the job.” When with her granddaughter, the grandmother would play and crawl around on the floor alongside her. The grandmother joked that sometimes she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get back up again. And yet, knees and back be damned, she continued to come down to the floor to play with her granddaughter because “that’s where her world is.”
Many of the U.S. Bishops met at Mundelein Seminary this past week for a retreat to pray over the sex abuse scandal in the Church and guidance in moving forward. Because of the spin we see put so often on these events, Father Paul would recommend you read the Pope’s letter he sent to the bishops. He expresses his deep and anxious hope that the Church can move in an honest and compassionate direction. Read his letter here.
Look to the margins.
If you desire to see the face of Christ in the world, look to the margins. This is one of the most important themes of the Gospel, and it has never been more necessary than at the start of 2019.
The story is told of a theologian who had a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus in his study. It showed John the Baptist with a long bony finger pointing to Jesus. One day a visitor asked, “What is your job?” The theologian walked over to the painting and said, “I am that finger.”
On this 2nd Sunday of Advent, we have John calling for repentance. I imagine if we saw John preaching today, we might be put off a bit. He wore animal skins, didn’t bathe, and existed on locus and honey. When he preached, he didn’t mince words. He was direct and to the point. In today’s reading, he is preaching “repent.” Repent from your sins. This message was being spread by him through the entire region of Judea. Michael Simone, S.J. who teaches in the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College says “John’s apocalyptic preaching was popular.
O come, o come Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear!...
Sin the beginning of time, people have risen to become kings and to seek dominion over civilization. Some have come close such as Caesar and Hitler. And some kingdoms, like the Roman Empire, lasted for many centuries. These kings and empires jealously protected their power, they sought to become more powerful, and they did not let anyone get in their way. Despite everything, they all had one thing in common: they ultimately passed away and their kingdoms passed with them. The years of plundering, death, and self-glorification simply scattered like dust.