From Common to Extraordinary

“Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.”
John 2:6

Father Secora’s homily pointed out something I had never noticed before: these stone water jars were for ceremonial washings.

The jars were not “fine china” by any means, and the water wasn’t “Perrier,” as Father mentioned. They were available for people to wash their hands, common vessels filled with common water for washing, not for drinking.

But at the word of God, the contents of the common stone vessels were transformed to instead hold the best of wines.

Just so, at the word of God, we common vessels – sometimes with hearts of stone – can be transformed into something extraordinary, something holy.

Mary instructed the servants to “Do whatever he tells you.”

His servants of every age should heed that advice. Do whatever He tells you; be transformed, allow Him to make us holy!

 

 

 

 

 

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It is Better to Receive

Throughout the Christmas season there is a focus on giving … we search and shop and purchase with great care and thoughtfulness; stories like A Christmas Carol tell us that when we’re stingy we’re bad, when we give we are good; we hear “it is better to give than to receive.”

None of that is bad, nor particularly wrong. Giving is a good thing! Sharing our bounty, being generous, thoughtfulness in how we give – these are all kindness and charity and I don’t know if the world can ever have too much of that.

However, if we are asking the question, “What’s it all about?” the answer is not giving, generosity, nor sharing.

What it’s all about – the point of the Christmas season, the point of Jesus’ birth and death and resurrection, the point of our earthly lives – is receiving.

It’s not about what we do … it’s about what He did.

Do we receive Him? Do we receive the child, the Messiah? Do we receive the gift of His sacrifice? Do we receive the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Comforter sent to us by Jesus after His ascension?  Do we seek Him, rush to Him, welcome Him, receive Him fully into our lives in an active and daily way?

Knowing about God and even believing He exists is not enough. When the Magi were in Jerusalem the Jewish priests were able to tell Herod where the Messiah would be born; we presume as priests they believed in God and gave their service to Him daily in the temple. But they did not accompany the Magi to see the Messiah for whom they had long waited – they stayed in Jerusalem!

How about us? Do we believe? Do we try to do good and be good citizens and make this world a better place?

Or do we receive Him … really, deeply seek and receive the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings?

 

 

 

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