IHS
Second Sunday after Epiphany—14 January A.D. 2018
Ave Maria!
Please pray for Alfie Evans, 20 Months old ,
another hostage of socialized medicine in Britain.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alfiesarmy/
Ordinary of the Mass
Mass Text - Latin
Mass Text - English
EPISTLE: Romans xii:6-16
Brethren: We have different gifts, according to the grace that is given us: either prophecy, to be used according to the rule of faith, or ministry in ministering, or he that teacheth in doctrine, he that exhorteth in exhorting, he that giveth with simplicity, he that ruleth with carefulness, he that sheweth mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good: loving one another with the charity of brotherhood: with honor preventing one another: in carefulness not slothful: in spirit fervent: serving the Lord: rejoicing in hope: patient in tribulation: instant in prayer: communicating to the necessities of the saints: pursuing hospitality: bless them that persecute you: bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep: being of one mind, one towards another: not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Be not wise in your own conceits.[1]
GOSPEL: John ii:1-11
At that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus with to her: Woman, what is it to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine; and when men have well drank, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee: and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.[2]
“Prophecy, ministry, teaching, Exhorting, giving, ruling, dispensing mercy … loving the good and hating the bad, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, instant in prayer, communicating to the necessities of the saints, pursuing hospitality….”
That is a pretty “tall order”—although Saint Paul seems to be saying that since we each have “different gifts” no one person is responsible for all of these things—and that we have these gifts “according to the grace that is given to us.” The faithful Catholic will be anxious to know how he is to go about obtaining these graces—and how to obtain them abundantly, so as to receive eternal reward. The answer is given in today’s Gospel.
With motherly concern, the Blessed Virgin Mary was vigilant to see to it that the wedding party of the young couple went smoothly. Wedding parties in those days went on at length, and it would spoil everything to run out of wine on the first or second day. But, indeed, they did run out, and Mary was quick to notice—and she knew exactly how to remedy the situation. “They have now wine,” she said to her Divine Son. One can imagine the shrug of a shoulder and a blank look along with “what is it to me and thee?” But Mary is the Blessed Mother of God, and she knows full well that Jesus would never disappoint her. “Do whatever He tells you, she says to the waiters,” confident that is enough to fix the shortage of wine.
If Mary was concerned about wine for a party, we can be sure that she will be even more concerned about our legitimate spiritual needs. But she has so many of us to care for that it seems like a good idea to help her to keep us specifically in mind.
Our most powerful reminder to her is, of course, the Holy Rosary! In the course of a mere five decades we call on her by name fifty‑three times: “Hail Mary…. Holy Mother of God.” But we do much more than call for help. In meditating on the mysteries—from the Angelic Annunciation to her coronation as Queen of Heaven—from the birth of her Divine Son to His Glorious Ascension into Heaven—we are getting to know God and His Holy Mother on an intimate basis. By a deeper and deeper understanding of what they have done for us, the daily Rosary helps us to understand why we should honor and cooperate with Them!
“Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy”[3] If we delight in their glory and in their joys—if we cringe at their pains and their suffering—we will become more like them, and find it easier to accept our responsibilities as Christians. So make a point of praying the Rosary every day. Five decades if that is what you have time for—all fifteen is you have time to say them with clear meditation.
And let me suggest one more prayer: The Memoráre of Saint Bernard. (It is on the website if you can’t remember it.) Pray it without any specific petition, asking only that she, in her motherly wisdom, will obtain the graces most beneficial for us from her Divine Son. Her petitions should be our petitions:
REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful, sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.[4]
Her petitions must be our petitions, so that ours may become hers! Then she will tell the angels: “Do whatever He says to do,” and we will have our graces.
NOTES:
[3] “Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy” Meditations on the Rosary by J. Neville Ward (a Protestant minister!) https://www.churchpublishing.org/products/fiveforsorrowtenforjoy
