MIRACLES OF JESUS

JOHN 2:1-11 THE WEDDING AT CANA

There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.  When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 

 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.  Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.  And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew).

 The headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”  Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

COMMENTARY

 at Cana, at some period of the entertainment the wine suddenly ran out. This was very embarrassing because of the passionate devotion of the Eastern people to hospitality.

It is very likely that the host laid in an abundant supply. The explanation for the deficiency is probably the fact that Our Blessed Lord did not come alone. He brought with Him His disciples, and this apparently threw a heavy burden upon the store of wine. Wine was a symbol of mirth and health to the people, it was important that their need be filled in the spirit of hospitality and charity.

 REFLECTION:

 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 

Jesus told his Mother “His hour was not yet come…. If Jesus revealed His Divinity now, He would begin the royal road to the cross.  Mary may not have understood the full extant of what she was asking but she did know enough to tell the servants,  Do whatever He tells you.

 Mary knows Jesus will attend to our needs when the time is right…Mary’s faith is remarkable as it was from her first fiat at the Annunciation, “Be it done to me according to your word!”…

 Mary is the model of faith…pray to Mary to keep our Faith strong..…As Our Lord mediates between us and the Heavenly Father, so the Blessed Mother mediates between us and Our Divine Lord

 Jesus performed this first of His signs… and the disciples began to believe in Him…what are the signs of Jesus’ intervention in my life…look closely…

 What was my life like while drinking the “inferior wine” of this world before Jesus served up the “superior wine,” …. How has the “superior wine changed my life?

.POSTSCRIPT

 THE GOODS OF MARRIAGE

 “Have you not read that in the beginning God ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:3-12

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1643), there are three goods of marriage. They are: unity, fidelity, and openness to children

This unity is beyond mere unity of the flesh; it demands permanence (indissolubility) for the entire life of the married couple. The union is so profound and total that only death can dissolve it.

The very nature of conjugal love, total union for life of a married couple, demands fidelity and prohibits any disorder such as adultery.

The good of “openness to children” is the fruit of total self-giving love. Accepting children and nurturing them leads the married couple to a deeper union and exclusive commitment to one another.

The Church does not demand married couples have enough children to field a baseball team.  The Church simply says that parents should exhibit generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood and not use any immoral means such as contraception or abortion as a means to demean their intimacy and frustrate God’s plan.

Using Natural Family Planning  a couple can use fertility tracking technology so if a couple wants another baby, they can choose to be intimate on a woman’s identifiable fertile days. On the other hand, if they don’t feel ready for another baby, they would simply choose to be intimate on an infertile day instead.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her^t

Ephesians 5:25

Marriage is not merely a legal contract. A Catholic marriage is a covenant, or a sacred pledge of loyalty with God as our witness between persons, a man and woman. This covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             

JESUS HEALS THE PARALYTIC

MARK 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, Why does this man speak that way?^* He is blaspheming.

Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

REFLECTION

Many gathered around the place of Jesus so there was no room anymore…so many needs…one messiah and healer…Where there is a will there is a way…Trust in Jesus

Perseverance in prayer and faithfulness pays off in the end…when Jesus saw their faith He said, “Child your sins are forgiven.”…

WHY SINS? Why not? Sins are the cause for a fallen broken world. Nothing weighs as heavily as unrepentant sin.

Jesus left the crowd astounded and in awe of His authority Are we astounded and in awe of Jesus’ power and mercy?

MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES

JOHN 6:5-15

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”  He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit).”  One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.  When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”  So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

REFLECTION

Jesus saw the needs of the people without being told…Jesus sees our needs too…do we seek Jesus when in need?

Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks…Jesus is always thankful to the Father…Jesus trusts the Father…Are we thankful each day for all God’s gifts

Those in the crowd had their fill…there was much left over…our God is a God of abundance…. give thanks to God for He is good…

Are we generous in our gifts to others…plus our time, our empathy,

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

JOHN 16-27

IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE!

(Jesus said to his disciples,) “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.”  So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.  So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died.  And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.”…

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him…Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.”  Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God…

Jesus said, “Take away the stone…So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me.  I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”  And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice,

LAZARUS COME OUT

The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”  Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and Martha and seen what he had done began to believe in him. 

REFLECTION

Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died….Jesus is glad he was not there so that he can perform this miracle before witnesses that they might believe in him and him who sent him…

Jesus wants witnesses to this miracle and why not because He has come to defeat sin and death a consequence of sin, Jesus is our Redeemer and Savior….and wants everyone to believe He is the resurrection and live.

Martha believes if Jesus had been there her brother would not have died …Jesus tells her, I am the resurrection and life, whoever believes me will never die…Jesus asks Martha if she believe this…Do I believe this…

Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb…Lazarus comes out…and many began this day to believe in Jesus…

What does it take for me to believe in Jesus…I mean really believe and trust in Him even my prayer as I see it goes unanswered.  God hears all our prayers and will answer with what is best for me…Can I accept that!