?and his disciples began to believe in him. ? John 2:11

Early in my Christian walk, I never brought an umbrella with me. Okay, I admit it was partly because I didn?t like having an extra thing to lug around. However, it was also because I found, to my delight, that whenever it started to rain, all I had to do was close my eyes, raise my hand up to the sky and command the rain to stop in Jesus? name and it would! Cool. God really loved me! Then one day, it didn?t happen anymore.
      I don?t know why. (Perhaps another person in the building next door who had just started his walk in the Lord was praying that the rain continue so his dog?s bowl would fill with water because he forgot to do that when he left the house that morning.) What I did learn though was that it didn?t mean at all that God didn?t love me anymore. It just meant that I was ready for advanced lessons.
      I had to learn that He loved me even when I didn?t have a job. I had to learn that He loved me when ticket sales for the concerts we produced weren?t selling. I had to learn that He loved me when He took my father to be with Him. I had to learn that He loved me when I got denied a US visa.
      Furthermore, I had to learn to believe that He was Lord of my life no matter what. When did you begin to learn that? Victoria L.

REFLECTION:
Are you easily discouraged when things don?t go your way?

When hardships come my way, let me see that You will see me through them because You love me.

Isaiah 62:1-5

One of the things that is most outstanding in a person?s character, if it is present, is his or her integrity. A man or woman of complete integrity is sometimes very difficult to find. There always seems to be a chink in the armor of most people where they fail in this area of their lives. I think that two of the most outstanding people of the twentieth century were Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In my mind, one of the reasons why they stand out so clearly is their integrity. They were people who lived what they preached without so much as even half a complaint.

1 For Zion?s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem?s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. 2 Nations shall behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. 3 You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. 4 No more shall men call you ?Forsaken,? or your land ?Desolate,? but you shall be called ?My Delight,? and your land ?Espoused.? For the LORD delights in you, and makes your land his spouse. 5 As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall  your God rejoice in you.

P S A L M 

Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R: Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. 2 Sing to the LORD; bless his name. (R) Announce his salvation, day after day. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) 7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; 8 give to the LORD the glory due his name! (R) 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth; 10 say among the nations the LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. (R)

2nd READING

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

The good news is that each of us does not have to have all of the gifts of the Spirit personally. God distributes His gifts among all the faithful and it is up to us to bring them together in unity and use them for the benefit of all the faithful and not just ourselves. This is one of the reasons why I have very little time for an individualist in ministry. It is imperative that everyone lives and ministers as a part of a community living the life of the Gospel in order that our witness and lifestyle is complete with all the gifts that the Lord wants to give us.

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; 10 to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

G O S P E L

John 2:1-11

Jesus is no party pooper. He enjoys a good party and wants us to enjoy life to the fullest (John 10:10). At the same time, all of the good things in life ought to be enjoyed in moderation. There is such a thing as ?too much of a good thing!? Our appetite for pleasure should always be subjugated to our duty to live responsible and holy lives. If our actions do not fall into the latter of the above then it means that we should refrain from doing it. We live in a time when people often seek pleasure without regard for the consequences of their actions. This will inevitably lead to sin sooner rather than later. Let us seek to guide our pleasures according to the will and pleasure of God.
  
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ?They have no wine.? 4 [And] Jesus said to her, ?Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.? 5 His mother said to the servers, ?Do whatever He tells you.? 6 Now there were six stone water jars  there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, ?Fill the jars with water.? So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, ?Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.? So they took it. 9 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 10 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.? 11 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.
  
my reflections
think: One of the things that is most outstanding in a person?s character, if it is present, is his or her integrity.
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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Genesis 49-50

SABBATH PAUSE

My weekly time with God

THANK YOU LIST

Things to be grateful for from the past week

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SPECIAL NEEDS

Things to ask God for in the coming week

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HIDDEN TREASURE

Most important word God told me this week

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While this Sunday no longer belongs to the Christmas season, its Gospel completes the Epiphany cycle of manifestations about Jesus. Today?s wedding at Cana unveils three aspects of the Messianic role of Jesus Christ.
      The wedding feast is a favorite symbolism in the Old Testament. The First Reading (Is 62:1-5) is one of the many examples. Sacred Scripture always compares the love between God and His People with the intimate love between husband and wife. Jesus? presence in the wedding feast at Cana shows this love is being revealed through Him who is God?s Son.
      Stone jars , as John reminds us, were used for the Jewish ceremonial washing. This ceremony was the ritual of purification in the Old Testament. The number of stone jars present in the wedding feast (six) was important. Seven was the perfect number for Jews; thus, the stone jars present were imperfect for cleansing. Jesus brought about the perfect purification from sin through His Paschal Mystery in the New Testament.
      Wine is another Old Testament favorite image. It symbolizes the joy of the Messianic age. Jesus? changing water into wine signaled that that age had begun with Him. There was also a super-abundance of wine after the miracle (between 120 and 180 gallons!). This was an expression of overflowing joy that Jesus brought about by His inauguration of the Messianic fulfillment. Moreover, the water-changed-into-wine was of a superior quality-an indication that all other joys were inferior to the overflowing joy that Jesus? Messianic role gave human history.
      The changing of the water into wine foreshadowed what Jesus would do in accomplishing His Messianic mandate from the Father. He came not to invalidate the Old Testament but to transform it and make it perfect into the New Testament. Certainly, the miraculous incident at Cana was an announcement that the best was yet to come in and through Jesus the Christ.
      The same message is given us by the Lord today: in and through Him, the best is always yet to come. But the best will never come unless we follow what the Blessed Mother advised the disciples then and us, the disciples now: ?Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you.? Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do I have the faith to do whatever Jesus tells me?

Jesus of Nazareth, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, He who was to come into the world. In You and through You, the best is always yet to come. As You changed water into wine, so now transform our lives and perfect them in Your love. May we always do whatever You tell us until we reach the wedding feast of heaven where You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

St. Deusdedit, archbishop, pray for us.