2nd Sunday
©Ý 01/12/04 John 2:1-12
DEEP BAYÝÝ On the first Sunday of
April, the Fong family always goes with grandpa to Deep Bay.Ý They have a fish dinner.Ý They play on the beach and collect
seashells. They have a good day and they go home.
When Lai Man was sixteen, he
asks his mother.Ý ìWhy do we always go
to Deep Bay on the first Sunday of April?îÝ She answers:Ý ìI donít know.Ý But that is what grandpa wants.Ý
While you are playing he likes to sit there.Ý Sometimes he looks sad and sometimes he looks happy.î
When he was eighteen Lai Man
asks his grandpa:Ý ìWhy do we go to Deep
Water on the first Sunday of April.î
Grandpa answered:Ý ìBecause that was the day in 1962 that I
arrived in Hong Kong.Ý I was in love
with a girl from our village.Ý I told my
parents I wanted to go to Hong Kong.Ý
Mei Ying and I knew it would be risky because of the distance and the
shark-infested waters.Ý My parents gave
me a little money. We got an inner tube.Ý
We swan for many hours.Ý But Mei
Ying was slowly weakening.Ý I tried to
swim for both of us.Ý I, too, was
weakening. And then I realized that Mei Ying was no longer clinging to the
inner tube. She knew I couldnít continue swimming for both of us. I arrived in
Hong Kong on that first Sunday of April.î
He continued: ìSometimes my
life has been difficult and I have faced many difficult decisions.Ý Sometimes I want to give up. But when I come
to this place, I gather new energy.Ý I
see things in a new perspective.Ý I
think of the sacrifice that Mei Ying made so that I could be free.Ý I will not let her down by giving up.î
ÝANALYSIS:Ý This example helps us to understand how we
might approach Johnís gospel.
1.
Lai
Man has a pleasant outing with his family.Ý
2.
Lai
Man discovers the deep significance behind their visit to Deep Bay.Ý That piece of land in Deep Bay has deep
symbolic meaning for grandpa.
3.
Finally,
we hope that Lai Man, when he faces crises, difficulties, grief, he will think
of those outings with grandpa to Deep Water and be strengthened.
GODíS POINT OF VIEWÝ On the surface, Johnís
gospel is about the wedding of two poor newly-weds and how Jesus, the Son of
God, helped them.Ý Certainly these
simple facts can give us a lot about which to pray.
But for sixty years St. John
has been meditating on this scene.Ý He
has uncovered a treasury of meaning behind these facts.Ý John wants us to appreciate why did Jesus
choose this joyful little wedding to begin the work of salvation.
So John fills this little
passage with clues. First clue: Jesus addresses Mary, not as mother, but
as ìwomanî.Ý ìWoman why turn to me?Ý My hour has not come yet.îÝ Do you remember what Adam said after he was
tempted by Eve to commit the first sin? ìThe woman whom you put here
with meóshe gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.î (Gen. 3:12) But now,
the ìwomanî, Mary, is the new Eve who tempts Jesus to begin the work of
salvation.Ý Mary is a loving and
powerful ìwomanî then and now. That is one of the theological reasons why we,
Catholics of Our Lady of Fatima have such devotion to Mary.
Second clue: At the end of this
passage, St. John says: ìThis was the first of the signs given by Jesus...he
let his glory be seen.îÝ (John will
divide his gospel into seven such signs.) John shows us that this was not only
a miracle, it was a sign ìby which the Christian recognizes through faith and
in the life of the Church the presence of the same Christ who was visibly
present to the first disciples in the flesh.îÝ
Third clue: St. John tells us that it
was a jolly wedding feast: happy day with plenty of wine. Yes, a wedding was
the best day of all for Jesus to do the ìfirst of the signsîÝ and ìlet his glory be seenÖî and begin his
work of salvation.Ý
Ý
St. John remembers that
throughout the Bible, God is very romantic. God is always speaking of an
intimate married relationship with his people Israel.Ý Israel will be the bride and God will be the moonstruck
bridegroom.
There are other beautiful
symbols and meanings in this gospel passageóenough to provide hours of
prayer.Ý Unfortunately, most Catholics
are unlike Lai Man, they never discover the deep meanings and rich nourishment
that these gospel events offer us.Ý I
hope I have whetted your appetite and you are hungry for the Word of God.
1.
During
the week, read over and over this Sundayís gospel.Ý Read this passage aloud if possible.
2.
If
you have trouble getting started, one of the catechists or priests can
recommend can help you bible commentary from our parish library.
3.
Join
a bible study/prayer group.
4.
Talk
about this passage with a Catholic friend.
FINALEÝÝ Catholics of St. Patrickís
community are you hungry for the Word of God?
Ý
*************************************************
12 January 2004 2nd Sunday ©ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 01/12/04ÝÝÝÝÝ John 2: 1-12
THEME:Ý Scripture comprises layers of nourishment for the
Christian.
PURPOSE: To whet the appetite of
Catholics to a deeper appreciation of Scripture.
TEXT:Ý ìThere was a weddingÖî
SCRIPTURE: ìThe woman whom you
put here with meóshe gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.î (Gen.
3:12)ÝÝ
CATECHISM OF
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: ìBut above all itís the Gospels that occupy my mind when Iím at prayer;
my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this the one thing needful.Ý Iím always finding fresh lights there,
hidden and enthralling meanings.î #127 (Quoting St. Therese of Lisieux, ms.
Autob. A 83v.)
CHEWING THE WORD OF GOD
18 January 2004ÝÝ 2nd Sunday ©ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 01/12/04ÝÝÝÝÝ John 2: 1-12Ý ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
1. Which of the four gospels is deepest in meaning?Ý _______
2. What word does St. John use in place of miracles? _______
3.
Name some way that you could increase your hunger for
the word of God.ÝÝÝ
_________________________
4.
This gospel passage shows Mary to be the new ____ who
invites Jesus to begin the work of salvation. Pray with this gospel passage for
five minutes.Ý Write something that you
thought about?ÝÝ ________________