2nd Sunday after Epiphany 16 January 2022 New wine
God can change substances, one thing into another. He can change water into wine (as at Cana), and wine into blood (as at the Last Supper).
He is prepared to bless His people. He lavishes His gifts on us, wine, food, music, sunshine, friendship, all kinds of enjoyments… which can mean for some that is all they want. They are happy to rest with the gifts of God, and not bother with God Himself.
God wants us to enjoy His gifts, but more importantly still, He wants us to be able to see where it all fits in.
In gratitude for His gifts we come closer to Him; we are more conformed to His way of thinking, and eventually we are more interested in God than in the things He gives us.
One thing He gives us which does not sound much like a gift is the ability to lay down our lives for Him!
Organisations honour their outstanding past members. The names are engraved on honour rolls on the wall. We do that too, in the Church, with our lists of saints, and especially martyrs.
These are our best ‘graduates’. This one was put to death in such and such a time and this one another time, and so on, through the centuries, and over the globe.
The world honours the rich and famous and watches them for what they wear, and say, and then imitates them. Anyone with that much money must be worth knowing, they reason.
We come from a different angle. We admire those who can sacrifice themselves. We honour them in proportion to how much of themselves they gave to God.
This makes an unusual list of people – often very obscure, always poor, even if they started with money.
This is what happens to people whom Our Lord transforms, who cooperate with His grace to change ‘substance’ into a new humanity, based on that of Christ.
They come to think like He does, to value what He values.
Do we want to be associated with such people? Yes, if we really understand.
Our Lord came to save sinners, and that is what His closest disciples will also be seeking.
It is not easy to save people, because they generally resist the process, and sometimes even put to death those who are making the attempt.
Still, it does happen that people are transformed from lives of selfishness and futility and become instead a new ‘substance’, a new kind of humanity, imitating Christ and not the golden calves of the world.
Conformity to the will of God, and going wherever that leads – that is our position. That is ‘success’ as we see it.
Our Lord works the Cana miracle to help the people in that time and place, who had a pressing need. But much broader than that, He is setting our minds on a path to full understanding.
Humanity is good at enjoying itself, but is much less inclined to give of itself for the sake of others. Our Lord works the transformation that makes self-giving an attractive proposition.
Drink the wine and it will make you feel good, but will not make you a better person.
Drink the Blood and it won’t instantly make you feel better,
but it will make you a better person - every time.
Blood of Christ, save us.
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