DAILY- HOMILY

January 5, 2019 – SATURDAY, Christmas Weekday 

St. John Neumann, Bishop

White.

1 Jn 5: 14 – 21 / Jn 2: 1 – 11

    Born in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), St. John Neumann (1811 – 1860) was ordained a priest in New York City. He was the first Redemptorist to make profession in the USA. Ordained Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, he worked zealously to establish parochial schools and parishes for immigrants from Europe.

From the 1st Reading:    1 Jn 5: 14 – 15

   Through him we are fully confident that whatever we ask, according to his will, he will grant us. If we know that he hears us whenever we ask, we know that we already have what we asked of him.

Gospel Reading:               Jn 2: 1 – 11

    Three days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples.

   When all the wine provided for the celebration had been served and they had run out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus replied, "Woman, your thoughts are not mine! My hour has not yet come." However his mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

   Nearby were six stone water jars meant for the ritual washing as practiced by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, "Now draw some out and take it to the steward." So they did.

   The steward tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing from where it had come; for only the servants who had drawn the water knew. So, he called the bridegroom to tell him, "Everyone serves the best wine first and when the people have drunk enough, he serves that which is ordinary. Instead you have kept the best wine until the end."

    This miraculous sign was the first, and Jesus performed it at Cana in Galilee. In this way he let his Glory appear and his disciples believed in him.

REFLECTION

    In the first reading St. John reiterates what Jesus told us during his public ministry, that "whatever we ask, according to his will, he will grant us."

   In the Gospel reading, at the marriage feast in Cana, at the quiet request of Mary, his mother, Jesus performs the first of his miracles in order to save the couple from embarrassment when they ran out of wine. Mary did not even ask Jesus for a miracle; she just informed him, "They have no wine." Though his "hour has not yet come," Jesus turns water in six large stone jars into truly excellent wine: "you have kept the best wine until the end."

   Truly human, Jesus showed his enjoyment of human life, joining the marriage feast of the couple. He showed concern for the couple. Jesus also showed his great love for his mother Mary, performing his first miracle at her request, though "his hour had not yet come."

   We pray to Mary: "never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided."

FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED OUR PRAYERS AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS THE MOST. 

Have a good day!

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

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