Daily Scripture, January 19, 2025
Scripture:
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
John 2:1-11
Reflection:
You have kept the good wine until now.
These are the words the headwaiter speaks to the bridegroom in today’s Gospel. While they were addressed on that day in history to the man who had gotten married, we can also understand them as being addressed to Jesus, the Bridegroom. They are words of surprise and confusion but also words of delight. Jesus has a way of evoking these responses in all who truly encounter Him. We come to Him filled with our own understanding and expectations. We have ideas about what we want Him to do or what He should do, and often, He defies those preconceived notions. He does something new. He does something confusing, challenging even. Yet, in the end, He does something better than we expected.
As St. Paul enumerates so eloquently in his first letter to the Corinthians, there are many gifts the Lord wants to give us in this life, but He gives them how and to whom He wills. We should be prepared to be surprised and even challenged by their appearance, but we should always be delighted.
Ultimately, there is one gift that Jesus wants to give to every one of His people, and this might be the biggest surprise of them all. As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, He rejoices over us. God’s own joy… Is there any sweeter wine than that?
Megan Silas is a Lay Passionist at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.
Scripture: Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11, 4:13-17 Matthew 23:1-12 Reflection: "Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways… your children (will be) like olive plants around your table." (Ps » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Proverbs 9:1-6 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 Reflection: There is a popular Bruce Springsteen song that contains the lyric, “Everybody has a hungry heart…Everybody wants to have » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Judges 9:6-15 Mtthew 20:1-16 Reflection: "Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matt. 20:16) This is how » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Judges 6:11-24a Matthew 19:23-30 Reflection: Both readings bring us face to face with some basic challenges. Gideon puts his concern right out there: "For now the Lord has abandoned » Continue Reading.
Memorial of St. Pius X Scripture: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22 Matthew 22:34-40 Reflection: Patterns of migration are commonplace throughout the contemporary world. These occur both within nations, as population » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 Reflection: In today’s Gospel reading, we come to the end of Jesus’ "bread of life" discourse, and we find » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Revelations 21:9b-14 John 1:45-51 Reflection: "Here is a faithful Israelite in whom there is no guile." John 1:48 The word for guile is dolos in Greek and it » Continue Reading.
Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe Scripture: Joshua 24:1-13 Matthew 19:3-12 Reflection: I write these few thoughts on today’s feast from our family home in St. Louis where I am visiting » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Matthew 18:15-20 Reflection: The hysterical shouting matches at town hall meetings to discuss health care in the United States have demonstrated once again that there is no » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 John 12:24-26 Reflection: My husband died suddenly when I was 25 and our son Carl was 7 months old. When Carl was almost 5, God gifted » Continue Reading.