The Wedding Feast

The wedding feast, the birthday feast, the anniversary feast, the thanksgiving for favors received feast. Name it, we're always celebrating one thing or the other. Question is where do we keep Jesus, his mother Mary, and the saints his disciples when we are celebrating? Or put in another way, where do we keep them at all in our lives?

There is a beautiful story in the bible of a wedding that took place in Cana and there is so much treasure contained in that passage that I would like to share.

There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the wedding, with his disciples (John 2:1-2).

This wedding happened a few days after Jesus had chosen a few of his disciples. He had called Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael according to John's gospel account. It is very likely that the couple of this wedding feast had made all their arrangements for this wedding including having an idea how many guests they will need to cater for. Nonetheless, they extended an invitation to Jesus and his friends.
Question: Are we quick to invite Mary, Jesus and the saints into our lives, our work, our homes, our celebrations, our trials, our tribulations, our relationships? Or are we so caught up in the plans we have made that we have no room for them? Do we only see the 'sacrifices' that we may be called upon to make by their presence in our lives that we are blinded to the 'excellent rewards'? Let's see what happened at the wedding in Cana.

When all the wine provided for the celebration had run out, the mother of Jesus said to him 'They have no wine'. Jesus replied  'Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not yet come'. His mother said to the servants 'Do whatever he tells you'. (John 2:3-5).

Meet our Lady, the Mother of Perpetual Help. Always ready to help whether we call on her or not. All she asks is that we invite her into our own lives, into our homes, and make room for her there. Her assistance was not solicited for; she gave it anyway and she continues to do so, just as she continues to intercede for us, placing our petitions before God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Question: Do we see Mary as our mother, ever ready to help us? Have we made room for her in our lives? When she intercedes for us and then says 'Do whatever he tells you', are our feet quick to obey?

Jesus said to the servants 'Fill the jars with water'. And they filled them to the brim.  (John 2:7)

Perhaps it is doubt, or fear, or uncertainty, that causes us to falter. We simply do not know what to expect and so we refuse to act. Or we're cowed by the 'enormity of the sacrifice' that we have been called to make in following Jesus; in opening up to him, his mother and his disciples the saints. Perhaps we just don't know what he will request of us. Perhaps we need to give up our most treasured possession, our time, talent, treasure, and instead fill up our lives with charity, prayers, sacrifice circa Jesus directive to the servants to fill up the stone jars with water which he turned into wine. Whatever it may be, let us not be afraid as glory awaits us.

Listen to what the steward had to say after he tasted the water-turned-into-wine; 'Everyone serves the best wine first, instead you have kept the best wine until the end'. (John 2:10)

Our God is a God who rewards his children. He gives the best of everything, everything. What is your need? What is your heart's desire? Hand it over to Jesus, to our Lady, to the saints. In return, do whatever they tell you no matter how odd it may be, or how untoward, or how much of a sacrifice it will require and watch. God reward you with 'A full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over' (Luke 6:38)

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Sacrificial living - Sacrificial giving

Sacrifice, such a daunting word; or well it seems that way to me most of the time. In my past experience, it usually connotes something difficult, an uphill task, something daunting. If you want to raise the hairs at the back of my head up, just tell me to do something and when I say no, accuse me of not making sacrifices. Just hearing that word alone is enough to set me up.

Among the Christian community, different factions have different opinions about sacrifice. Some factions subscribe to the sentiments in this song 'Me I no go suffer, I no go beg for bread. God of miracles na my papa o...'. Others believe that the way of Christ is the way of the cross because Jesus himself said "If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me" (Matt 16:24). Luke 9:23 and Mark 8:34 are variations but with the same message. To put it simply, to live a life of sacrifice.

But is a life of sacrifice really that daunting? In Matthew Kelly's book 'The four signs of a dynamic catholic' he writes that dynamic Catholics are very generous. They are the most generous with their time, their talent, their resources. And come to think of it, don't you always wonder how come it's always the same set of people that are active members of church societies, that participate actively during church programs, that volunteer when there is a need for such. Always the same set of people and all the while doing this with joy. Then you begin to wonder, are these people superhuman? Do they necessarily have more than others - more time, more resources? Or is the underlying reason because they have understood that the life of a Christian is a life of sacrifice? St Josemaria Escriva writes in his book Christ is passing by "How we disfigure Christianity if we try to turn it into something nice and comfortable! But neither is it true to think that this deep, serious way of life, which is totally bound up with all difficulties of human existence, is something full of anguish, oppression and fear". A life of sacrifice is indeed a life of joy.

So how do we go about living a life of sacrifice? The easiest and most common manifestation is in sacrificial giving. In giving of ourselves, our time, our resources - human and material. In scripture, one common example we have of sacrificial living is the widow's mite (Mark 12:41-44). Outside of scripture, we see many people living their lives in the spirit of sacrificial giving. And trust me it's not in big things, it's actually in little things.

For example in some parishes I've been to, some of the members commit to cleaning the church voluntarily on Saturday morning after mass. Most times, it's the same set of people. Never mind that they are usually just a handful and the church is so big and there is a lot to do, they are very committed. But I was very touched by what I saw at St Kizito Catholic Church, Oluyole Ibadan. During church cleaning one Saturday, a good number of people turned up and everyone was involved. The young and the older and even the 'big people' in the parish. Even the parish priest joined in the cleaning. Most Saturdays people clean their houses and am almost certain that most of the people involved would have to go home and do the same. But that did not deter or stop them. That's the spirit, the spirit of sacrificial giving, the spirit of joy.

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