Father Chris – THE WEDDING AT CANA – Homily

“For The Common Good” 

For the ‘Common Good’. There has been a lot of discussion about this lately, especially with regards to safe-guarding our communities during the pandemic; and it isn’t surprising given that contributing to the Common Good is perhaps the greatest expression of selfless love, particularly Christian love.  
 
Indeed, such contribution is the cement which binds the blocks of possibly our greatest and noblest Christian ethic: the giving of one’s self, one’s talents and skills to others, while sometimes being called to even make sacrifices, great or small, of one’s time, perhaps even ideology for the safety, welfare, security, health and well-being of others. It is possibly our greatest Christian ideal, because it satisfies what Christians are called to do – to love God who also dwells in our neighbour.  
 
Today we see possibly the greatest example of this giving of one’s self, that of Jesus to the couple being wed at Cana. He gives them the gift of himself expressed by his divine ability to change water into wine, filling, not just their glasses, but the marriage celebration with his grace. 
 
But even Jesus, perhaps still caught up in the rapture of his youthful humanity, and seemingly fully focused on his ‘future’ obligations, needed a gentle push from his mother, Mary, to share his miraculous abilities for the ‘Common Good’. 
 
Of course, this small event would also launch the beginning of Mary’s advocacy for all humanity; a woman whose loving preoccupation on earth and, clearly, also in heaven, has been and always will be for the ‘common good’. 
 
Apostle Paul would not have survived without the contributions to the ‘common good’ of his newly formed Christian communities, and he expresses this by taking stock of the unique and spiritual gifts of those in his communities, something far ahead of his time which did not respect the individual as much as community. It is of such importance to him that he details these ‘charisms’ which we have received which help us contribute to the ‘common good’, not just in today’s reading, but also in other letters: Romans 12.6–8, 1 Cor 12.28–30, and Ephesians 4:11. Apostle Peter’s first letter also underlines these gifts: 1 Peter 4.11. 
 
Theologians often categorize these charisms between those which give us inner grace, and those which give us grace through using them outside of ourselves, in essence, for the ‘common good’.  
 
For example, the Sacrament of Confirmation bestows 7 specific gifts of the Spirit on our youth for their inner ourselves, for those outside themselves, and to glorify God: 1) Knowledge, 2) Understanding, 3) Wisdom, 4) Counsel, 5) Courage and Strength, 6) and a joyous Fear or Awe of the Lord, 7) with Piety or Humbleness.  
 
Clearly, we are spiritual beings first, and physical beings second, therefore given these gifts to prepare ourselves to make our world community a better place.  
 
But maybe ‘fear’ is the culprit? Perhaps it interferes with our diving into icy water to save 3 children who have fallen through the ice like Dusti Talavera did, a 23-year-old young woman in Denver. “Before I even realized it, I was out there on the middle of the pond, pulling three kids out,” she said this Monday. That same day, a pilot was pulled to safety by police officers in Los Angeles after he crash-landed his plane onto railway tracks, the plane demolished in seconds by an advancing train.  
 
Or maybe it’s fear of getting involved, of getting hurt, or even litigation? A friend and I came upon a car hit by someone who had abandoned it on the country road we were on. My friend went for the police while I tended to the sole occupant, the driver pinned behind the steering wheel. Wiping away blood from his eyes and face, but careful not to move him, I continued talking to him to keep him conscious. Soon he was taken away safely by ambulance. Later some thought I had taken chances ministering to him, since I could be sued for ‘tampering’. But, thankfully, the gifts toward the ‘common good’ were alive and well in both my friend and I.  
 
This week, I’d like us to record seven gifts, perhaps even very unique to ourselves, which we have been given. They can be skills, talents, certain life experiences, perhaps mental strength and acuity, or a 6th sense somewhat like prophecy. Maybe it’s just being extremely good at doing the smallest things or being truly responsible and dependable to ourselves and others. Then, next week we will examine how they give us grace, how they give others grace, and how they make God proud of us.   
 
– Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario