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Our Greatest Treasure

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

Interestingly, some mystics and theologians of the Church claim that the wedding feast at Cana was actually John the Beloved’s wedding reception—the same John who laid his head on Christ’s chest at the Last Supper and who wrote the fourth Gospel. So powerfully did the changing of water into wine demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah that, upon witnessing the miracle at Cana, John decided to forgo his marriage, leave everything, and follow Christ.

Every Sunday we have the great privilege to come to the Holy Mass where something even greater than the sign at Cana occurs: WINE miraculously turns into the BLOOD of Christ. As Catholics, we believe that, through the consecration, the bread and wine are transformed into Jesus’ Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. While the accidents of bread and wine remain, the elements have substantially become God Himself. This is the greatest miracle that we could ever witness and the greatest gift that we could possibly be given!

The wedding at Cana was a nuptial feast and Scripture often uses nuptial language and imagery to explain the relationship between God and man, as well as God and the Church. The language of betrothal indicated the joy, intimacy, fidelity, exclusiveness, and solemnity of our relationship with the Lord. In the Eucharist, however, by consuming Jesus’ Body and Blood, this nuptial relationship is taken to an entirely different level: we are closer to Him than any husband and his wife are to each other because we truly receive and assume God into ourselves, becoming part of Him. No husband and wife are capable of this.

How often we approach the great Sacrifice of the Altar out of routine, mindlessly, and without any preparation or love in our hearts! How few of us show even a tiny bit of St. John the Beloved’s conviction when confronted with this miracle day after day, Sunday after Sunday. Unfortunately, in our current day and age, so many Catholics have abandoned this Great Mystery of our Faith for superficial happy feelings fueled by emotion-laden preaching and music, empty wafers, and grape juice.

As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is our greatest treasure (Could anything be more valuable than God Himself?) regardless of how we feel emotionally. We assent to this unfathomable Mystery. So, my dearest parishioners, let us live and act as we believe. And if we in any way doubt that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, let us pray: “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.” He will come to our aid now, just as He came to our aid to the point of death on the Cross, because this is how much He loves us.

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Lectionary 66