2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C - At the Wedding & “We Shall Draw Water Joyfully”
Last week in the liturgy, we went to a baptism. This week, we’re at a wedding. We’re being shown another dimension of our relationship with God. If we’re sons and daughters of God, it’s because we’ve married into the family. Have you ever wondered why the Bible begins and ends with a wedding—Adam and Eve’s in the garden and the marriage supper of the Lamb (compare Genesis 2:23–24 and Revelation 19:9; 21:9; 22:17)?
Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenant relationship God desires with His chosen people. He is the groom, humanity His beloved and sought after bride. We see this reflected beautifully in today’s First Reading (Isa. 62:1-5). When Israel breaks the covenant, she is compared to an unfaithful spouse. However, God promises to take her back, to “espouse” her to Him forever in an everlasting covenant.
That’s why in today’s Gospel (Jn. 2:1-11), Jesus performs His first public “sign” at a wedding feast. Jesus is the divine bridegroom, calling us to his royal wedding feast. By his New Covenant, Jesus will become “one flesh” with all humanity in the Church. By our baptism, each of us has been betrothed to Christ as a bride to a husband. The new wine that Jesus pours out at today’s feast is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to his bride and body, as today’s second reading says (1 Cor. 12:4-11). This is the “salvation” announced to the “families of nations” in today’s Psalm (Ps. 95).
In honor of this weekend’s readings, we’d like to share our latest video with you, “We Shall Draw Water Joyfully” a joyous psalm composed by Paul Inwood based on Isaiah 12. While this psalm is normally sung at Easter Vigil, we're sharing this new recording and video featuring images from the Wedding at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle.
Video can be watched by clicking here or on the picture below:
