Keep the party moving (Fr. Tom Gibbons)

   It can be easy to overlook [the fact] that of all of the places that Jesus chose to perform his first sign, he chose to perform it at a party.  Even though the Pharisees and scribes of his day used to complain about how much Jesus and his companions used to eat and drink, we don’t usually associate Jesus with parties in the true sense of the word.

   There is a strong tendency to keep Jesus safely enclosed in Sunday morning and far, far away from Friday night.  There is a strong tendency – out of a very legitimate sense of reverence – to routinely err on the solemn when relating to Jesus… often to the detriment of celebration.

   But there is a lot more to Jesus than Sunday morning.  Jesus is every bit of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and yes, even Friday night.  Like a marriage, Jesus is part of sickness and of health.  Jesus is part of the bad and struggling times every much as he is of our good and celebratory times. That is why we do not simply go to Mass; it is why we celebrate Mass. 

   So like the Wedding at Cana, Jesus wants to keep the parties of our lives moving… giving some good advice along the way.  Like the wine at Cana, Jesus wants to change our lives into something sweeter, something fuller, and something more than what it is now.  Jesus wants to be a part of our Friday nights as well as our Sunday mornings.  All we have to do is invite him in.

--Fr. Tom Gibbons

To read Fr. Tom Gibbons' complete reflection, Party On, Jesus, click here.

Image source:  O. Bakhtina, Wedding in Cana, available at:  https://www.olgabakhtina.com/painting/wedding-in-cana-turning-water-into-wine/