When the exile of the people of Israel in Babylon comes to an end, do they celebrate? Cyrus the Great sends the people home, asking only that they rebuild the temple and pray that their God might favor him, but when the people arrive, they find their land is ruined and they must start to rebuild from scratch. It must have been devastating. Yet the prophet Isaiah makes it clear that vindication will come, and that which has been called desolate will be the Lord’s delight: For the Lord delights in you and makes your land his spouse. The restoration of relationship with the Lord is ample cause for celebration; God rejoices in them as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, asking only that they bind themselves to him anew, through covenant. It is indeed time to celebrate that the God of Israel is the source of all life, and to proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations, as in Psalm 96.
Jesus likewise comes to celebrate a new life. The story of the wedding at Cana in John’s Gospel is a joyful celebration in anticipation of the kingdom to come. The water changed into wine is no ordinary beverage; water that was originally meant to purity people for the feast has now become an extraordinary vehicle of celebration. For Jesus is God’s gift to us, the fulfillment of God’s promise and a light that reveals the glory and the kingdom of God. Here, again, God is the source of life, revealed, as Paul notes in the Letter to the Corinthians, by the Holy Spirit, and, through the gifts or charisms given to each individual, by each of us. Whether our gift be the expression of wisdom or knowledge or faith or healing or prophecy, let us recognize the work of the Spirit among us, and let celebrate all of those gifts as part and parcel of the revelation of God, source of our life and Eternal Spouse, at work in our lives!
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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