SECOND EPIPHANY

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

LET US BEGIN AS WE BEGIN ALL THINGS
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE FATHER
WHO CREATED US,
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE SON
WHO REDEEMED US,
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO INSPIRES US.

LET US BEGIN IN THE NAME OF GOD,
MOTHER OF US ALL.

THIS IS THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY.
THAT TIME OF THE CHURCH YEAR
BETWEEN CHRISTMAS
AND THE BEGINNING OF LENT.

THE WORD EPIPHANY MEANS
TO SHOW.
THE CHURCH USES THIS TIME
TO COMMEMORATE
THE TIME WHEN JESUS
WAS BEGINNING HIS MINISTRY.
WAS BEGINNING
TO SHOW THE WORLD
WHO HE WAS.

SO WE HAVE THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY ITSELF
WHEN THE WISEMAN CAME.
MEN DRAWN BY A STAR
HERALDING THE BIRTH OF A KING.
THAT KING BEING JESUS.

THEN LAST SUNDAY WE HAD
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
DURING WHICH GOD THE FATHER
SPOKE FROM HEAVEN
DECLARING
THAT JESUS WAS HIS SON.

THIS SUNDAY WE HAVE THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA

LET TELL YOU A STORY

WHEN I WAS A CHILD
EVERY SUMMER
WOODEN SCREEN DOORS
WERE PLACED
ON ALL THE OUTSIDE DOORS.
THERE WAS A LONG SPRING ATTACHED
WHICH WHEN YOU LET THE DOOR GO
SLAMMED THE DOOR LOUDLY.
THIS WAS USUALLY FOLLOWED
BY YOUR MOTHER YELLING
DON'T SLAM THE DOOR.

GRADUALLY
DUE TO MY MOTHER'S INFLUENCE
I LEARNED
NOT TO SLAM THE DOOR.
IT WAS NOT AN EASY TASK
FOR MY MOTHER OR I.

SHE WOULD COME TO THE DOOR
AND IN FRONT OF ALL MY PLAYMATES
CALL FRANK ANTONY
GET OVER HERE.
WHEN I GOT OVER THERE
SHE WOULD SAY
FRANK ANTONY
OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR
QUIETLY.
I WOULD OPEN THE DOOR
AND CLOSE IT
QUIETLY.
THEN SHE WOULD SAY
NOW FRANK MIBUY
YOU CAN GO AND PLAY.

TO THIS DAY
IF I SLAM A DOOR
NO MATTER HOW OLD I AM
AND MY MOTHER IS NOT AROUND
I GO OPEN AND
CLOSE THE DOOR
QUIETLY.

ARE YOU PROUD OF ME MOM.
ARE YOU PROUD OF FRANK ANTONY

IN TODAY'S GOSPEL
MARY IS AN IMPORTANT GUEST
AT THE WEDDING.

LISTEN TO THE GOSPEL AGAIN.
THERE WAS A WEDDING
AND THE MOTHER OF JESUS WAS THERE.
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES
WERE ALSO INVITED.

FOR THIS WEDDING
MARY WAS A MORE IMPORTANT GUEST
THAN JESUS.

NOW WEDDINGS
IN THE TIME OF JESUS AND MARY
WERE WEEK LONG EVENTS
AND FOR THE WINE
OR THE FOOD TO RUN OUT
WAS A DISGRACE
TO THE FAMILIES INVOLVED.

SO MARY
WHEN SHE SEES THE WINE RUN OUT
IS CONCERNED FOR THE BRIDAL COUPLE.
SHE IS CONCERNED THAT THEIR MARRIAGE
NOT BEGIN WITH DISGRACE.
SO SHE TURNS TO HER SON
AND SAYS
THEY HAVE NO WINE.

HE SAYS
IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM,
IT IS NOT MY TIME TO BEGIN.

MARY LOOKS AT JESUS
WITH THE TIME IMMEMORIAL LOOK
OF MOTHERS
WHO LOOK AT CHILDREN
WHO SLAM DOORS
AND SAYS TO THE SERVANTS
DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.

THE LEGEND
IS THAT THE WATER
LOOKED WITH LOVE AT IT'S CREATOR
AND BLUSHED.
BLUSHED AND BECAME WINE.
BLUSHED AND BECAME WINE
FINER THAN THAT
WHICH WAS SERVED
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FEAST

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU
AND WHAT DOES HE TELL US.
HE ASKS US TO BECOME WINE
TO BE DRINK TO THE WORLD
TO SAY TO THE WORLD
WHAT AN ANCIENT GREEK PRAYER
HAS HIM SAY

I AM YOUR GOD
WHO FOR YOUR SAKE
HAVE BECOME YOUR SON
OUT OF LOVE FOR YOU
AND FOR YOUR DESCENDANTS

I NOW
BY MY OWN AUTHORITY
SAY TO ALL
WHO ARE HELD IN THE BONDAGE OF SIN
TO THROW OFF YOUR CHAINS
I HAVE FREED YOU

TO ALL WHO ARE IN DARKNESS
BE ENLIGHTENED
FOR I AM THE LIGHT

TO ALL WHO ARE SLEEPING
AWAKE
IT IS TIME TO AWAKE

AND TO ALL IN DANGER OF HELL
COME BACK TO ME

I DID NOT MAKE YOU
TO BE A PRISONER OF HELL
BUT TO SIT AT MY TABLE
AND DRINK OF MY WINE

THIS IS THE MESSAGE
FOUND IN OUR READINGS FROM ISAIAH
AND IN PSALM 36.
I GOD
WANT WHAT IS GOOD FOR MY PEOPLE.

YOU AND I ARE ASKED
TO BECOME WINE TO THE WORLD
BUT WE SAY WE CANNOT DO IT.
WE HAVE NO SKILLS.

BUT PAUL REMINDS US IN CORINTHIANS
THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SKILLS
BY THE SPIRIT.

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WISDOM
KNOWLEDGE,
FAITH,
HEALING,
MIRACLE WORKING,
PROPHECY,
AND THE GIFT OF TONGUES
THAT ALLOW US TO SPEAK
TO ALL PEOPLE IN A LANGUAGE
THEY CAN UNDERSTAND.

WE ARE ASKED TO BE WINE FOR THE WORLD
WE ARE ASKED TO DO WHAT JESUS TELLS US
AND WHAT HE HAS TOLD US IS WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WE ARE ASKED TO INVITE THE WHOLE WORLD
TO THE WEDDING FEAST

TO BE AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER
AND WHEN WE SLAM DOORS
TO GO BACK AND DO IT RIGHT

ARE YOU PROUD OF ME JESUS
ARE YOU PROUD OF ME AND ALL MY FRIENDS
ARE YOU PROUD OF US JESUS

AND THE ANSWER COMES THUNDERING FROM THE HEAVENS

YOU ARE MY BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS
IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED


MAY IT BE SO
AMEN
AMEN