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March 2nd
John 2: 1-12
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, 'Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.' So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.' Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there for a few days.
The subject of today's devotional is "Temperance" -- and it will have nothing to do with whether you can drink wine or not.
Today's reading is about wine and recounts the story of Jesus' being able to bring out wine from stone jars filled only with water.
So what's the connection?
It seems safe to say that the Master did not come to Cana to wow the crowd with his spiritual talents. In fact, Jesus seems to have been a lesser guest after his mother, and it was not until Mary prompted him with the party being about to run dry that he took on any significant role at the wedding. Perhaps from our rather limited viewpoint we may place too much focus on this event as being a miracle, rather than upon what was really significant.
Probably in Jesus' eyes it was not so much a miracle at all as it was the result of his intense spiritual bond with his Creator whom he saw as his ever-present life. This conscious link with the divine was his spiritual altitude. Yet, he was ever so moderate, or temperate, in bringing this living grace to those around him. He was willing to fill their specific and rather humble needs at that very moment.
Are we ourselves temperate -- moderate -- with our spiritual gifts so that these talents can bless the simple needs of friends, family, neighbors right where they are? Or do we look for more significant ways to demonstrate our talents? Do we overcome inner reticence, hesitation, indifference, or shyness so that each of us really goes forward to practice our stated ideals when needed? Jesus himself seemed hesitant at first, but he surmounted that.
These first five readings in Lent have brought an important message to us by showing how to steadily raise our own level of spirituality for these forty days and then beyond, how to live the very qualities of the Creator, namely, humility, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness and finally temperance. What a wonderful path can lie ahead for us as we approach the Day of Resurrection. tr
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