January 7 St Raymond Penafort

Peter H. Davids

Christmas • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

Jesus Prays for God's Will to Be Done

0 ratings

· 7 views

Faith requires trusting obedience before we see. God's will in the wedding at Cana was to perform a sign pointing to the passion and resurrection of Christ and baptism and eucharistic joy flowing from it. God's will is also the protect those who are his children from the devil and death, so we should pray for them if there is no sin unto death. Some of this discernment of what is what comes through canon law.

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Title

The Confidence of Faith

Outline

The foundation of life is trusting God’s love

Around us people are looking for God-like figures who can lead us forward in life, providing for our needs. Of course, all such figures fail, for they are human, and their follows are dead or disillusioned

Our texts today bring us to true God among us, who never fails if we are truly trusting and following him

The Cana narrative calls us to the object of faith and the risk of faith

Our setting is a family wedding in Galilee “on the third day” - as at the tomb the mother of Jesus was there and serving, for she was family. Because she was serving, she realized that the wine had run out and brings the need to Jesus. Jesus points to a spiritual level. “Woman” (not mother, but like Eve, who lost joy) “it is not my affair (yet)” Why? “My time (for death, resurrection, and ascension) has not yet come.”

His mother responds with a call to faith: “Do whatever he tells you.” Interestingly the six stone jars for purification were at least partially empty - the slaves had to make them ready for purification and that was lots of work while they were already busy. But they did it.

Now comes the risk of faith that shows if there is real trust: take it to the MC, the steward as if it were wine. Only then do the slaves understand what had happened. The water is not only wine, but good wine, not diluted with water, not soured into vinegar. The bewildered bridegroom gets a talking to, while the slaves whisper the truth behind their backs. Apparently the disciples also observed the truth.

So the event is a sign, and the will of God perceived by Mary was to provide a sign, not the full solution to the problem of the Woman, for Jesus’ time of passion and resurrection was not yet, but something that pointed to it: the water of purification (later baptism) would in a sense become eucharistic wine revealing Jesus himself. And then for those who believe their joy would be full.

We see the principles of faith in 1 John as well

We trust that God hears us when we ask something according to his will - “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” We need to act on the basis of such trust or faith: pray that God will give life to the “brother” whose sin is not deadly, trusting it is God’s will so save him. But if the sin is “deadly,” we have no such confidence. Apparently, God knows those begotten by God and protects them from the evil one leading them to death. “We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one.” “We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.” And that one who is true is Jesus and those who are in Jesus. “He is the true God and eternal life.”

There are several lessons here, Sisters

First, faith or trust is a risk: obedience precedes seeing.

Second, God often does things for the sake of something else. Wine running out at a wedding was shameful, but not the end of the world. God acts at this wedding to provide a sign.

Third, in our prayer we need to discern the will of God. One way to discern God’s will is through the structuring God has given the Church through canon law. And that was one gift of St Raymond Penafort. What is a sin unto death? Yes, ask God, who knows the heart of people, but he may well point you to canon law as the starting point for understanding his will.

There is so much more, but for what we have seen today we give thanks to God.

Reading

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2023: January 7

FIRST READING

1 John 5:14–21

14 And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 16 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

18 We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him. 19 We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Children, be on your guard against idols.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2023: January 7

RESPONSE

Option A

Psalm 149:4a

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people,

honors the poor with victory.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2023: January 7

PSALM

Psalm 149:1–5, 6a, 9b

1 Hallelujah!

Sing to the LORD a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

2 Let Israel be glad in its maker,

the people of Zion rejoice in their king.

3 Let them praise his name in dance,

make music with tambourine and lyre.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people,

honors the poor with victory.

5 Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,

cry out for joy on their couches,

6 With the praise of God in their mouths,

and a two-edged sword in their hands,

9 To execute the judgments decreed for them—

such is the glory of all God’s faithful.

Hallelujah!

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2023: January 7

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Luke 7:16

16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”

GOSPEL

John 2:1–11

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. 9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2023: January 7

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2023 | CHRISTMAS

JANUARY 7

If Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday, January 8, the following readings are used for the Mass on January 7.

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

On the same date: January 7; Saint Raymond of Peñafort, Priest

First Reading 1 John 5:14–21

Response Psalm 149:4a or Text

Psalm Psalm 149:1–5, 6a, 9b

Gospel Acclamation Luke 7:16

Gospel John 2:1–11

Related Media

Related Sermons