Revelation of God's Presence

01-16-2022Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

Today’s first reading from Isaiah arises out of the ordeal of the people of Jerusalem and Judea as they anticipate the end of seventy years of exile in Babylon. Their sufferings and their oppression will end, and they are promised joy like that of a great wedding upon returning to their homeland.

Although this passage is probably set in the early sixth century B.C., it is free of historical particulars. Accordingly, the Church has understood its imagery universally, as it proclaims God’s promise of healing, hope, and happiness for all peoples, in this world and in the next. When read against this background, the story of Jesus’ turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana becomes a revelation of God’s presence in the person of Jesus, making these promises real for us in the here and now, in the transformation of our own lives.