My sisters and brothers, we’re back in Ordinary Time. Well, at least for a few weeks before we jump headlong into Lent and then Easter. When you think about it for a minute, there’s nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time. While the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter help us focus on the significant aspects of our Lord’s life – His coming, His birth, the highlights of His ministry and the great Easter event that ultimately changed everything – Ordinary Time seems to just hum along. More precisely, it spells out and helps us focus on the day-to-day living out of discipleship. So, Ordinary Time is a prolonged reflection on daily discipleship. What do we encounter when we stumble upon Christ in our daily lives? It is living in the thick of life – the ups and downs, ins and outs that so characterize the very nature of discipleship. It is something we don’t want to ignore or overlook. Still, there is something rather ordinary about most of our lives. In fact, most of us will never be nominated for or receive the Nobel Peace Prize or any high honor or distinction given to only a few people – like a Grammy, an Emmy, an Oscar or Olympic gold, silver or bronze! Nevertheless, it is that ordinariness of doing not so much what I want but what I should or what I ought to do that helps us achieve a measure of success. In our faith life, however, we don’t speak about success, we speak about fidelity – faithfulness to our Lord and His call to “follow” Him.

As a youngster, one of the professions I seriously considered was teaching. Mom was a teacher. I had fallen in love with the whole idea of teaching math in high school. When I finished university, I even had a job offer to teach. Teaching is such a noble profession, yet it is so misunderstood, underrated, and seems to become ever more challenging with the passing of every year. Teaching was an important consideration because I thought I would be able to influence – have an impact on the lives of students entrusted to me for the good. Nevertheless, and obviously, my career path (or perhaps I should say my vocational path or the Lord’s vocational path for me) went in a completely different direction, especially when I began to look at my life not as merely a career but as a vocation – a calling. A career may be what I seek to do with my life on my terms in order to achieve a modicum of success. A vocation, on the other hand, is responding to a call that fills your heart with joy in doing a life’s work at the Lord’s behest and not your own. It results in an inner peace and joy! Hearing and answering a call led me in a different way toward a future that has been an utterly amazing adventure in the priesthood.

To be sure, whenever I think about it, as a priest, I have had more students than I could have ever imagined. Of course, I was not teaching algebra or geometry or calculus or trigonometry; rather, I was teaching a way to live – not merely to work and support myself but to find a way to live life by embracing all of its factors. The touchstones for this journey are given right in our readings this weekend.

The wedding feast of Cana has always been a delightful episode in the beginning of John’s Gospel. Many couples remember their Pre-Cana classes and preparation for marriage. Marriage for them represents a joy and a happiness both in the present and the future – today and tomorrow. Notice just how fascinating this event in the Gospel is! Here in the village of Cana there was a wedding, and Jesus is there – the very author of life giving His endorsement on the public vows of a couple. Now we hardly know anything about this couple. We don’t know their names. We don’t know their line of employment. We don’t know anything about their families -if the parents were there or if there were siblings. We don’t know if they went to the temple on the Sabbath or not. But what we do know is sketchy but indicative of what the Lord wants to teach us. We note, His disciples were there as well (not wanting to miss out on a good party, I suppose!). His mother is also there, but there’s no indication as to whether Joseph was there or not.

What this Gospel passage from St. John provides is to answer a couple more questions about the role of our Lady in the life of faith. Her mission is found especially here. Let’s look at some of the interaction:

When the wine ran short at the reception, she said to her son, “They have no wine.” So, from His rather abrupt retort, He seems to want to put her off: “How does your concern affect me?” Mary said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you,” but don’t ask “Why?” That’s her role – always pointing to Jesus, her Son. Just as we might say, “Lord, what do You want me to do for You?”  You can hear the Blessed Mother in the background, “Do whatever He tells you!” Don’t ask questions – “Just do it!” That certainly means a listening, an opening up of the mind and heart to hear – to really hear the words and the voice of Jesus speaking.

Even in our Church – although we don’t worship Mary – she is, nonetheless, one of the primary saints, a pre-eminent one right from the very beginning of her life.

She knew that she would have to subordinate herself to her Son. Afterall, He was the Savior of the world.

Then there’s the miracle of the water becoming wine for some 6 stone water jars – for a total of somewhere between 120 – 150 gallons. And it turned out to be the best wine – a premium wine with extra value. Not the usual when after everyone has been partying, the lesser vintage comes out. Not here – they saved the best for last!

In our lives, we can live as we want – we are free to do so. We are free to come to Mass or not. Oftentimes, it is in following the call of Christ that enables us to experience the choicest of experiences in life. We’re given a grace and a context. In doing so, there is an inner peace even though some of our tasks are burdensome. The best wine is like holding off. It is like sacrificing oneself to increase the desire for what we truly need, so we can appreciate the gift even more – something new and fulfilling beyond our imagination and belief. It may be that God still wants to provide you with something – something very good. And we can’t figure out how it can be because we don’t want to disrupt our own fragile life. I understand that – I get that.

Today, I hope to say: “Lord, give me some of that choicest wine. Give me the joy and exuberance of life – of living for You in all things. Give me Your grace. Allow me to experience hope and love. Give me joy in measures untold.”

So, a wedding that links together both God and all humanity in a marriage. Wine – the expression of the divine joy and exuberance of life. And Mary – who represents all humanity in which Jesus now intercedes by saying what you are looking for, I can provide.

That is our hope. Today, with all the uncertainty of life – the distractions and wounds that we face in our society, in our culture, in our relationships, in our personal lives – our Lady reminds us: whatever He says, “Just do it!” The joy of life with Christ may be tested, but the best wine will never run out. So, in Ordinary Time, expect something extraordinary.