Sunday 19th JANUARY

by | Jan 18, 2025 | Evangelium

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalter: Week II

Green

Entrance Antiphon: Ps 65: 4              

All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!

Collect  

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

About Zion I will not be silent, about Jerusalem I will not grow weary, until her integrity shines out like the dawn and her salvation flames like a torch. The nations then will see your integrity, all the kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, one which the mouth of the Lord will confer. You are to be a crown of splendour in the hand of the Lord, a princely diadem in the hand of your God; no longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken’, nor your land ‘Abandoned’, but you shall be called ‘My Delight’ and your land ‘The Wedded’; for the Lord takes delight in you and your land will have its wedding. Like a young man marrying a virgin, so will the one who built you wed you, and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.

Responsorial Psalms: Psalm 95(96):1-3,7-10

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name.

Worship the Lord in his temple.  O earth, tremble before him. Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ He will judge the peoples in fairness.

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. One may have the gift of preaching with wisdom given him by the Spirit; another may have the gift of preaching instruction given him by the same Spirit; and another the gift of faith given by the same Spirit; another again the gift of healing, through this one Spirit; one, the power of miracles; another, prophecy; another the gift of recognising spirits; another the gift of tongues and another the ability to interpret them. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses.

Gospel Acclamation: 1S3:9,Jn6:68  

Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!

Gospel: John 2:1-11           

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’ This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.

Prayer over the Offerings  

Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 22: 5 

You have prepared a table before me, and how precious is the chalice that quenches my thirst.

Prayer after Communion  

Pour on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your love, and in your kindness make those you have nourished by this one heavenly Bread one in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

The difficulties we face and the lack of love in our society may lead us to believe that we have nothing to live for. God invites us not to succumb to despair but to trust in His ability to transform all things for the better. Our Gospel today gives us a message of hope. In the midst of a joyous wedding celebration in Cana, a shadow descends as the wine runs dry. Rather than panicking, Mary, Jesus’ mother, utters five simple yet profound words: “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5). These words of faith and trust serve as the catalyst for the first miracle of Jesus’ public ministry. “Do whatever he tells you” is not a plea, or a command, but rather a surrender. Mary completely entrusts herself and the situation to Jesus, recognising His divine authority. Jesus is the embodiment of this hope. Through Mary’s intercession, Jesus steps in to rectify a situation that could have been catastrophic for the newly-wedded couple. In the same way, Jesus frequently intervenes in our world and lives, effecting change when all else seems lost. All we need to do is turn to him in prayer.