RENEWsletter for January 17, 2010 - 2nd Ordinary

Dear gifted folks--
There's a story about a man named Jones who died and went to Heaven. When he arrived at the Pearly Gates, St. Peter looked him up in The Book and, sure enough, his name was there, and Peter welcomed him in. The Duty Angel then conducted him on a tour of Heaven. During the walk along the golden streets, they passed huge glowing glittering mansions, towering twinking crystal palaces, beautiful gardens and parks and met hundreds of smiling people. At one point they passed a dull grey cinder block building and Mr. Jones asked what it was doing there. "Oh, that's just a storage building. It's of no interest." Mr. Jones peered at it as they walked on.

A little later it happened they were coming back the other way and passed the storage buiding again. Mr. Jones could not contain his curiosity and insisted, "I must see what's stored in that building" and took off down the path to the building. The Duty Angel sighed and followed. Inside, there were rows and rows of shelves stacked tightly with boxes clear up to the ceiling. Mr. Jones noted that each box had a name on it and that they appeared to be arranged alphabetically. He began moving along the aisles looking for the 'J' row and his name. Sure enough, he found it. He opened the box and inside were promotions, healings, reconciliations, blessings of every sort. "These are blessings I could have really used?" Mr. Jones remarked incredulously. "Why didn't I get them?"

The angel sighed and said, "You never asked."

Next Sunday's readings are about gifts... the gifts that God has for us. It's the first "ordinary" Sunday in a long time, except because it comes in the second week of Ordinary Time it is dubbed the Second Sunday in OT. The readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/011710.shtml and in your Bible at:

Isaiah 62.1-5
Psalm 96.1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
1 Corinthians 12.4-11
John 2.1-11

God doesn't give cheap gifts. Look at the First Reading. "Nations shall behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God." (Is. 62.2, 3) "...you shall be called 'My Delight'" (v. 4) "... your God [shall] rejoice in you." (v. 5) There's nothing second-rate about any of this.

The Responsorial Psalm is a natural response to these blessings and love of God. Sing to the LORD a new song! (Ps. 96.1). Proclaim his marvelous deeds (v. 3). Give the LORD glory due his name (v. 8). The LORD is King (v. 9). The psalmist is just bubbling over with joy at all the blessings of the LORD.

The Second Reading is explicit about the gifts of God. There is a long list of "gifts of the Spirit": wisdom, expression of knowledge, faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12.8-10). Which one is yours? You have one, that's for sure. Look in verse 6: "God ... produces ... them in everyone", and in verse 11: " ... distributing them to each person as he wishes." Have you picked up yours yet? I tell you what, I don't want the concert to start with my ticket still waiting at will-call. I'm gonna pick up my gift ahead of time.

The Gospel Reading relates the account of the first "gift" that Jesus made in his ministry on earth. This First Miracle was the changing of water into wine. But that phrase doesn't tell the whole story. Read John 2.9-10. Jesus don't make junk. This was not Ripple Jesus turned the water into, nor was it any "two-buck chuck" you can get at Trader Joe's. (Not that Charles Shaw wines are bad, but they aren't Château Lafite Rothschild either!) No, Jesus made some really good wine. Good enough to spark an incredulous comment from the head waiter who tasted it late in the wedding festivities (v. 10).

So, there are two points to these readings: 1) God gives really, really good gifts, and 2) ours are waiting for us. What say we go pick 'em up!

Randy Jones
"Those who don't have any gifts just haven't picked them up yet!"