Jesus is in the Room: 1/17/16

Ordinary? Anything but. On this “Second Sunday of Ordinary Time,” the readings pulsate with the extraordinary: vindication shines, salvation announced, “My Delight” bestowed, Spirit manifested, wedding celebrated, wine poured, signs given, glory revealed.  
 
Why is this very first miracle presented in ordinary time? Are miracles meant to be a part of our everyday, ordinary lives? What’s ordinary here? A mother, a son, a human need, water, a request spoken. Ordinary stuff. Yet someone extraordinary is at this wedding feast. Jesus is in the room. Concerned for the hosts, the Blessed Mother approaches her Son and nudges, coaxes—okay, lovingly prods—Him into action. Love responds and the ordinary becomes extraordinary: water into wine—miraculous!
 
With Jesus present in our homes, grace—God’s strengthening, reconciling, calming, rejoicing love—flows. As John states in the gospel, “God is love.” And God’s love creates miracles, for love is stronger than even death. What’s the key for miracle making in our homes—our own domestic churches? First and foremost is to recognize Jesus’ presence in the room and to invite His Spirit to permeate our homes with love.
 
A son, angry when told he may not attend a party, jumps from the table as the car horn blares. The mother closes her eyes—recognizing Jesus in the room—and prays for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. She holds her breath as he walks stridently out the door. After a few minutes, without a word, he creeps back into the house and up to his room. In the morning, at the breakfast table, he says quietly, “I’m sorry.” She replies gently, “I love you.” And the relationship begins anew. Miraculous? Who can say? But surely, grace flowed and grace is miraculous.
 
As parents or grandparents, we name grace when we recognize Jesus in the midst of ordinary family life. We name grace as we proclaim the very presence of Jesus in the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms, the laundry room, etc.—anywhere and everywhere in our homes. We name grace when we invite Jesus to work miracles in our homes—our hearts—through his love and mercy.
 
We sometimes desire an escape from our ordinary, messy, life—often the most difficult place to love and forgive—but with Jesus in the room, life becomes extraordinary as the miraculous occurs. If we ask Mary to intercede and do whatever He tells us, water turns into wine: anger into calm, bickering into peace, irritation into patience, cutting remarks into kindness, resentment into warmth, fear into love. Grace flows. Signs given. Glory revealed. Not one bit ordinary because Jesus is in the room. Now, that’s good news!