NAMING GRACE IN THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact

Jesus is in the Room: 1/17/16

1/27/2016

Comments

 
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!
 

 

Comments

    Reflections

    The blog on this page presents reflections on the Sunday readings through the lens of a parent/grandparent, aiding leaders of the domestic church in their vital task as “first heralds” or “first preachers” of the Good News in the home.

    VIEW FAVORITES

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact