"Do what he tells you"
2nd Sunday C,
Cobh
15 January 2025
My friends,
Could religion be the antidote to modern woes? So asked an observer of society today that I was reading during the week. The lady in question wondered if what she called this “new religiosity” is a backlash to the hyper secularisation that the West has experienced. The question was being asked not so much about Ireland but of Europe, North America and wherever a completely secular culture has taken hold. The evidence she is finding is that many Christian intellectual writers and thinkers are being listened to more seriously than ever before.
The reason they are being listened to is that liberal democracies are plagued by many things – declining birth rates, celebrity worship, political polarisation, singular self-gratification – so much so that the question being raised in different forms, in different contexts is – what’s gone wrong? What’s missing?
My friends, the Wedding Feast of Cana is our gospel for today. What you might rightly ask, what has that gospel encounter to do with society today? Let me suggest the connection. The Wedding Feast of Cana is remembered for the impact of the presence of Jesus and Mary. We don’t know the names of the young couple – only their need on the day – they ran out of wine for their celebration.
The account from St. Luke reads, “the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited.” That invitation of Jesus was not just by the families of the young people but would serve as a sign to all couples to invite Jesus not just to their wedding day but into their relationship and married life.
The reality for us is that fewer couples choose to be married in a church – and thereby celebrate the Sacrament. Not including that spiritual foundation to their love and commitment is a pity because it lessens the likelihood of turning to the Lord to sustain them both ‘In good times and bad, in sickness and in health’ which is the hallmark of their love and fidelity.
Beginning today the Church in Ireland marks Catholic Schools Week – an annual acknowledgement of the role our schools play in nurturing a sense of faith and trust in God in young peoples lives. This celebration takes place not in opposition to schools of a different patronage rather as a way of reminding families of the importance of a solid spiritual grounding for our children. Our schools do wonderful work with the children in helping them develop their gifts in a happy and joyful environment. The Catholic dimension of our schools is that our vision of education for each child goes beyond preparing them for a good job but helping them to be grateful for their God given gifts and blessings while always open to be kind and merciful to one another in their friendships.
No doubt you will hear voices that seek to eliminate the Church from our education system in favour of the lowest common denominator of a totally secular culture. Experience elsewhere bears evidence of the failure of that path.
Our faith alone will not solve all our issues but it certainly equips us to manage them with grace and fortitude.
