Exuberance

“They have no wine.“
Link to readings for Sunday of the second week in Ordinary Time.

I kinda get it now. The other day I listened to Bishop Barron’s homily on the Wedding Feast of Cana, “The First of the Signs” Years ago I heard and embraced this as a “booze for the boys” kind of miracle. I’m sad that I embraced this as I missed a lot of points and cheapens the gift of this miracle. In some ways this embracing speaks to the new faith and the willingness to believe the education I was receiving. With time I learned to question things and seek answers differently. It’s part of growing in Faith, and part of growing in whatever thing we pursue as a career.
As a member of society at this time it’s sometimes difficult to understand the necessity and how essential hospitality was, even a century ago. Celebrations for weddings, funerals and other special events went on for days as family and friends traveled some distance to arrive at our doorsteps. We put people up, kept the home fires burning, making food, sharing wine, and telling stories. We made room, we gathered food, cooked, cleaned. While inns existed way back it’s only recently that we have big hotel chains complete with indoor plumbing, abundant food, in room televisions.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full

We long for this type of gathering to rejoice in and celebrate one another, to nurture each other, to offer solace, and advice. We long to have friends and family and people who rejoice in seeing us. We long to offer comfort and support one another when we lose family, rejoice when the kids get married and have kids of their own, to talk about the illness. Oh dear friends we are meant for community. It’s why we have quilt shops and quilt guilds to grow and support one another in our quilt making journey. We get to share our experience with newer quilt makers welcoming them into quilt making and influencing their journey in someway.
I know it’s not all sunshine, roses, and unicorns. Sometimes we really make a hot mess of things through envy and jealousy. Our words and actions can sometimes cause deep hurt. That doesn’t change our need for, and longing for community, and celebration.

“Do whatever he tells you”

In listening to Bishop Barron’s homily this need for, and longing for a celebratory community, one filled with life, and joy becomes so clear. But it goes deeper to the need for a faith community filled with life, Divine Life. A community filled with Life will grow and nurture and celebrate with exuberance those coming into it. They will actively invite everyone, even Uncle Pete, who smokes those stinky cigars to the table. I could go on, however I know you get the point.
Jesus’ mom, Mary, gives one direction to the servants (and to us) at this celebration of a wedding, “do whatever he tells you” and this is for us too. Celebrate your community with great exuberance. Offer them something life giving, BE life giving. Celebrate with, mourn with, accept correction with grace, give correction with mercy. Be okay with offering advice, and someone not taking it. One of the coolest things ever about some of my guild members is offering advice to me without any expectation of me taking said advice. I offer advice in that same way, if you use it great, if you don’t, great. Sometimes advice gives us information on what we don’t want to do, this is good, and defining. Celebrate one quilters use of batiks, and another’s use of Civil War prints. Celebrate one persons skill at paper piecing and another’s use of color. We all bring something special to the community: our very self with all our vulnerabilities and skills, and resources and rough edges.

I’m declaring today a Feast Day. After working to get shops scheduled in over the next couple of weeks I’m going to do some quilting and have a glass of wine with dinner tonight.
God bless,
Teri