My Hour

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days. John 2:1-12 

We have all been forced by family members and others to do things we know it is not the time or the place to do them. People want us to show off our gifts - "sing for us!" "dance for us!" "tell us one of your great stories!" They mean well, but we can know in our hearts we are performing rather than giving of ourselves truly.  We become known as the wine maker, the performer and the like when we have much bigger work to do - changing the world through love and sacrifice.

Jesus is at a wedding and his mother wants him to perform.  She is confident in his abilities and want to showcase them for her family and friends. She wants her boy to make her proud, and he reluctantly agreed. Yet Jesus knew it was not his time and place and knew that God had created him and helped him thrive for the love of the world. We are invited to see that we are created by God as well, to bring light and love to a world wrapped in darkness, fear and hate.

Today I ask God to help me live humbly and sacrificially for the good of my neighbors throughout the world. May we not be satisfied with parlor tricks and flowery speeches but rather, live and labot for peace and kindness to be reborn in our world.