Help convert pregnancy not planned into a blessing

In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes a shameful, even terrifying situation, and turns it into a blessing because a third saw that something was wrong and refused to remain silent.

In this particular case, it was not a life or death situation, but it was serious enough to get the attention of Mary and the intervention of Jesus. There was a wedding in Cana in Galileae. Weddings are a big problem in each culture, partly because it is out of the love and commitment of the couple that life will be transmitted to the next generation.

In the Bible, people even thought of themselves living in the children who had given them life. And although the abundance and variety of all the food in the wedding banquet was important, I think it was probably the wine that people noticed because the wine symbolized the joy of the union now. So, running out of wine would be a bad omen. I would choose a shadow about the perspectives of joy in the life of the newly married couple, and since children are the greatest source of joy in a marriage, perhaps the lack of wine could mean that they would be sterile, God does not want it! Or lose their children at an early age.

The lack of wine would not be just a hospitality problem; It could have symbolic implications for procreation and, therefore, for life beyond the tomb, if you live in your children.

Mary sees this and has Jesus intervene. Change water in wine, abundant came, about 150 gallons of choice wine. His marriage will be truly blessed, perhaps even with an equivalent abundance of offspring. And keep in mind that in the Gospel of John, this was the first of the “signs” of Jesus. The first miracle that revealed his glory.

In today’s America, we do the opposite. We see a problem, an unplanned pregnancy, and then we provide a legal path for people to intervene to do the worst of the situation. Taking the abundant came again and pouring it into the ground.

This wine is not only exhausted, as in a spontaneous abortion, which is tragic and painful, but in some situations it can at least bring a couple more in mutual support. He spills for the drain, wasted intentionally, throwing a long shadow about the perspectives of joy in the life of the mother and all others responsible for that death. In fact, something interior dies with the death of that child. Healing can come, and we pray for healing in this jubilee year of mercy, but the wounds are deep, and there will be no joy until they are healed.

You and I are called to do everything in our power to take the shameful and even terrifying situation of an unplanned pregnancy and turn it into a blessing because we see what is wrong and we refuse to remain silent.

Unlike Cana’s wedding party, we are dealing with a life or death situation. We also, like Mary, can intervene with Jesus in prayer, that we do all the time during the Mass and 40 days for life, and in our march for life. And we can intervene with our legislators. And in direct contact with women with an abortion mentality and providing specific services to pregnant women in our pregnancy resource centers that save life. Ultrasound using machines donated by the knights of Columbus. Parenting and advice classes. Baby clothes and diapers.

We can change the good wine of an unplanned pregnancy in an even better wine for both the mother and the child. And in doing so, Jesus will be working, through us, another “sign”, another miracle that reveals his glory.

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor He delivered this homily on January 19 during the Mass for life at Little Rock.