Accepting His Abundance

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then He told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now” (Jn. 2:7-10).

Yesterday, I had a nearly 6-hour flight home from Boston. My seat in the last row of the plane gave me a great opportunity to mentally remove myself from the normal bustle of the cabin, and to immerse myself in prayer once the gentleman sharing my row drifted off to sleep.

I got to meditating on St. John’s account of the wedding feast at Cana, and in my mulling, it occurred to me that in our spiritual walk, we often get stuck and settle for “inferior wine” or, worse, stick with water. We are content to accept Christ, to begin establishing a relationship with him. But when He asks us to put out into deep water and lower [our] nets for a catch (Lk. 5:4), we sometimes recoil and make excuses.

Jesus came not just that we might have life, but that we might have life more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). Jesus doesn’t want to give us dime-store gifts; but sometimes we settle for less through our own fear, laziness or sense of unworthiness. Accepting God’s abundance requires trust, even when the prospects before us seem to be impossible. At such times we need to be like Abraham, who believed that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy (Heb. 11:11).

Our Lord is the ultimate giver, taking what is good and making it even better. John the Baptist told his followers, I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Mt. 3:11). The question is: Are we ready to live in that fire? Will we open ourselves to His superior wine? Or are we going to settle for water and cheap wine?

Prayer Request: For those who feel stuck in their spiritual walk.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, we thank You for the abundance You bestow on us each day. Give us the courage and humility to accept Your abundance, so that these gifts might be multiplied, just as the loaves and fishes were multiplied, for the good of Your children and the upbuilding of the Church. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.