In these times, we must be pilgrims of hope like Mary and Joseph, who persevered to create the Holy Family with Jesus after receiving troubling prophecies when they presented him at the temple.
Understanding our reconciliation with God as a wedding feast, with the wine of Christ reserved for us until now, helps us appreciate the depth of meaning of the first sign of Jesus’ mission among us.
The most economically-challenged in any society preserve their God-given capacity for joy as a vital resource that we can all learn from and develop, as we wake up to the freedom and happiness of living in harmony with God’s plans that the Messiah has made possible.