The gospel reading a couple weeks ago was one of Jesus’s most famous miracles when He changed water into wine at the wedding in Cana. It is the first sign of Jesus’s divinity in John’s gospel, and a story that has been told through the ages.
The idea of change really jumped out at me this year I think because we seem to be surrounded by it right now.
That was the Sunday gospel on Jan. 19, the day before Inauguration Day, when the administration changed from President Biden to President Trump.
It was also one day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, commemorating the birthday of the civil rights leader who called us to change more than 60 years ago. He challenged us to view our fellow human beings not by “the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
We have a change in leadership in our archdiocese. Earlier this month, Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Wilton Gregory’s resignation, which he was required to submit two years ago when he turned 75. Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to succeed him, and he will be installed on March 11.
And we can’t forget the big and fun changes in our local sports scene. The Washington Commanders exceeded all expectations and almost made it to the Super Bowl after big changes implemented by new ownership and leadership. A team that won four games last year posted 12 victories this year and provided genuine hope for the future.
The Washington Capitals barely slid into the playoffs last year, and after big roster changes of their own, are one of the top teams in the NHL. We are all watching for another big change as Alex Ovechkin is just 20 goals away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky as the all-time leader.
All of this in less than one month after we changed the calendar from 2024 to 2025.
Sometimes we like change and sometimes we don’t, but it is an unavoidable part of life. “The one constant in life is change,” said Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Those are wise words from roughly 2,500 years ago.
This got me reflecting on how we can use change for our benefit, not big changes that are outside of our control but smaller changes in how we live our faith. Like the first step in a journey of a thousand miles, these changes can bring us closer to our destination as God’s children.
In the confessional and when people come to me for advice, I often suggest the Particular Examen developed by St. Ignatius. This is similar to an examination of conscience and the better known General Examen, also developed by Ignatius, but more focused.
The idea is to identify one thing you want to change or improve and then reflect on how you did at the end of each day for a few weeks. Maybe you want to be more patient, show more kindness, or overcome the use of bad language. Whatever your goal, honestly assess how you did each night before you go to bed.
I’ve turned to the Particular Examen fairly often since I learned it back in the seminary, and I can tell you from personal experience that there will be good days and bad days. Some nights you will look back and think you did quite well, and other nights you will be disappointed you didn’t do better. It’s all part of the journey.
Through it all, you are raising awareness in your mind of what you would like to change, which helps effect that change. Change comes subtly, but it does come.
Amid all the change going on around us – in politics, the archdiocese, sports and everything else – let’s also focus on ourselves. Can we be agents of our own change? Can we make the world a better place for others and make changes in ourselves that draw us closer to God?
At that famous wedding in Cana, Jesus showed his divinity by changing water into wine. Only God could do that. Not only that, but the headwaiter said it was superior wine to all that had been served before. May we work with Jesus to be changed into the superior wine, more committed, more loving, and more faithful every day.
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
