The ancient succession of the three manifestations of Jesus – Epiphany, Baptism, sign of Cana – is preserved by the post-conciliar liturgy only in year C. In year A, the story of the water turned into wine is replaced by the testimony of the Baptist as it is narrated to us by John: he sees the Spirit remaining on Jesus and testifies that he is the Son of God. In this year, B, we hear what follows immediately after: the call of the first disciples. In this way the liturgy seems to suggest to us that following itself belongs to the way in which the Lord manifests himself in the history and in the life of each of us. As the experience of Samuel narrated in the first reading testifies to us, the Lord manifests himself by speaking and we must have the docility of a heart capable of listening to him and following him. Even more, it is a question of “making a home with him”, of dwelling where he dwells. The experience of mutual hospitality is born: we abide in him and with him in the Father, and at the same time, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, our life, our body, become a temple of the Spirit who is in us. God manifests himself in multiple ways, and we ourselves are called to become a sign, dwelling, temple of his revelation.

Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey