Wedding At Cana

Jesus Starts Public Ministry With Wedding At Cana

Many years ago a young woman fell ill while sitting her Higher Cambridge examination. She did not finish a crucial paper which carried the majority of the marks needed to pass the examination. Everyone expected that because she was unable to finish that paper that she would have been asked to repeat the examination. To the surprise of all, her parents, her teachers, and fellow pupils she was given a pass grade. That student has gone on to become one on of the foremost poets of Canada.

I thought of that incident as I was meditating on the Gospel passage given to us for our meditation this weekend because this Gospel story carries within it an experience similar to the one recounted above. The story we know very well about a wedding at Cana. Jesus is invited to a wedding reception at which the wine runs out. His mother intervenes and tells him of the plight of this young couple and their family, the shame and loss of face which having the wine run out would cause.

After reminding his mother that his hour had not yet come Jesus accedes to his mother’s implied request and provides extra wine for the wedding reception. There is one anomaly however. The wine provided by Jesus is of far superior quality to the one served before, prompting the head waiter to chide the bridegroom for departing from convention; “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”  What is considered the normal course of events is reversed for the benefit of the persons involved. In the incident with which I began this reflection the normal thing to have happened would have been no grade if not a failing grade.

The normal was reversed to the benefit of that young student. In the story of the wedding at Cana, a guest who normally goes to a wedding reception and receives wine now provides the wine for the benefit and well-being of the young married couple. Again a reversal of the normal course of events!  This gospel passage ends by telling us that “Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.”  Jesus’ glory or the glory of God we can say is revealed in the reversal of the normal ways of acting when that reversal is for the benefit or well-being of others.

Jesus himself asks us to do this when he says to us; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This of course is contrary to what the world does. The normal course of behaviour of the world is to do things for one’s own benefit. Here we are being asked to reverse the normal order of things for the benefit of others. It is in this that the Father is glorified for it is in this reversal of the normal order that we bring hope to a people who have no hope. It is this reversal which brings others to belief.

“Son, they have no wine” symbolizes a people who have no joy, no enthusiasm for living. The gift of new wine, much better than the first tells us of the joy and enthusiasm which disinterested service for the benefit and well-being of others (the reversal of the normal order of things) can bring to those without joy or enthusiasm for life.

In essence this is what all saints do; this is what Mother Teresa of Calcutta did; this is what Fr. Gerry Pantin did with Servol; this is what you and I are called to do, bring joy and enthusiasm for living to those who have lost the joy and enthusiasm of life.

Prayer

All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for the King, born in a stable, for our well-being. We thank you for all those who reverse the normal order of things and put the benefit of others before themselves, thereby given hope to those who have no hope and enthusiasm for living to those who have lost it. Be with us so that we have the courage and strength not to follow the dictates of the culture of selfishness and self-centredness so that by living for others we bring hope to a world which is daily losing hope. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother and Jesus, your son and our brother. Amen

Gospel John 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 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 —, the headwaiter 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.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.