Cana in Galilee
“Six earthen vessels standing in a row” (Jn 2:6)
The Best Wine Saved for Last
The Best Wine Saved for Last
Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you, Lord.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you, Lord.
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 out during the festivities, Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem. “I can’t help you now,” He said, “It isn’t my time yet for miracles.” That, however, didn’t stop Jesus’ mother. She told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Now nearby there were six earthen vessels standing in a row which were used for Jewish ceremonial washings, and which held perhaps 20 to 30 gallons each. Jesus told the servants to fill them to the brim with water. When this was done He told them, “Now dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.” When the master of ceremonies tasted the water made wine, not knowing where it came from (though, of course, the servants did), he called the bridegroom over. “This is wonderful stuff!” he exclaimed. “You’re different from other hosts!! Usually they use the best wine first, and afterwards, when everyone is full and doesn’t care, then they bring out the less expensive stuff. But you have saved the best wine for last.” This miracle at Cana in Galilee was the first of Jesus’ signs. It manifested His glory, and because of it His disciples believed in Him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
Cana: the first of Jesus’ signs
Introduction
Cana: the first of Jesus’ signs
Today, January 17, 2010, is the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time in Cycle C. For the most part, Cycle C takes the gospel readings from evangelist Luke. Occasionally, however, the gospel will be taken from evangelist John, as is the case this Sunday.
Epiphany is a Greek word meaning a manifestation. The Lord’s baptism (last Sunday) was an Epiphany or manifestation: after Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well-pleased.” (Lk 3: 22) The wedding feast at Cana (this Sunday) was also an Epiphany or manifestation. John writes, ”This miracle at Cana in Galilee was the first of Jesus’ signs. It manifested His glory, and because of it His disciples believed in Him.” (Jn 2:11)
The down-to-earth meanings of Cana
There are various down-to-earth meanings in the story of the wedding feast in Cana. For some Cana is a sign of Jesus and Mary’s sensitivity toward an embarrassed bridegroom whose wedding party is running out of wine. For others Cana highlights the human side of Jesus and Mary: both believe in human celebration, and both are ready to help it along with the fuel of celebration: wine. Still others see in Cana the dignity of marriage affirmed by the presence of Jesus and His mother. Finally, for the Eastern and Western Church Cana is a justification for their great devotion to Mary and for their belief in her intercessory power before her Son. ”They have no wine,” Mary intercedes with Jesus. (Jn 2:3)
A matriarch and Mary
Matriarch Eunice Kennedy Shriver died on August 11, 2009 at the age of 88 years. Her brother Ted Kennedy died a few days later on August 25, 2009. Eunice had a great devotion to Mary and belief in her intercessory power. One of Eunice’s sons, Timothy, who has a B.A., M.A and Ph.D., wrote in 2008 when his mother was already ailing:
When I was a child, May was Mary’s month. My mother demanded that we children
convene after dinner and say the rosary every night. We complained, cut corners, giggled, and misbehaved. But for the most part, we did it. How could I have known that 40 years later, I would be saying the same rosary with my mother as she lays in bed at 86, struggling for health. Some days, speech is difficult for her and walking impossible. Some days, it’s all she can do to raise her head. But even on those days, the words of the rosary come easily. “Do you want to lead Mom?” “Yes. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee….”
I can hardly begin to capture how much meaning and purpose my mother’s devotion to Mary has given me. The rosary was my first exposure to the power of repetitive prayer and led me to study the meditative practices of all religions where mantra and repetition form a pathway to silence and peace. Those beads in my fingers still create an almost biological reaction: “Calm down!” they seem to call out no matter the moment. “Move to your center! Be still!” Mary was everywhere in myhouse as a child and also set the tone for a resolute belief in the importance of women. My mother pushed and pushed for women in politics, in science, in religion, in advocacy. I find myself over and over again asking if there is a female perspective on a problem that I’m missing -- a women’s role that is being overlooked.
The mystical meaning of Cana
So much for the down-to-earth meanings of Cana. But since this is the gospel of St. John, we can expect to find a more mystical meaning flowing in those six earthen vessels standing in a row. A long time ago a very mystical friend, who was particularly intrigued by the story of Cana, wrote in a letter:
Those 180[1] gallons of water which Jesus changed into wine were tears! It's a nugget I stumbled upon on one of my lonely hunts. And so you see, if we all eat, drink and are merry now, if we all laugh now, there won't be any water in earthen vessels for Jesus to change into Wine.
In another letter dated the very next day, she’s still in a mystical mode, and she writes:
Suppose we told the story of the wedding at Cana from the viewpoint of the bride who is not even mentioned in John’s account. You presume that if there was a wedding there must have been a bride. Suppose the bride is one who’s just been married to a good man named Joseph. And she’s dancing one of those wild Jewish dances, when everybody joins hands and you go round and round. And the bride is having a really good time. But then something begins to distract her. She sees a single stray cloud on the horizon on a clear summer sky! It’s a stroke of sadness which always mingles with human gladness.
I’m not quite sure what my mystic friend was saying. (That’s the nature of mysticism.) But I can guess. In her scenario the bride is Mary -- the spouse of Joseph and future mother of Jesus. What is the “single stray cloud on the horizon on a clear summer sky,” which the dancing bride suddenly sees amidst all the merry-making? It is a foreshadowing of the suffering that a Son born to her would have to undergo. It is a foreshadowing of what the old man Simeon will see when Mary brings her Son into the temple for purification. “This child,” he predicts, “is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.” (Lk 2: 34-35)
Conclusion
The best wine for last
The mystic in all of us hunts for a sizeable meaning of such a sizeable miracle that turns 180 gallons of water into 180 gallons of wine. And this is what our hunt finds:
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
sooner or later filled with a feeling of emptiness.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to fill our emptiness with water and a miracle.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to be filled with wine that won’t run out on us.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row
waiting to be filled with the fine wines of Isaiah[2]
--with Bordeauxs and Beaujolais and Sauvignons.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
hoping against hope and believing with faith
that the best wine is being saved for last.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
sooner or later filled with a feeling of emptiness.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to fill our emptiness with water and a miracle.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
waiting to be filled with wine that won’t run out on us.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row
waiting to be filled with the fine wines of Isaiah[2]
--with Bordeauxs and Beaujolais and Sauvignons.
We are all earthen vessels standing in a row,
hoping against hope and believing with faith
that the best wine is being saved for last.
