A Simple Wedding, a Remarkable Woman and New Wine
By Fr. Jack Peterson
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 1/11/07)
The wedding at Cana is a marvelous event at the start
of Jesus’ public ministry that is riveted with mystery and meaning
for Christians. The fact that Jesus performs the first of his signs at
a wedding is no mere coincidence, for marriage is a central part of the
renewal of humanity that Jesus comes to inaugurate. Furthermore, Jesus
knows that wine is a symbol for joy in the Old Testament, so when he transforms
the water into wine He clearly indicates how his Father wants to restore
joy to all people by restoring marriage to its original dignity. His saving
mission includes offering couples an abundance of grace flowing from the
Cross to experience the joy of becoming truly one, to persevere in good
times and in bad, to transform suffering into saving grace, and to build
a house for God in this world. Christ came to renew marriage by restoring
it to its original splendor and filling couples with supernatural grace
to live fully the life God intended for them.
Mary’s role in Christ’s first sign is no mere coincidence
either. John the Evangelist mentions her presence at the wedding first.
The statement which follows, “Jesus and his disciples were also
invited,” suggests that Mary is going to play a huge part in the
story that follows. Mary does two things that day which forever typify
her role in salvation history. First, she observes a need and she does
something about it. She is the first to recognize that the couple is running
out of wine, a serious embarrassment for the couple and their families.
Mary has a mother’s radar and always is sensitive to the needs of
those around her. In the end, she arranges for the delivery of an abundance
of good wine.
Secondly, Mary points people to the One who solves all real problems.
She will play this role for the rest of history. After perceiving the
need, she turns to the Good Shepherd. She points to her Son and says to
the waiters what she says to every human being, “Do whatever he
tells you.” He may look to you like an ordinary man, but He is the
eternal Son of the God who came to dwell among us, bring us God’s
gift of salvation, and show us the way to the Father. He will take care
of you. He is the answer to your biggest questions.
Finally, the wedding story includes a miraculous batch of “good
wine.” Jesus provided for the couple a precious gift at a difficult
moment. It was a very generous act of charity. However, for Christians,
we see in this miracle a sign of a much more precious gift and of the
greatest act of charity that the world has ever known. The miracle of
the changing of water into wine is a precursor of the Last Supper, when
Christ changes bread into his body and wine into his precious blood. The
offering of his life to the Father on the cross and of his body and blood
to us in the Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life. The
Wedding at Cana, the first of Jesus’ signs, points to the greatest
of his signs, the Eucharist.
The Wedding at Cana is very rich in beauty and mystery. It highlights
that Christ wanted to renew marriage with grace and power, that Mary will
forever teach us the path of charity and the path to her Son, and that
Christ was preparing the world for his most precious gift, the bread of
life and the cup of eternal salvation.
Fr. Peterson is campus minister at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostle Institute in McLean.
Copyright (c) 2007 Arlington Catholic
Herald
