Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Message Of The Wedding Feast At Cana In Galilee

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, January 16, 2022

John is the only one that recounts the wedding at Cana in Galilee. It’s probably because he was the one that took Mary into his own home after Jesus, from the cross said to him, “Behold your mother,” and to Mary, “Behold your son.” It must have been one of Mary’s favorite stories. But why is this particular wedding so significant to be included in the Gospel? There were possibly other weddings taking place on the same day. It is because Jesus, the fulfillment of Israelites’ religion and institutions is present. But he is not present alone, his mother, Mary, the new Eve and the greatest Woman ever is also present. Now, as everyone is enjoying their glass of wine, the wine ran out. In those days and in that culture, a marriage feast will last for seven days. As a result, the host has to provide enough wine for the people for that length of time. Sadly for this couple, their wine ran out, and they were about to face a public embarrassment if word came out that there is no more wine. Noticing the difficulty, the Blessed Mother Mary turns to Jesus and says, “They have no wine.” Immediately, Jesus replies, “Woman, what is there between you and me? My hour has not yet come.” Right away, Mary turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” 

Now, many Christians have misinterpreted this exchange between Mary and Jesus and assumed that Jesus was scolding Mary. But that’s simply not possible. Jesus came to fulfill the Law and to fulfill it perfectly, and the Fourth Law of Sinai, the Ten Commandment is “Honor your father and mother.” As the perfect fulfillment of the Law, he will perfectly honor his Mother. It will never enter his head for one moment to put her down or to disrespect her. So, something else was said in that brief conversation. Mary understands she is not being scolded or disrespected, rather she is being given permission by Jesus. Otherwise she would never had turned to the servants and told them to do whatever he tells them. Jesus’ comment, “What is there between you and me?” is not a statement of repudiation. It is rather a figure of speech in Aramaic the language that Jesus spoke and possibly in Hebrew as well. And what it is really translated as is, “Oh mother, what is there between you and me that I can refuse you nothing?” What Jesus was saying to Mary was although my hour has not yet come, I will bring the hour of my ministry forward for your sake. So, Mary instructs the servants to do whatever he tells them. Thereafter, Jesus tells the servants to fill the six jars with water. Jesus then performs his first miracle by turning water into wine. Not a little wine, but lots of it. It’s about 180 gallons of wine— six jars and each jar holds 30 gallons. Jesus doesn’t just make some wine, he makes super-abundant wine. The moment the wine was brought to the steward and he tastes it, he immediately goes to the bridegroom and thanks him for providing the best wine. 

As the reader of this narrative, we know the bridegroom of the feast has nothing to do with this best wine. Its provider is Jesus. What happened is, through Mary’s invitation, Jesus takes the role of the bridegroom and miraculously changes water into wine at this wedding feast. Why does that matter? For one thing, it reveals to us that Jesus isn’t just the King of Israel; he isn’t just the Messiah, or Savior or the Son of God or the great Teacher or the great Prophet. He is all those things but at the onset of his ministry, he reveals he is first and foremost the Bridegroom who has come to marry the Church. In the Old Testament, the Bridegroom who provides miraculous feast, who brings the age of salvation is God himself. Prophets describe God himself as the Divine Bridegroom. So, at the wedding feast in Cana, Jesus reveals his Messianic identity and his Divine identity. He reveals he has come in person to inaugurate the great wedding supper of the Lamb, the feast of salvation, the banquet of the Kingdom of God. 

Why was the first miracle of Jesus at a wedding? Because if there is anybody that needs a miracle in a serious and persistent manner, it is married people. If there is any place that miracle is needed the most, it is in the marriage. Why? Because many don’t know what they are doing. At the onset of their marriage, they will promise heaven and earth to each other, tell or play for each other Whitney Houston’s song ‘I Will Always Love You,’ but when tough time comes, they want out. Yes, there are situations and conditions when the Church will uproot and dissolve certain marriages, but not every difficulty is a dealbreaker. If you are married, please enjoy your marriage. Don’t just stay together because of the kids or due to some financial or material benefits. I know about a man who treated and continues to treat his wife horribly and disrespectfully. He cheats on her and shows her no love at all. By the grace of God, the woman struggles to put herself through school. After her graduation, God blesses her with a good paying job. She saves money, buys a house and moves out with her child. After a few months, the man realizes that his wife is doing and living well. So, he begins to call everyone, both the living and the dead, to beg his wife to come back. The annoying thing about this story is that while he is begging the wife, professing to love her more than God, he is still seeing one of his sweethearts. Appalling! Right? 

Sisters and brothers, Jesus’ attendance of a marriage feast is his stamp of approval on the marriage covenant. However, regardless of your vocation in life— single or married, today’s Gospel speaks to you. Consider what the Blessed Mother said to Jesus when she notices that the couple have run out of wine: “They have no wine.” In biblical times, wine was a necessity, not luxury due to shortage of water. It was equated with life. Along with grain and oil, it represented God’s covenant blessings promised to Israel. Additionally, wine represented joy, celebration and festivity that come from the abundant blessings of God. If your life is dry and dreary, if you are losing the joy of living, if your marriage has lost its spark, pray to Jesus through the Blessed Mother and say, “The wine of my life, my marriage, my job, my relationship, my family etc. is running out. Please, I need a refill.” Pray this prayer regularly and watch as Jesus fills you with the best wine. As today’s Gospel shows us, Jesus does not just restore the lost situation; he makes it better than it ever was.