Today we are given the account of the miracle that was worked at the Wedding Feast in Cana. It was here that Jesus came to work His first miracle when water was changed into wine.
What takes place inside of our Gospel is a very serious matter. The serious matter is the very fact that a wedding celebration was taking place and that wine ran short. I am not saying this as a joke, but for the very fact that from the perspective of the family this was an embrarassment. This is a lack of hospitality towards one’s guests who gathered to celebrate this marriage. In Jewish culture hospitality is something that was highly valued and the wine comes to represents one’s ability to celebrate for the prophets indicate it as being an important element of the messianic banquet.
From the pleading of the people our Blessed Mother heard their pleas. She took them upon herself and brought them to the attention of her Son. It was here that He worked His first miracle by changing the water into wine. What we are instructed on here is very important because it was pointed out that this wine was better then the wine which was had before. This is important because typically one would offer the best wine first and as the celebration would run on wine of less value would be offered maybe even to the point of it being watered down. Instead here we are told that this wine was greater then what was had before.
This Gospel shows us the need to be a people who are filled with joy. Joy was had at this celebration as is displayed by the wine. Greater joy was discovered by the wine which was created through our Lord’s first miracle. Here we are being shown the reality that with the Lord there is always reason for us to be filled with joy.
So many lessons are being given to us through this Gospel and through each of them we come to encounter this same unending joy. We encounter our Blessed Mother and are shown how proper devotion to her will bring us to know her Son. We encounter Baptism which was encountered through the water which has claimed us for Christ. We encounter the wine which points the way towards the Eucharist where we will come to behold Christ; Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I can think of no greater joy then all of this.
