Epiphany 2 C - Sunday, January 20, 2019

Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, NY

Br. Josép Martinez-Cubero, OHC
Epiphany 2 C - Sunday, January 20, 2019

Isaiah 62:1-5      1 Corinthians 12:1-11      John 2:1-11

Click here for an audio version of the sermon.

A wedding in the ancient world was an exceptional feast. Celebrations went on for days. For many, a wedding meant a break from what may have often been experienced as endless labor. It was a chance to eat and drink abundant food and wine, in contrast to the meager rations that made up a typical daily fare. 

Cana of Galilee was known for its thieves, rebels, and Gentiles. It was in Gentile territory that Jesus made his adult home and performed his first miracle in the Gospel of John. From the very beginning Jesus’ life and work go beyond the boundaries of race and nation.

The gospel reading begins with the words "on the third day." Early Christians would have heard the expression and would have understood it to relate to the resurrection. That Jesus was raised "on the third day" was a common understanding in the earliest resurrection traditions.  Therefore, we are to consider what follows in the story in light of the resurrection.

"On the third day, a marriage happened..." Marriage is an image relating to the fullness of time. In the reading from Isaiah, the prophet declares that the land of Judah will no longer be called "desolate," but will instead be called "married". With Jesus’ resurrection, the reconciliation, that is, the "marriage" between God and humanity is complete, and the people revel in joy and bountiful life, which is symbolized by the abundance of wine.  

Jesus' gift of wine at the wedding at Cana is directly connected to the sacrifice of his life on the cross. The glory revealed by the wine is directly connected to the glorification manifested in his death and resurrection. Jewish and Greek readers in the late first century would have recognized these associations. Prophetic writings and late-first-century Jewish tradition associated a lavish outpouring of wine with the advent of the Messiah. Greek legends associated with the god Dionysus saw miraculous gifts of wine as revealing of the presence of a deity. 

The stone jars, each of which could contain fifteen to twenty-five gallons, signify the abundance of the gifts introduced by Jesus. Jesus' mysterious reference to "my hour" refers to his future passion, death, and resurrection. The impact of the sign at Cana is that "Jesus revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” 

Though never explicitly named, Mary is introduced for the first time in the fourth gospel. She makes known her concern to her son: “They have no wine.” To which he replies: “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” Really Jesus?? Wrong! You better listen to your mother. Let’s picture this scene. The gospel, does not tell us what her response is, but judging from what follows we can get a pretty good idea. Or perhaps she didn’t have to say anything else to him. Despite his objection, Mary knows that Jesus will listen to her voice and perform the sign that will reveal his glory. Even Jesus needed a little push from mom. Perhaps she listened to her son’s reply, turned to the servants, said: “Do whatever he tells you”, looked back at Jesus, and then walked away. Done! Her role in the story is to articulate our human need for Christ. She appears only twice in John’s Gospel: in this passage about the wedding at Cana, and later on when she stands by the cross. These two brief appearances by Mary connect Jesus' first sign and his last breath. 

Faith is the purpose of the sign, as it is in all the miracles in John's Gospel. Faith is the reason why and the purpose for which the Gospel of John was written:

“But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (20:31).

Faith is why we proclaim the gospel. In the Christian context, good works are the by-products of faith. Faith is not a matter of coercion but of wonder at the miracle of Christ. Miracles happen. Signs of Christ at work appear all around us whether or not we acknowledge them. They benefit us whether or not we notice them. But to see these signs for what they are and believe in the one to whom they point is to live in the joy of the Glory of God, that is, to be fully alive.

About this gospel lesson, St. Augustine wrote:

“He who made the wine that day at the marriage feast does this every year in vines. But we do not wonder at the latter because it happens every year; it has lost its marvel by its constant occurrence.”

In my experience, to live a life faith has to do with the constant surrender to the understanding that all is grace, not because we are entitled or even because we deserve it, but because it has been freely given. Everything in life is a miracle, a sign pointing to Christ. Wrapping my head around that understanding will surely take me the rest of my life. ¡Que así sea en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo! ~Amen+