Sometimes when we begin something, it
goes exactly as we've planned. However, other times, no matter what efforts and
plans we make, the unexpected can hit us hard.
I often tell you stories from the mission field, but today I have a
story from right here in Mississippi. After
working as a missionary overseas, I entered the Mississippi Teacher Corps and
was on my way to Ole Miss to start my graduate studies. I didn't even have a car yet, so I traveled
to Oxford on a Greyhound bus with several large cartons of my belongings. I
called ahead to make sure there was a taxi that I could take to Ole Miss from
the bus station, so I thought I'd covered all of my bases. But guess what? I arrived on a Sunday morning, & there
were no taxis that day. So there I am at
the gas station where the bus left us off, a long way from the university. I
had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do. Suddenly, I saw this old mini-van coming down
the street. I thought: Why don't I ask
them for help? So I ran into the street & flagged down the van. It contained a large family of grandparents,
parents, & children all crammed together.
I explained my situation; the grandfather said they were on their way to
church & didn't want to be late. But
he looked at the others & said to me: “Come on in, we'll drop you
off.” I piled in with my luggage– it
barely fit - & they very graciously took me to the university. Wow - was I revealed, & to this day I
remember their kindness that saved the day for me.
I
never expected such an adventure on my arrival in Oxford. I imagine that Jesus didn't expect the start
of his ministry to occur at a wedding feast that he attended with family and
friends. “My hour has not yet come” is
his reaction to what he's asked to do at the Wedding at Cana. I suspect that
Jesus had hoped for a better planned event for the start of his ministry. With all of the political and religious
instability in ancient Israel, of an occupying foreign power in control, we can
imagine that calling attention to oneself in performing a miracle at a wedding
could be a matter of life or death for Jesus.
I'm sure he wanted his first big ministry event to go perfectly, to be
well planned out, not to be in response to the wine accidentally running out at
a wedding. Yet, Jesus' mother, Mary, believed that he would redeem the
situation & would avoid embarrassment for the wedding party.
A famous quote from St. Francis of
Assisi says: “Preach the Gospel always, & when necessary use words.” In many ways, this is what Jesus modeled for
us with this miracle. Rather than using
words to describe God's kingdom, he reveals God's glory in the here and now by
having the servers at the wedding feast fill with water the empty stone jugs
that were used for Jewish purification rituals. Jesus miraculously changed this
water into high-quality wine for the joyful wedding celebration in his first
public miracle.
How does this miracle speak to us today? This miracle took place at a wedding ceremony
where 2 people committed themselves to each other before God. We Catholics see this marriage commitment as
a sacrament of our faith. Just as the
bride & groom joyfully commit to each other, we're asked to make the choice
to joyfully commit ourselves to Christ. Our
modern world is often adverse to commitments, seeing much of life as disposable
or impermanent. Our choice to commit to
our faith is indeed radical – it is against so much of what is popular in our
world today. While committing to our
faith is necessary, only God's grace gives us the strength, courage, and
fidelity necessary to live out this commitment.
Just as Jesus transformed water into
wine at the Wedding at Cana, we're transformed on our journey of faith. We're transformed into sacramental beings,
into a life-giving presence in our world, just as the wine was transformed to
give joy and life to the wedding guests at Cana. But, we must be willing to change and be
willing to trust and risk a transformation, just as the Virgin Mary trusted
Jesus to take care of this situation that occurred at this wedding celebration.
The miracle at the Wedding at Cana is
such a marvelous story for us to share together as a community of faith. It calls us to joyfully make a commitment to
live the Good News of Christ. It calls
us to be open to transformation, conversion, and renewal. Our lives are like the water that was
transformed by Jesus. Our lives are a
gift from God that will be continuously transformed into the finest wine along
our journey of faith.
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