I find it most interesting that Jesus is recorded to have performed his first public miracle at a banquet–in this case, a wedding feast! Most of us enjoy getting together with others for parties to celebrate baby showers, birthdays, baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, sweet-sixteens, graduations, job promotions, retirements, special holidays, weddings, and the list goes on!
We usually gather on these occasions because we want to show our love and affection for one another, and especially toward those who might be celebrating important milestones in their lives. Can’t we say that parties are essentially celebrations of life itself? Because Jesus was born into this world, was one of us and shared completely in our humanity, there can be no doubt that he enjoyed celebrating the lives of his friends and companions at such moments.
It doesn’t surprise me that we find a Gospel story in which Jesus participated in a wedding feast, something he happily attended with his mother and some of his closest friends (see John 2:1-11). Like so many others, it must have been a wonderful party with good food and drink, and lots of joy and cheer!
But at this particular feast a problem arose when they ran out of wine. We can just imagine how embarrassed the hosts of the party might have been when they realized they were lacking such an important element to continue the feast. And so, even though seemingly a bit reluctant when prompted by his mother to do something about it, Jesus showed great compassion and didn’t really hesitate to save the situation.
I believe this story demonstrates at least two things: first, we get a glimpse of Jesus’ compassion and his desire to serve those who are “needy” in this life (in this case, he did this for the “needy” hosts as well as the guests at the party), and second, the “better wine” symbolically represented who Jesus was as the Messiah. The water-turned-into-wine became a paradigm for the fullness of new life given to those who have turned to Jesus and away from their “old ways.” It could be said that those “old ways” were represented by the “inferior wine” noted in the Gospel. Our lives in Jesus are now a celebration and a sharing in the “new wine,” and all of us are invited to be refreshed by it, and to enjoy it completely!
What better way to do that than to come together at this feast, at this Mass, at this Eucharistic celebration, and to share in the “heavenly banquet” in which we again and miraculously receive God’s grace and the fullness of life itself. This banquet is everlasting, and far more significant than any type of earthly party we might attend and celebrate with others! In this banquet we are empowered by the gift of life given to us by Jesus himself, and in it we sublimely share our love and affection for our God and with and for all of our sisters and brothers.
May this feast impact every action of our lives today, especially the way in which we follow Jesus and compassionately place our lives in service to others, and may it always fill us with joyful hope for the fullness of future and heavenly glory!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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