John 2:1-11 Homily Notes
Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother show up at a wedding. Already here is a lesson for us. There is a dignity to marriage that warrants even the Lord's presence. Listen to St. Bede: "His condescension in coming to the marriage, and the miracle he wrought there are,..., a strong confirmation of the faith. Therein... are condemned the errors of Tatian, Marcion, and others who detract from the honor of marriage. For if the undefiled bed, and the marriage celebrated with due chastity, partook at all of sin, our Lord would never have come to one."
Instead of saying "Jesus and his Blessed Mother show up to the wedding", it might be more accurate to say, "His Blessed Mother was invited to the wedding, and therefore he also was there". The text makes it pretty clear that she was invited, and then it seems to state as a side note that he also was there. Here again are the words we heard from the text:"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage." The Blessed Mother is mentioned first. Jesus seems to be there because of Mary's relationship to the couple being married.
An application to your families?: How right it is that a couple and their children maintain the life of Jesus Christ in the home by praying the rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Where she is invited in, where she is honored, there will He be found, just as he shows up with his disciples at this wedding where it seems the Blessed Virgin Mary is really the key guest. She is the key reason that Jesus was invited.
You probably noticed that the name of the couple being married is not even mentioned. Pretty odd, isn't it! What if you sent out wedding invitations without ever mentioning the name of the bride or groom? It seems to be the Holy Spirit's way of showing that the events that took place at this marriage symbolize something much more for the whole of mankind.... beyond this particular couple. No names whatsoever are used, except the names of Mary and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is saying that this particular marriage is setting the stage for what happens between the Son of God Incarnate and all of humanity. The Son of God, of course, is Jesus. All of humanity is represented first by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the first of all manking to be born again in Jesus. Then humanity is represented by the others who receive Mary's instructions at the wedding: "Do whatever he tells you", she says to the servants, and then to all of us. Listen to St. Augustine suggesting that the marriage in this particular household somehow represents a much larger marriage between the Son of God and humanity, a marriage which is completed at Calvary: "What marvel if he went to that house to a marriage who came into this world to a marriage." God wants to join himself permanently to humanity in love, and so this can symbolically be called a marriage... and since his greatest sacrificial love is expressed on Calvary, Calvary can be considered the height of the marital commitment. So what is happening at this wedding is so much bigger than the marriage of an individual couple.
Then we can understand why Jesus would say, "Woman, what is this between you and me?" when Mary points out to him the lack of wine. (Gk.: Ti soi kai emoi, gyne?) It would be totally inaccurate to consider this somehow to be a rebuke towards Mary, as if Jesus is upset with her. It has nothing in common with a man coming home from work (and you husbands better be joking if this sounds like you when you come over from work!) and barking, "Woman, bring me a beer and my slippers!" What Jesus does here is nothing like that! When he calls Mary "Woman", it is because what she is doing, she is doing on behalf of all of humanity. She is the new Eve. Eve in the Garden of Eden was the mother of all the living, and that is what her name meant. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the New Eve, begging the New Adam -- Jesus -- to hasten the "hour" that will restore humanity to its fullness, bring humanity eventually back to glory. Calling Mary "Woman" Acknowledges the significant place of Mary at the front all of humanity. Jesus will call her "Woman" at the cross as he gives the beloved disciple John to her. There also, he is doing something quite symbolic that involves more than John and Mary. That act involves all of humanity. Jesus' question, "Woman, what is this between you and me?" is a question packed with awe and wonder... and the realization that the time has come for a manifestation of glory that will begin the wedding process leading up to Calvary. "What is this between you and me?... It is the program for the salvation of humanity. You are asking me to fulfill the Father's will, his plan for the salvation of mankind. Although you love me more than any mother could love a son, you are asking me to begin the ministry that will lead to my death and reveal the glory that many will accept for their salvation, but many others will reject to bring about my crucifixion. What is this between you and me? It is the world's salvation, and nothing less."
Notice how silent the miracle seem to be. The Holy Spirit says nothing about the look of the water or the wine. The wine comes as a quiet surprise that the servant could not perceive before the headwaiter actually tasted it. And the text says that this miracle manifested Jesus' glory. Glory need not be the result of thunder and lightning, healings or other dramatically visible miracles. Glory can be the result of somebody's quiet realization that a miracle has occurred. Glory is God's personal impact on us. It is true that when God showed himself from the midst of clouds, lightening and a thunderous roar on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament, a great impact was caused on those around the mountain, and we can say that they knew his glory. But it is equally true at Cana that the quiet realization of the transformation of water into wine resulted in a great impact on his disciples, and others who became aware of how this new abundance of wine was suddenly given. You and I -- if we allow ourselves to realize the quiet miracle that happens on this altar -- can know his glory more fully today. Jesus made better wine than what had been drunk thus far in the wedding, to symbolize that the new wine which is his Blood in the Eucharist is better than anything that was drunk before it. In a few moments we will encounter Calvary at this altar. We have the privilege of being in attendance at the wedding between God and humanity, standing at the foot of the cross where the Divine Son gives his life for his bride in sacrificial love. May our hearts be softened and warmed by this miracle. May we perceive the glory of Divine Love -- and give ourselves to it -- more fully than ever today.
