“Start by doing what is necessary; then what’s possible; and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.” — St. Francis of Assisi.
“In the beginning” are the very first words of both Genesis and John’s Gospel.
To those unfamiliar with the sacred scriptures this might appear to be a curious accident or a simple coincidence.
It also might seem equally coincidental that Chapter 2 of Genesis and of John’s Gospel both deal with marriage.
Genesis states: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.”
John presents to us the first miracle of Jesus in public taking place at the marriage feast in Cana.
To a student of the scriptures, the meaning is neither accidental nor coincidental, but rather a profound description of God now working in our lives through the person of Jesus, his word made flesh.
In ancient times, the wedding feast was one of the most important of celebrations. To be invited to a wedding feast and refuse to come would be one of the most insulting things a person could do; Jesus uses parables related to wedding feasts, even including such refusals.
One of the first things to note about a wedding feast is that it was literally a feast. It related to creation. In the feast, all of the goods of the earth, all of the fruits of creation, were laid out before the bride.
The linkage between marriage and creation was obvious: One married in order to have children “to be fruitful and multiply.”
Marriage is about celebrating all the good things in life which God, in his love, has given us. It is about the abundant love of God for all his creation.
The role of Jesus and Mary, too, in this passage are highly symbolic. Jesus is the groom of the New Testament and lays down his life for his bride. Mary is the new Eve; she rights the wrongs of the story of creation and the fall.
The new creation sees Mary with the serpent beneath her feet. Her words instruct all Christians in their efforts to find the “way” to follow God anew: “Do whatever he tells you.”
What could more succinctly express the proper response of a Christian to Jesus and his words: “Do whatever he tells you.”
The changing of water into wine is a symbol of the fruitful and generative life with God that will come through Christ the messiah. And we note that water does not just become wine, but to everyone’s taste — especially the wine steward — it becomes the “best” of wines.
So naturally and so subtly we discover in this passage the meaning of recognizing, hearing, taking to heart and following the Lord our Christ.
In the life of grace and faith the words of Jesus become true for us: “Be fruitful and multiply.”
Grace upon grace! New life! The gifts of the Spirit! All of these become ours in Christ.
The key, the way, the hope of it happening, the miraculous change, so easily occurs by simply hearing and doing the words of Mary: “Do whatever he tells you.”
Father Perry D. Leiker is pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142, Ext. 112; email perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
