Catechism Links[1]
CCC 528: At Cana, Christ shows himself to be Messiah, Son of God, Savior
CCC 796: The Church as Bride of Christ
CCC 1612-1617: Marriage in the Lord
CCC 2618: Mary’s intercession at Cana
CCC 799-801, 951, 2003: Charisms at the service of the Church
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| “Wedding at Cana” by Mattia Preti, c. 1655 |
Commentary:
Reading I: Isaiah 62:1-5
Commentary on Is 62:1-5
“Since the sixth century, Christian tradition has used this poem in the liturgy of Christmas Day. The birth of Jesus has brought about the joyful union of God and mankind in a way that surpasses that described in terms of spousal union. A monk of the Middle Ages made this beautiful comment: ‘Like the bridegroom who comes out of his chamber the Lord came down from heaven to dwell on earth and to become one with the Church through his incarnation. The Church was gathered together from among the Gentiles, to whom he gave his dowry and his blessings -- his dowry, when God was made man; his blessings, when he was sacrificed for their salvation’" (Fausto de Riez, "Sermo 5 in Epiphania"). [5]
The restored “new Jerusalem” is formally called Zion. Isaiah, using poetic language, prophesies the coming of the Christ [Messiah] with several references and images. Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the Messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Commentary on Ps 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
Psalm 96 is a hymn of praise. The psalm selection is one of praise and worship. It begins with songs of proclamation, then moves to imploring praise and honor, and finally an instruction on attire and demeanor during acts of worship.
CCC: Ps 96:2 2143
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:4-11
St. Paul associates different gifts (charisms from the Greek: charismata) within the community to the same Holy Spirit. He thus calls out the beauty of diversity and the need for it within the community of faith. All gifts serve the same purpose, the greater glory of God. All gifts are needed within the body of Christ which is his Church.
"Charisms are given as personal gifts but not merely for private benefit (1 Corinthians 12:11 [above]). They unite us with the Spirit's mission to build up all members of the Church and bring them to salvation (1 Peter 4:10-11). Catholic teaching distinguishes between sanctifying grace, which imparts the gift of divine sonship, and charismatic or ministerial grace, which equips the saints for service to others (CCC 2003)." [6]
CCC: 1 Cor 12 1988, 2003; 1 Cor 12:3 152, 449, 455, 683, 2670, 2681; 1 Cor 12:4-6 249; 1 Cor 12:6 308; 1 Cor 12:7 801, 951; 1 Cor 12:9 1508
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Gospel: John 2:1-11
Commentary on Jn 2:1-11
St. John gives us the story of Jesus' first revelatory action following his baptism by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan. He and his disciples are invited to a wedding and the wine runs out. Jesus’ mother lets her son know that the time has come for his revelation, even though Jesus does not think so.
Ironically the stone water jars were there for the ceremonial cleansing, the very Hebrew custom John the Baptist used in his call to repentance. The Hebrew custom was symbolic (as was St. John's invitation to be baptized in the Jordan); the Lord would later make baptism efficacious as sins were forgiven. We also note the Hebrew numerology applied to this scene. The number six represents one less than the perfect number seven. It was not yet Jesus’ time. The water became wine, not his blood which was yet to be poured out for the salvation of mankind.
The final statement in this story: “his disciples began to believe in him,” is the only time in the Gospel of St. John where there was any doubt about the Lord’s true identity on their part.
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Reflection:
Today we celebrate the great wedding feast of the Church. We have heard in St. John’s Gospel the story of the Wedding at Cana, which has been called one of the “Wow” miracles of the Lord because it is so spectacular. The Lord, with his disciples, goes to Cana to a wedding. While he is there, the host runs out of wine. It would be very embarrassing for the couple to have this happen so Jesus’ mother brings it to the Lord’s attention.
We see the Lord struggle with this. He tells his mother: “My hour has not yet come.” But she tells the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” She knows, somehow, that something remarkable is about to take place. The Lord then tells the servants to fill six large stone jars with water. Ironically, these jars were to be used in a Jewish ritual of repentance, which was the one John the Baptist took and expanded into what became Baptism. Miraculously, that water becomes wine.
It is almost difficult for us to look past the miracle to see all that this event says to us. We see the image of Jesus stepping out of time.
-He at once is the wine, his blood poured out for us.
-He is the groom who takes the church as his bride.
-He stands with our priest, as once more water and wine become our salvation.
-And we have a part too. We stand as the servants who hear Mary say: “Do whatever he tells you.”
-We stand as the servants who know where that “best” wine came from and how it came to be in those stone jars.
-We know there were only six jars and not seven because it was not yet his time.
Is this just an ordinary sequence of events in the life of Jesus? What a wondrous gift he has given. And all he asks in return is our acceptance of that gift, accepting our role as the children of that marriage of the Lord and His Church.
Pax
In other years on this date the Optional Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Wedding at Cana” by Mattia Preti, c. 1655.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 267-68.
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 302-03.
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