Homily for January 7th, 2017: John 2:1-11.
Jesus begins his ministry in this
fourth gospel, according to John, by changing water into wine. In Scripture a
wedding symbolizes God=s love for his people. At Cana, as at Calvary
Mary is the symbol of the Church=s faith and love for the Lord. AThey have no wine,@ Mary tells her Son. Her Son’s response
seems discouraging B AWoman, how does your concern affect me?@ B Mary=s confidence remains unshaken. ADo whatever he tells you,@ she instructs the servants.
The story=s richest symbolism, however, is the changing
of water into wine. Water symbolizes God=s precious gift of the Law to his
people. The lifegiving wisdom enshrined in the holy books that we call the Old
Testament satisfied his people=s thirst for knowledge of God, the ultimate author of those
books.
Now, at Cana ,
Jesus changes this water into the exhilarating wine of the gospel B the good news that God has visited
his people by sending them his Son, to celebrate with them a wedding feast
which symbolizes God=s passionate love for us.
Is all that just a beautiful story --
long ago and far away? Don=t you believe it! Cana is here
and now, at the Eucharist. At the table of the word Jesus satisfies our thirst
for knowledge of life=s meaning with the wine of the gospel. At the table of his
body and blood he strengthens us to live in accordance with the gospel B to live not just for ourselves, but
for God and for others. Here, as at Cana ,
Jesus gives not only abundantly but super-abundantly. The gifts he offers us
are beyond limit. We come repeatedly because our capacity to receive is
limited.
Here we invoke Mary, still today the
symbol of faith and love, still saying to us what she said to the servants at Cana : ADo whatever he tells you.@ Here at the Eucharist God celebrates
with us a joyful wedding feast, the symbol today, as always, of his passionate
and unwavering love for us.
So much symbolism. So much beauty. So
much drama. Do we realize it B and truly worship?
No comments:
Post a Comment