The
wedding theme in the Gospel triggers a story about a couple who had a turbulent
50 year marriage. The husband would shout: "When I die, I will dig my way
out of the grave and haunt you!" After he died, neighbors asked the wife:
"Aren't you afraid he'll dig his way out of the grave?" She replied,
"No. I had him buried upside down. And I know he never asks for
directions." That's a novel way to solve a problem.
Today's Gospel is also a sort of
third epiphany: a triplet with the
Magi and the Baptism. God reveals through these signs and wonders who Jesus
really is: the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
The
wedding at Cana shows that God cares for
us.
The
word of God first takes us back in our imaginations to the sixth century before
Jesus. Once known as the City of Lights, Jerusalem is described here as
“desolate” and “forsaken" because ancient Babylonia reduced the city to
rubble.
But
one day, the author writes, Jerusalem will rise
up, and God will again delight in
Jerusalem and its people. This invites us to ask, does God delight in us? Do we reveal the presence of God in our
attitudes and behaviors?
Paul,
in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth, notes the many gifts we
have for the common good, for building up community. Yes, people working
together can magnify each other’s
efforts and abilities.
In
the Gospel, the author begins the so-called Book of Signs: seven signs Jesus
works that reveal his true identity. Jesus is one with God: he is God.
The
town of Cana is in the region of Galilee.
On
one level, Jesus, his mother, and the disciples have been invited to a local
wedding. Mary, in some ways, could be a wedding planner. There’s an
embarrassing shortage of wine. Mary may have said to the waiters something
like, “That’s my son. Do what he says.”
On
another level, Mary appears as our mediator, interceding with her Son.
On
a third level, the water-made-wine symbolizes the breaking in of the kingdom of
God—the symbolic wedding banquet at the end-time.
On
another level, the author points to Jesus as “the revelation” of God to us.
The
point is there can be many levels of meaning in scripture. In light of the
wedding, I would like to reflect briefly upon the sacrament of marriage.
Often
people are looking for the perfect this or that and forget that life generally
is not perfect and we have to simply do the best we can.
Marriage
is a work in progress: first the preparation; then the honeymoon; next disillusionment (i.e., he/she
is not precisely who I thought); and finally the stage, where the initial
partnership can either break or become a solid covenant where husband and wife live
for each other, for God, and for others (e.g., children).
True
love can emerge only if we compliment
each other and accentuate the good, if we clarify our essential values, if we communicate,
if we work out compromises, and if we forgive.
When
sorting through an argument, distinguish between behavior and judgments—for example, you’re late (behavior)
versus you’re the most inconsiderate person I know (judgment). Maybe there was
an accident or something else. Yes, communicate.
Balance life between work, family, and
personal time. As with most things in life, we must work at relationships—sticking together in tough times, trusting that
times will get better and we’ll reemerge closer. Above all, make room for God.
Married
couples especially might ask, how can I keep the initial glow alive? Yes, with
the friend, soulmate and partner for
whom I live, with whom I laugh, the one I love above all else on earth, how can
we continue to cherish and support and re-energize our relationship?
The
wedding at Cana invites all of us to
reflect upon our relationships, and to look out for one another. As the song
goes, "what the world needs now is
love." Amen.
