Readings (Year C):
Isaiah 62:1 – 5
Psalm 96:1 – 2, 2 – 3, 7 – 8, 9 – 10
1 Corinthians 12:4 – 11
John 2:1 – 11
Reflection: How can we serve Christ’s mission?
This Sunday’s gospel reading about the wedding at Cana is one that I am sure you find familiar—but which part of the reading strikes a chord with you? See, there are many different elements and layers to this reading, so much so that this reflection could be much longer and even includ chapter breakdowns for the historical context of each line. But for today I want to focus on two points: One, “know your role.” And two, “the good wine”.
Jesus and Mary are at this wedding as guests. It is important to note that a guest at a traditional Jewish wedding feast was not to step outside their role and start operating as if they were father or mother of the bridegroom or bride. That would have been extremely offensive and disrespectful. So, when Christ says “woman how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come,” we are to receive that in multiple ways.
One point is that the wine is not the concern of the guests: it is of the family organizing the wedding. And “my hour has not yet come” takes the symbolism of the wedding and transforms it into the building of the church through Christ’s sacrifice and the sacrament of his body and blood. The whole use of the wedding feast is a direct foreshadowing of how the church is to be built; this is why we often refer to Jesus as the bridegroom and the church as the bride. The wedding feast helps build the family; Jesus is saying the time has not yet come to build the church.
The second element, of using the good wine, is fascinating because it calls to mind how much we, as people, can be concerned with image, judgement, money, and so forth. That we would make a plan to save money and save face by using the good wine first, then swap it out when people don’t notice. That way we can seem fancy but without breaking the bank.
Here Jesus is saying: I will perform this miracle, but you all must understand that the truly good wine is to be served and appreciated by the people who desire it. It is not to be used as a tool for status or as a party-trick. It is life-giving and should be given to those in attendance.
Just in this story alone, Jesus is offering multiple lessons while performing this miracle that serves as a declaration of his divinity and his ministry. But for the moment, I think that the lessons of “know your role” and “the good wine” are of most value for those of us in the pews.
God needs us to know our role within the church and to do it well. To answer the call to action when presented but also understand that the feast we are at is not about us; it’s about God and the greater church. It’s about all of us and the ways in which we can serve Christ’s mission.
God also needs us to value the sacraments and understand that we partake in them not as social tools for political weaponization or status. No, the good wine is not a resource for our egos, but rather an invitation towards holiness.
So as we continue in this new year let us play our part for the greater good of our church and let us believe in the power of the good wine.
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