Mary said, "They have no wine!"..... a thought for the other!

Christmas season is over and we are in Ordinary season. Last two weekends we celebrated     Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord: God the Fathers revealed his son, Jesus, the Messiah. This weekend we see Jesus at the wedding of Cana. The Church sees it as another epiphany because     Jesus first revealed his divinity to his disciples. In the book of Deuteronomy 11:3 and 29:3 we see Israelites recalling the signs and favors God has done in Egypt. God revealed to his people in     different stages. Pope St. John Paul II gave us a beautiful gift when he introduced the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. The second mystery is the subject of today’s Gospel, the Wedding Feast at Cana where Jesus changed water into wine. The miracle at Cana is the first of seven “signs” in John’s Gospel - miraculous events by which Jesus showed forth his Divinity.

Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the Covenant relationship between God and His chosen people.  God is the faithful Groom and humanity is His beloved bride. The first reading and Gospel we have the same theme: marriage. God is like a bridegroom who rejoices in his bride. Israel is God's bride. In the first reading the prophet addresses Zion, announcing the   reversal of her fortune, and visualizes it as a wedding between God and Jerusalem. The Prophet tells them that God is faithful and beyond their infidelities, he is always with them. Jesus takes up the theme of divine marriage. He begins his public ministry by calling himself "the bridegroom." And in today's Gospel, Jesus the divine bridegroom attends a human wedding feast. He performs his first miracle on behalf of a young bride and groom.

The presence of the Lord at this marriage feast has resulted in our associating Cana with  Catholic marriage. But this miracle is more about the sacrament of the Eucharist than marriage. The first sign, Cana, points to the Final Sign in the Gospel of John, the crucifixion when Jesus is raised    upon the Cross. First of all, today’s Gospel passage points to the extraordinary  transformation of the world begun at Cana. At Cana Jesus turns water into wine, at the Last  Supper, Jesus turns the wine into His Blood. And on Good Friday the completion is at Calvary. Every reception of the  Eucharist is a union with the crucified Savior whose blood has defeated the power of evil and transformed our world. Mary’s instruction is very important, "Do whatever he tells you."
Jesus teaches us in the changing of water into wine about sacrifice. This miracle or sign was the beginning, but the culmination was on the Cross. Those who are preparing for marriage, the Church invites them to do preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, prepare for the Real       Presence of the Lord in their marriage uniting His love to their love for each other. The wedding at Cana teaches to love as he loved us, the sacrificial love. In the marriage it lived beautifully when the husband put the needs of his wife before himself and vice versa. When parents put the needs of their children before their needs. Every one of us is called to live out sacrificial love in our daily life.
The miracle at Cana invites us to become Jesus and Mary. The question is how? Let us look at tragedies around our lives. Most of the time we wonder where we are heading, and try to find an answer. Mary at Cana invites us to perform another miracle by giving a helping hand through our thoughts, prayers, and action. Jesus breaks and shares with us at every Mass and we send out to do the same. When our hearts move towards the needy, a miracle happens, this celebration becomes meaningful…the celebration will continue in our life. Mary told Jesus, “they have no wine”….  a thought for the other!