Marriage at Cana

1/ 14/ 07

by Fr.Gus Carter

Each of the Gospels has an introduction that prepares us to understand Jesus as the promised Messiah of God. Matthew portrays Jesus as the Holy One like Moses who would bring salvation to the world. Mark gives emphasis to John the Baptist as the one who prepares for the coming of the Messiah. Luke demonstrates the piety of the many Jewish people who kept alive the trust in God's promises that gave hope for the future. John begins his Gospel by identifying Jesus as the eternal Word of God who has come among us. In today's Gospel, in a kind of second introduction, John expresses the spirit of love that surrounds Jesus' life.

Why does Jesus' first miracle or sign of God's presence among us in a special way happen at a marriage? In the first reading today the prophet Isaiah promised that God's relationship with his people in the new age would be like that of a groom for his much beloved bride. This is actually one of the themes of Old Testament prophecy. Those who serve God will find themselves in an intimate relationship with their Creator.

The Old Testament foresaw that the final relationship between God and humans would be comparable to a wedding banquet. There will be great rejoicing in God and in each other. In John's Gospel our sharing in God's life begins with our baptism. The lives of the saints reveal to us the joyous love that comes even in this life to those who love their Lord deeply. St. Paul describes the experience of those who live by mirroring the love of God in their lives: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness." The inebriating spirit of loving God begins in this life. Most of us have experienced in one way or another how the spirit of love gives us a sense of love for everyone. Such love is contagious. This is why Jesus performed the miracle of changing water into wine. We humans do not have the power to love as unselfishly as God loves. We do not have of ourselves the ability to love universally. Jesus came among us as a sign of God's total love for all humans. Jesus loving action on the cross gained the grace of God that empowers us to share divine love. The giving of the Spirit is the giving of God's love to us so that we can return God's love with some kind of equality. The first of all commandments is "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind." One of the things we should pray for at all times is for the grace to grow constantly in our love for God.

I think that one of the most natural prayer is that of gratitude. When something good happens for us, the thought of many is to thank God. We should try to use those occasions as a reminder of God's love for us and as occasions to return that love. St. Teresa of Avila one time said, "Mental prayer means taking time frequently to be alone with the Lord who we know love us." I have mentioned several times that St. Ignatius said that at the beginning of each prayer exercise a person should spend a brief space of time to recall that God is watching us with love. To St. Ignatius the love of God was so personal that he could reflect on the life of Jess and say, "He has done all these things for me."

We do not have to win God's love. John's Epistle tells us that in our relationship with God we must remember that God first loved us. Like any good parent, God lavishes love on us to teach us to love, to inspire us to love. The Lords want us to return that love because it will be such a

great blessing for us. Our Catholic belief is that the whole process of creation comes from the immense love of God who wishes to spread to others the great love that exits in the Trinity.

Jesus carne into the world to bring the delicious wine of God's love to every person. As we read John's Gospel we want to keep before our minds his words, "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might have etemallife." God created us humans so that the perfection of our lies would occur through love. Love conquers the selfishness that causes all the pain of the world. Through his own love God gives us the power to bring peace and love into the world. The grace of God gives us the power and wisdom to make us true benefactors of all humanity.