SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
THE MARRIAGE FEAST AT CANA (JH 2:1-11)

I am not sure how was the wedding celebrated in the first century Palestine. But it is for sure that the feast was very important and might go for a week. In a marriage feast lack of hospitality will be a great offence in their society. It is in this background we see that Jesus and his mother Mary were present for the marriage feast at Cana and Jesus’ disciples were also invited. In verse 3 we see that the wine was gone. In a marriage feast lack of wine will be a big social embarrassment for the couple and the family, because, it was their obligation to keep up the societal standard. There was no great variety of beverages. They drank either wine or water.

Knowing it in her heart, mother Mary moved with compassion and wanted to redeem this couple from this embarrassment. She tells Jesus that they do not have any more wine. It shows her motherly concern for her children. It is the best example for us to learn how mother Mary could be a good guide to lead us to Christ her son and how much she could plead to her son for us.

Jesus says, “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” Here we see the change in their relationship. In the Jewish society in the first century the word woman was used to address the common women, never used to address one’s own mother. Now Jesus considers his mother like one among the women who follow after him. So far Mary was nursing him, teaching him to walk, talk, etc. and Jesus was following Mary. But from now on Mary would follow Jesus as one of his disciples. The relational bond that was very exclusive between a mother and a son now become very inclusive that he is the master of all and everyone else becomes his disciple. Mary affirms it when she tells the servers to do just as Jesus wants them to do. This is also an invitation for all of us to do what Jesus wants us to do. Here we see that though Mary brings the need to the attention of Jesus at first she is not holding it for her own glory. Instead, she humbles herself and asks the servers to do as Jesus wants it. She does not want them to do what is her will but to follow the will of Jesus. She knew very well her mission that she was to bring people to Jesus, not to herself. She was to help people to do God’s will not what she wants.

The second part of his reply says that his time has not yet come. Here he talks of the time of his death and resurrection. Here really the time for his mission begins. John does not focus on the sign itself but on the significance of the sign. His very presence is the sign of the presence of God’s reign on earth. Wine also is a sign of the fullness of kingdom of God where joy and abundance of life is present.

The next verse speaks of six stone water jars and the washing ceremony. Usually the Jews were ceremonially defiled during their normal circumstances. So they washed their hands by pouring water over their hands. Now since the feast was going to be a big event they needed six big jars. They fill the jars as Jesus tells them to and take it to the master of the banquet. He affirms that it is the tastiest good wine. Because of Jesus’ presence (the presence of God’s kingdom) the occasion which could have become a sad event turns to be a joyful celebration.

Very often we lack wine in our day today living. In other words, we lack the presence of God’s reign and ultimately God Himself in our lives. As the couple at the marriage feast could have been helpless without Mary’s intercession and Jesus’ compassion, we would also be helpless without Mother Mary and Jesus in our lives. Today’s liturgy focuses on two important truths that Jesus is the Christ and John wants us to believe in it which is the intention behind his writing the Gospel. This intention is very clear from the summery he makes that the disciples began to believe in him. Secondly, Mother Mary is his faithful disciple and a good guide who could lead us to Christ and she is the intercessor in our needs.