JESUS AT THE WEDDING OF CANA

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jn 2:1-11

A wedding is always a time for rejoicing in the family and in the community. And a wedding is always a celebration of love, the love that makes life possible and meaningful.

The Kingdom of God is like a wedding feast

In his preaching, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God  to a wedding feast, the wedding of the king's son, which the invited guests refused to attend (Mt 22:2). Already in the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of the covenant relationship of God with his people in terms of marriage. God sees himself as the groom and the people are the bride he felt in love with.

The prophets speak of God’s love in terms of a marriage covenant of love

• "On that day, says the Lord, you will call me, "My husband"… And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord." (Ho 2:16-20)
• "For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like the wife of a mans youth when she is cast off, says your God.

For a brief moment I abandoned you,

but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing wrath for a moment

I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord,   your Redeemer." (Is 54:5-8)

• "For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your builder marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you." (Is 62:5)

Jesus brings to fulfilment God’s promise of eternal love

Jesus' presence at the wedding was not a casual presence. John wanted to show that Jesus came to fulfil those promises of love and happiness, and that's why he put the wedding at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.

When we read the gospel of John, we must remember that his writing is always full of words pregnant with meaning and hidden references.

John tells us that the wedding took place on the "their day" - a reference to the resurrection, the final victory over the enemy that has kept us enslaved. Looking at it from another angle, we can discover that, adding the days since John's testimony (Jn 1:19), we have a week, with the wedding taking place on the seventh day, which is the day of God's rest - the day of celebration, rejoicing in God's love and God's salvation.

Jesus occupies the centre: he is the groom, and we are invited to his wedding feast

In John's narrative, very little attention is given to the groom and the bride. Everything is centred around Jesus, Mary, his mother, the wine and the disciples. Jesus is the true groom, the King's son; and he took the disciples with him to the wedding feast. They recognised his glory and believed. Jesus brings the joy of the Kingdom of God, transforming the water of our weaknesses and sins into the wine of celebration and rejoicing. 

This wedding at the beginning is a preparation and an announcement of a better banquet - the banquet of the Eucharist, which is the food from heaven served to us at the table of the Lord. And the Eucharistic banquet prepares us for the even greater wedding feast of the Lamb. Indeed, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Rev 19:9; 21:9).