Jesus, How did you do that!
For those of you who love British humor you might want to watch Rowan Atkinson’s portrayal of an English Vicar reading this Gospel. His take on the story generates all kinds of mirth. I’ll provide you a link on my blog a little later today. I think you’ll enjoy it.
The first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee for me, is rich with symbolism.
The marriage feast of the Lamb, the Messianic Feast.
Christ as the Bridegroom; the Church as his bride.
The water jugs set aside for the Jewish rite of purification, there are all kinds of reasons to keep wash your hands, body, dishes, not just for ritual cleanliness, but also for general hygiene. The use of these particular jugs to make wine for the wedding feast, provokes some interesting questions.
Underneath all of these references, there is the idea of the Passover of Jesus from death to life, the last supper, the Passover, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The joy of drinking fine wine, to taste and see how good God is in our life.
Let’s not get bogged down in whether or not “it happened”.
Rather let’s direct our attention to what Jesus is dong in our lives when he feeds the multitudes, heals the sick, brings good news to the poor, and reaches out to the outcasts, the lepers, prostitutes, and the tax collectors.
God’s love for us is much like a wedding. Everyone is invited. There is much feasting. Whatever feuding there may have been before is suspended for a while as the bride and groom celebrate their love and their families with them.
There are varieties of gifts but the same spirit
For a wedding, typically everyone brings a gift; the gift of themselves as well as something for the couple.
There are other kinds of gifts to make a wedding possible.
At our wedding rehearsal dinner, Cindy’s family; a large Italian one; each brought their favorite dish to share, in copious amounts, I might add. And there was plenty of beer and wine. The laughter and the joy was plentiful.
On our wedding day, there was a dear friend, our “yenta” Jackie who baked our wedding cake. On the way to the wedding her husband, Martin had to stop short and the wedding cake suffered some smudging.
Another family friend found a hall for us to use for the reception.
Another provided the music.
The funeral director provided the limousine
Bishop Coburn presided and blessed our rings. Chester Porteus, dear, dear Chester, my first boss and curmudgeon extraordinaire, pronounced us husband and wife.
So many gifts, and yet one spirit. almost 40 years ago now.
Thanks be to God.
My uncle and his partner were there. Now, they too can be married in the Episcopal Church, thanks be to God.
My uncle was not all that pleased when I was ordained. “You with the turned around col-laire,” he was fond of saying dripping with sarcasm.
The church was not good to the LGBTQ community in those days. In vast swaths of the the faith and secular community it still isn’t
One night Al was beaten to a pulp when he was out partying with his friends in Boston. He called me up and asked me to come over to his apartment and help bandage him up. It was a brutal beating. I did the best I could.
I said “Jeez Al, should I call the cops?”
He said; “Hell no, the last thing I need now is another beating!”
He said; “Hell no, the last thing I need now is another beating!”
I had no idea how bad it was, but I was learning.
One time, he said to me; “I don’t give a blankety-blank what your expletive deleted Church thinks of me; I want to know what you think of me.”
Jeez Al; “You’re fine with me, you know that.”
“If you mean that, then some day, you stand up for me in that blankety-blank church of yours.”
I did that.
Thank God the Episcopal Church did that.
And now, miracle of miracles, the water has indeed changed into wine; not only can Cindy and I drink deeply from these wines made pure by Jesus, so can Al and Jimmy; so can all God’s children; without regard to gender, orientation, race, class, ethnicity, language or national origin.
We all bring many gifts. We are one people and one spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord. The wine Jesus gives us in his unconditional love is the very best wine of all.
In the Name of God; the Most Holy, Undivided, and Everlasting Trinity. Amen.
Fr Paul
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