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| Marriage at Cana ~ Bartolome Esteban Murillo (+1682) |
The Marriage at Cana is the second of the Light Mysteries. We could do with some light these days: an increase of light in the Church, in the Nation, in the World. But we begin with ourselves.
Our Father...
Notice that Murillo (the artist) has placed an African child-slave at the heart of the water miracle. Lucky young fellow, to be so near to Jesus. One letter written to a Catholic newspaper paying close attention to the priest abuse scandal, asks the editor to stop covering the story: "People have had enough," the writer petitioned. That's a luxury we don't have. When one Irish bishop read his first account of a priest in his diocese having sexually abused an eight-year-old boy, the bishop got up from his desk and immediately went over to the parish school next door. He wanted to be sure he knew what an eight year old boy looked like. He wept.
Hail Mary...
We usually overlook this bit of the gospel account: the water jars were meant for Jewish purification rites. Probably hand washing. Good hygiene requires the washing of hands, but there is also a symbolic meaning we need to attend to. At Mass, while washing his hands liturgically, the priest prays, "Lord, wash away my iniquity; cleanse me of all my sins." An anonymous writer pens: "For the world to continue, brains must be washed. So must hands."
Hail Mary...
In the Genesis creation account, God blew divine breath into Adam's nostrils. Here, at the Cana Marriage, God is doing even better than that. The symbolism is delicate. Despite the world's whoring - in Jesus Christ, God is wedding-like, kissing the mouth of creation. We are that precious to God.
Hail Mary...
"Not for nothin," the old saying goes. There are no frivolous details in the Gospel. The sacred authors never use words or ideas to show off or simply fill in space with charm or color to make the story more interesting. The Mother of Jesus was at the wedding. Not for nothin. The old Eve conversed with the serpent and fell for his trickery. Humankind then went off into shadow. But here, Mary is the New Eve, righting the wrong. "Do what he tells you," she instructs.
Hail Mary...
Mary gives us a quick lesson on how to pray. Notice she doesn't make suggestions, let alone tell Jesus outright what to do about the wine problem. Rather, she simply brings the concern to Jesus' attention: "They have no more wine." She leaves it at that. Prayer should be short and heartfelt.
Hail Mary...
This is a source of embarrassment for the young couple and maybe their families too. Some might think them stingy or just ill-prepared. Maybe the newlyweds felt shame. This is a shameful time for the Church. Some people think we've talked about it long enough. Africa and Asia have yet to reveal anything of the sad tale from their own countries.
Hail Mary...
Jesus offers a creative solution for the life of the Church. "That isn't even open for discussion," someone might say. Thomas Merton writes that many vocations were lost to the monastic life over the years because people in power were unwilling to allow anything to change. "It's the tradition, and it's always been that way." That's a Holy Spirit spoiler - not to mention untrue.
Hail Mary...
Wine is a Jewish symbol for the complete enjoyment of God. The Gospel account in some ways is a parable, meaning, the old religion had run dry as a source of divine happiness and enjoyment. We'd be foolish to think the story could only be about another religion, someone else's religion, and not our own. The largest Christian denomination in the Untied Sates is Roman Catholicism. The second largest is former Roman Catholics. Have people left the Church because the "wine" has run out?
Hail Mary...
Wine is also a symbol of healing. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan, how the kind fellow poured oil and wine over the forsaken man's wounds. Luke 10:34. Oh Jesus, pour your copious, healing wine over your Church - wounded, infected and weakened.
Hail Mary...
Water is poured into clay jars. We're clay jars. And God has placed a great hope in us - that we would be the containers of God's joy-instilling presence in this world. We! Clay-like, we're so vulnerable, easily cracked, broken and ruined. God's great vote of confidence.
Hail Mary...
Glory be to the Father...
