The average cost of a wedding today in the United States, according to a recent study by The Knot, is a lot of money. It can range from $10,000 to $30,000. We don’t know the budget for an ancient Jewish wedding, but I dare to imagine that wedding stress has always been a part of a wedding, including those held in Jesus’ time.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promises an epiphany (manifestation) to his first disciples. It will take place in the quiet village of Cana. The passage of the Wedding in Cana, in Galilee, narrates how the success of the wedding and the honor of the bride and groom are at stake. Even Mary, Jesus’ mother, feels the tension and imposes on Jesus to solve the problem. As guests, the honor of their family is at stake as well. But Jesus respectfully transforms Mary’s panic into a request. Mary must have recognized some gesture in Jesus or something because she tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says.

Jesus takes six stone water jars, which was the ancient form of hand purification. This sign has a double purpose: personal and spiritual cleansing. Instead of throwing away the containers, Jesus uses the servants to do something new. The servants, eyewitnesses, fill the containers. Jesus turns an embarrassing situation into a party filled with unused wine.

The head steward turns the problem into a compliment, and the servants, the disciples, and Mary keep the secret to themselves. Mary, the other disciples, and the servants know and recognize what is no longer a secret. Jesus is not here for honor and fame. He is the vehicle of God’s glory on the way to heaven. That was enough for the disciples to believe in him. The little community now grows with his mother, brothers, and disciples.

This rich passage reminds us that Jesus comes to us where we are, in the midst of the challenges we face. You may not be planning a wedding, but I’m sure you may be experiencing a different kind of stress. But, I have good news for you. We are the servants, created to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want to replace our traditions. Jesus wants to give us some of His sweet wine. He wants to tell you a little secret that only the servants can see. God’s glory can come at the end, when you think the party is over and the guests are about to leave disappointed. With Jesus, there will always be enough, and even better, if we are patient enough to wait until the end.

For example, if you visit the National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., you will see a picture that illustrates this very well. The architecture of the building is designed like a slave ship, commemorating the passage of thousands of people sold, and chained. It shows a story of freedom and overwhelming pain. But in the end, there is an image of water turning into wine. The last chamber is a meditation room, where there is a fountain of water flowing all around with a quote from Dr. King that says from the book of Amos, “We are determined…to work and to struggle until justice shall rain down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Dr. King knew that this process would take time, but in the end, like the wine given at the end of a wedding, justice and righteousness will emerge.

When you think the party is over, God’s work has only just begun. God invites us to wait, to be patient. We just have to start serving. Jesus saves the best for last. May we see the glory of God today.

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish

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