Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11
The joy of the Gospel and the Year of Mercy. The great miracles of Christ’s public life began at Cana, a wedding banquet, a party. It is a joyous gospel passage showing God’s mercy. The Name of God is Mercy. In all the gospels, only John recounts this story. It is a story of abundant blessing, overflowing. His first miracle, a party. Imagine!
A line from the priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, applied to Jesus, sums up the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Hopkins has Christ say: “What I do is me. This is why I came.” A few weeks ago, on Epiphany Sunday, we heard the story of the twelve year old adolescent Jesus, left behind in the temple, talking to the chief priests of the Law. Mary was disturbed with her son. She said in effect: “Just what do you think you’re doing, young man!” We know, he replied: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” No doubt she told him to get himself back up on that camel and ride home to Nazareth where we heard he was “obedient to them.” He learned his lesson. Mary, no doubt, pondered this and no doubt remembered this through the years from Jesus, age 12, to Jesus, age 30, his age in this gospel passage today.
In today’s gospel, it is Mary who moves Jesus to do “His Father’s business.” That is, she challenges him to become himself more fully, more publicly. He protests: “My time has not yet come.” She, in effect, says: “That’s what you think! Yes, it has!” Parents know their children. A mother knows her son. Presumably she had seen evidence of this – at home in Nazareth. Mary saw a need at this wedding for God’s lavishness — God’s abundant Mercy — and she knew her son could do something. In effect, she asks: “What are you going to do about it!” When she tells the head steward, “Do whatever he tells you,” we know that he will do something. He works the miracle and begins his public life. From here, he goes on, town to town, teaching and healing. It is all in the context of community, this miracle and those that will follow.
Mary’s “Do whatever he tells you” looks ahead to Jesus’ “Do this in memory of me.” Changing water into wine looks ahead to changing bread and wine into his body and blood. From wine flowing to blood flowing, flowing out in Mercy to wash away our sins, failings, weaknesses, transgressions, giving way to joy – like the joy of the wedding. It an abundance of life, like wine that does not run out. It is a party that does not end, everlasting life.
The name of God is Mercy. Recall Christ in the Hopkins poem: “What I do is me. This is why I came.” Where is Christ calling us to become more fully what we are called to be: Christ’s image in the world? “What I do is me. This is why I came.” What WE do is Him. This is why we come. He is calling us to create this fullness in the world, the reign of God. It starts here in this parish. That’s where Discovering Christ is leading us.
‘This is why He came. It’s what He does.’ It’s what we will do, too. The wine will not run out. Notice the chief steward and the waiters cooperate with him. They do what he tells them. Mary is also saying to us: Do whatever he tells you. He needs us. How can we refuse?