“THE GROOM TOASTS HIS BRIDE WITH HIS BLOOD”
Saint John 2: 1-11
2nd Sunday after The Epiphany: 15 January Anno Domini 2023
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
And on a perfect day in the still perfect Garden Paradise there was a marriage. Adam was given Eve by our Father Who art in heaven—and who was there in Eden as well. The two became one flesh.
And on a grace-filled day in Padan-aram, even after being tricked by Laban (which was delightedly ironic), the faithful Patriarch Jacob was given Rachel to wed. Other than the select few—the most blessed Virgins and eunuchs for The Kingdom—The Lord desires His children to be wedded. It was not good for the man (or woman) to be alone. And the two as one flesh are to be always wrapped up in The Lord as the overarching band, cord, and Trinitarian twine of completion. As Ecclesiastes notes: “and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” [Ecc. 4.12b].
Christ is to be part of every wedding. Christ is wedding—the eternal joining together of bride and groom.
There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee on a “third day” and God was there; and His blessed Mother. She plays an important role, as the Church must always so do, but it is in service to Jesus—knowing, hearing, and trusting in His Word.
Weddings then and now are to be joyous and filled with love, fellowship, laughter, and grateful hearts for all the good 1st Article gifts of God.
Wine is a gift from The Lord: “therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine” [Gen. 27.28]. Holy Scripture overflows with the Saints of God, believing men and women just like you, drinking and enjoying wine. While the Apostle says not to get drunk on wine [Eph. 5.18] he in fact commends it to his “son in the faith” Saint Timothy “for thy stomachs sake” [1 Tim. 5.23]. Yes, the Jews used wine in their yearly Passover Feast, but they also drank wine…well, every single day, as they and all mid-Easterners have done for 4,000 plus years. Christ Himself drank wine as his enemies so hypocritically noted when they attacked Him as a “winebibber” (i.e., a drunk) in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel: “The Son of Man is come eating and drinking” [Lk. 7.34a].
And lest one be critical for all this introductory material (Biblical) about wine, note well that The Church can never talk too much about wine as it is one of the central earthly elements in the most Holy and Blessed Sacrament of The Altar. God has sanctified the saving usage of wine when Christ consecrates it and changes it into His very Blood in the sacramental union.
Men sin. All men sin. Some sins seem small but they’re still the result of sinners being sinners. Inattentiveness and lack of careful preparations can be sinful. If one is a “governor” of a wedding feast, he and his stewards and his servants must not run out of wine. But they did.
It was serious enough that when they did run dry this faux pax, blunder, was made known to Saint Mary. Suppositions as to why they went to Mary abound. It matters not. What matters is she did as all faithful Christians do, she took the petition to Christ Jesus. And while His initial response seems a bit brusque and off-putting, it simply help illustrate how to pray. One must never cease trusting in God just because of an initial rebuff or seeming denial of the request for help. Mary, trusting in her Savior tells the servants “whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.”
As she once trusted God and His Word by the Angel Gabriel, “be it unto me according to Thy Word,” she now simply trusts that Jesus will do the right thing for He is The Righteous One!
Sin, the way you do things and want to do things, always is selfish, greedy, and manipulative. You only want what you want; you don’t want your neighbor having more than you, and you certainly don’t want anybody telling you, even God, what you really need. Going back to the teaching analogy of The Lord’s Supper, it’s why so many parishes fight their pastor “tooth & nail” over having every Sunday Communion. Not only do they say, incorrectly, it will make The Supper too ordinary, but they foolishly say they don’t need The Sacrament if they’ve just had it the week before. Oh my! Such stiff-necked and ignorant foolishness about the ways of a loving, merciful, and abundantly giving Lord.
“Hey Jesus” shouted some stupid Sadducee at Calvary, “You’ve bled enough I don’t think there’s any more need for You salvific Blood” You know better. Christ gives, and gives, and gives. He bleeds copiously, like a Christ-cornucopia, covering the sins of the world. He forgives 7 times 70, i.e., constantly, continually, until He takes you home to the True Wedding Feast where the joy and family camaraderie never fails or runs out.
You want to understand how lush and fecund and waterfall-like is His drenching wet love? He makes 18 firkins (that’s more than they could possibly have drank) of the finest wine ever served in Palestine for a group of wedding guests who probably have had enough cheap wine that their palates were already dulled and cotton-mouthed.
Yes, He always gives you the very best even when you don’t comprehend it, and even if you don’t or can’t appreciate it.
Jesus always brings the good stuff.
Every single wedding (n.b. Christian wedding) according to St. Paul [Eph. 5] is a type, a picture, of the One, True, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which is The Bride of Christ.
You have been made spotless, pure, and chaste in His Blood. You will now be forgiven in His Blood (and His precious Body). You will be strengthened for what is coming this week, this month, this year, by The Holy Blood—the true Wedding toast “to The Lamb!”
This continuation of miracles did Jesus in Shawnee of Johnson County, and manifested forth His glory. And you believe on Him.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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