Sometimes when you are reading the Bible, you may see something that not only catches your eye, but gives you a deeper understanding of the message. In the Bible passage itself, I noticed that it begins with the words, “on the third day.” That is not a throwaway sentence. Often times that means “Pay attention here, there is a deeper meaning to understand in light of the resurrection.”
Sure enough as I read the famous passage more, I saw that indeed there is a powerful message of hope. First let us look at what happens. We all know the story. Jesus, Mary and the disciples are at a wedding. The hosts are about to suffer a great embarrassment because they run out of wine. Mary tells Jesus and he performs his first miracle.
However, there is a deeper message here. Let us look at what happens.
The hosts are about to suffer total loss of respect. They run out of wine. There is nothing left. Nothing. Mary intercedes and Jesus protests, but obeys his mother. Then he goes to the water. What is water? Well it is many things, but one thing it is not is wine. There is no hope for any change and water is not going to help. However, Jesus touches the water and makes it wine and the best wine.
There is a powerful parable in this Gospel account:
Have you ever been in a position where you lost hope in yourself or another or even your Church. There is no hope, we have lost it. The marriage is about to crumble. A child is a hopeless addict. The parish is not as vibrant as it used to be. All these things draw people to lose hope. They are as vibrant as water is good wine, which it is not.
However, with prayer, we can expect there is a desire on the part of Jesus to restore to hope whatever was lost. Jesus, who can make wine out of water, can restore a bad marriage, can revitalize a parish, can heal a man or woman caught in addiction. Whatever the case may be; But this takes prayer and hope.
Not only this, but the transformation can be something that glorifies God. The married couple at the end of their rope give glory to God when their marriage is healed. However, it requires both allowing Jesus to touch their hearts.
The addict who can boast of being healed of the disease, gives glory to God for he was lost and now was found. The same can be said for a parish.
What we see here is the power of intercessory prayer that brings life where there was none. That brings glory to God where there was only lack of hope. That brings life where there was none.
This is also why the three days phrase is important. Just as Jesus turns water into wine and brings celebration back to the wedding, so does the father bring life to the lifeless body of Jesus and brings life back where there was no hope.
Remember what no hope means in that context. We can see it later in this Gospel in the story of Emmaus. There the disciples had lost hope that all they expected from Jesus was going to happen. His death on the cross means all the hopes and expectations are dashed. However, Jesus not only restores hope, once he raised from the dead. He actually presents a new hope with a new set of expectations.
We are people who do not give up hope. However, we also recognize as demonstrated here that what is required is intercession for the situation. That is also what the community is all about. The Church community has a calling to intercede for its members, as well as the community. You have wind that a family is struggling. The whole community is called to pray for God’s intercession. Someone needs healing; the whole community has a calling to pray for God’s intercession. Indeed, if we are truly who we are are, we should not have to host healing masses here, every mass by default should be a mass where people can be healed because of the power at mass.
What we see here is the power of the intercession of prayer that Mary has with her Son and that also becomes the power of the Church. Jesus can make wine out of water because God can make the dead rise to new life.
Let us have a new look on hope and pray for all in intercession that all may glorify God.
Luke is the Gospel of the road to Emmaus, which we will revisit in Easter. It is that Gospel where the disciples have lost hope for the man they expected to be the savior dies on the cross. But three days later he is restored to life and joy returns to the community more than before.
Luke is clearly giving us a foreshadowing for what is coming, but more so giving us a teaching of our life with Jesus. He loves us and brings hope and glory where there was only despair.
God bless you,
Fr. Robert J Carr
Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Quincy, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is the author of several books, blogs and hundreds of videos all of which you may find on Youtube. You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr and on Google plus as+FrRobertCarr. Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook