Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
One of the favorite images of the bible when depicting the relationship between God and his people is a marriage. God wants to be the spouse of the people that he has called to be his own. God pursues us like a lover comes for the beloved. But, as we know from experience, God’s people are often unfaithful, fickle, proud, hard to catch and belligerent.
Still, God loves the people he has made. And he searches for our faithfulness and love like a husband who longs for the return of a wayward spouse.
Read the first reading and we can understand God's desire for us:
“For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.”
Now, we can look at our reading from the Gospel of John in a new light. Wine is a symbol of happiness, fulness, and joy. It often flowed freely at Jewish wedding celebrations. But there was a problem, and it was a serious one. Mary said to Jesus, “They have run out of wine.” Some have interpreted this lack of wine allegorically. The lack of wine represented the marriage between God and God's people had become stale; it needed new life. Jesus was sent to bring that new life.
Jesus was hesitant when his mother indicated that it was time to begin the renewal of the wine of marriage. He wanted the timing to be just right, like a man about to propose to his loved one. He said, “My hour has not yet come.” But, at the insistence of his mother — and she is our best intercessor! — he performed his first miracle. He changed plain water into wine. He had begun to show the newness of the marriage feast that would come when he put new wine into new wineskins. He was about to fill us with God's love. He showed the desire of God to be ours so that we can, at last, be his.
At Mass, there is an even deeper change — when wine is turned into the Blood of Jesus. And when we eat his body and drink his blood, there is an exchange of love that is like that of a marriage — when we are united with Jesus’ body — and when he is united to us so intimately that we become his body too.
At Mass, we celebrate, renew, and recommit ourselves to the wedding feast between us and God. May we never be unfaithful, fickle, proud, hard to catch or belligerent. But, if we are, perhaps we can take the advice of Mary, “Do whatever he tells you,” and we shall be renewed once again with the new wine of God’s spirit and love that he always wants to pour out and into us.
Have a blessed week everyone.