From the Deacon’s Desk 1/20/19

Dear Friends:

Our Gospel story today comes from John 2:1 – 11. It is the famous story of the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus’ attendance at this wedding is the basis on which the Church proclaims marriage to be a sacrament, endorsed by Jesus himself.

I think we all are familiar with the story. The host ran out of wine and Jesus’ mother informs him of this. At first Jesus hesitates, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus is not ready to start his ministry. However, because his mother asks, he will tend to the problem. Think about what Jesus does. There are six stone water jars used for ceremonial washing. Jesus asks the attendants to fill them to the brim. There is now somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of wine. Not just any wine, it’s the best the steward ever tasted! When Jesus does someone a favor, in this case a miracle, he doesn’t fool around.

I wonder what Jesus is trying to tell us in supplying all this really good wine? Perhaps he is trying to make us understand that God’s goodness and kindness is more than anything we can understand. Maybe he’s trying to tell us that if we put our trust in God, God will take care of everything for us. Now this doesn’t mean that God will come down here with a magic wand and solve all our problems. It does mean that God is with us always and gives us the best of care. If we accept his offer, our problems become much more bearable. God will give us what we need to get through whatever life hands us. Isn’t that worth letting God be first in our lives?

Peace and All Good!

Deacon Jim