Let me share with you this story about my time in Paraguay in the late 70s. As you will see, my story is appropriately related to today’s Gospel, The Wedding at Cana.
While I was in Paraguay, if there was a party, one could expect a good number of extra guests. If it was a birthday, it was like Facebook – Friends of friends, acquaintances and their cousins who could show up.
If it was a wedding, a separate card would we added to the main invitation only included for those who were invited to the reception. But no one should have been surprised by finding at the reception people whom they had never seen before. Why, you may ask?
At the time I was living in Paraguay, there were only two paved “interstate” roads. All secondary roads were dirt roads. And when it rained, the local police would close the roads, and everything would come to a standstill.
So, if families or individuals were invited to a wedding party, they could easily find themselves with guests that could go nowhere – except joining the party. For, indeed, it would have been socially and culturally unthinkable to tell one’s guests, “Please stay home while I go to a wedding party.”
I can very well imagine that during our Lord’s time it may not have been different. Perhaps a mother-to-be found herself suddenly giving birth. Others may have received unexpected guests, which could not be left behind at home by themselves. And so, they all went to the wedding party!
So, as you can see, I could really feel for the groom and the bride finding themselves – unexpectedly – running out of wine. In those days, having extra guests at the party would not have been unheard of.
I must confess that I am still very much impressed by story of Young Jesus being left behind in the Temple. As something that happened early in our Lord’s life, I wonder if the experience left lasting marks. Or there may be some other reasons to account for Jesus terse way of addressing his Mother.
But by now, I believe that Mary had learned a lesson. She did not consider the socially unacceptable miscalculation as something that was out of the realm of God’s reach. And so, she pressed her case. And Jesus came through.
Years later, as we know, Jesus told his disciples that giving just a glass of water to the one in need would not be without its reward. I wonder if the wedding at Cana was still very much in his mind when He said those words.
It is very interesting to note that for Isaiah’s understanding, God’s love and joy for his people was akin to the love of a groom for her bride. So, Isaiah writes,
For the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
Now, as you know, those who returned from captivity were far for being religious and observants of the Law. In fact, in the books of Nehemiah and Ezrah we learn that it was during the rebuilding of the Temple when they found the Law and committed themselves to observe God’s commandments. And yet, even before they were living squeaky-clean lives, God still loved them.
At the wedding, the new wine was shared with everyone – Those who were official guests and those who somehow found themselves in the party. They all were welcomed to enjoy the party.
The Psalmist describes such generous attitude with these words,
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
Today, once again we will gather around God’s Table, a Table where we are going to be fed with God’s bountiful table so that we, and many others,
“May shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that Jesus may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth”
So, come along, don’t be shy. Help yourself to the Lord’s love, grace, and mercy. Like our world-famous Church luncheons, there is plenty and then, some!
Fr. Gustavo
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