Change Our Hearts as You Changed the Water into Wine

The appointed Gospel reading for the daily prayer of the Church is the first miracle in the Gospel according to John:

 

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (Jn. 2:1-11).

 

Every movie depiction that I have ever seen of Jesus portrays him as being distant, not quite there, almost as if he was in a trance, he speaks in a monotone, he appears humorless.  There could be nothing further from the truth if we read the Gospels.  The fact of the matter is that Jesus enjoyed the company of people; he was engaged with them.  Jesus enjoyed having a good time and living life.  In today’s passage, he, his mother and the disciples are at a wedding feast.  The wine has run out.  Mary turns to Jesus for help.  He obliges her.  In a foreshadowing of the great Eucharistic feast and the Kingdom of God, Jesus brings out the best to celebrate.  Everything has a time and place, Scripture tells us (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  There is a time to mourn and a time to celebrate.  Jesus calls us to live out the Good News in the moment, in the present!

 

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, your first miracle was at a wedding feast where an ill-prepared host ran out of wine in the midst of the celebration. You changed water into wine,  certainly prefiguring Your great Last Supper gift to us.  As you changed the water into the best of wine, change our hearts so that we may live out your Good News in the present.  Amen.

 

We wish a Merry Christmas to our Orthodox brothers and sisters who celebrate Christmas today.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Annual Parish Meeting will be Sunday, 11 January 2015, after the 9:00 am Eucharist.

 

ESL has begun and continues now on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 pm to 8 pm in Sutton Hall.

 

Al-Anon in Spanish begins today, 8 January, 6 pm.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are recovering or ill including Stacy, Liz, Pat and Evelyn, and for all of those who are traveling, especially Bob.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550