Praying with icons - May 3, 2026
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Wedding feast
John begins his gospel with a series of summons spread over seven days, meant to suggest a new creation that's unfolding parallel to the one that's described in the book of Genesis. It begins with the call of John the Baptist as light breaks into the world.
And the wedding feast of Cana falls on the last day, paralleling the creation of the first human beings. But as we remember it, their beginning ended sadly with them failing to trust and losing the garden.
Their experience of emptiness continues to haunt us.
Sometimes in the midst of happiness we're overcome by a sudden sense of loss, realizing it could slip away or that it must inevitably end. So we start longing to stop time. But what hope can one have when the celebration is over and only faded signs remain in the evening of the day? What can we cling to so that the celebration continues forever? And isn't that what we long for? And what the gospel speaks about most often, parties, banquets, weddings. No matter how much we try to celebrate, we always find ourselves without supplies.
So Christ supplies Himself in the wine blood that renews everything forever, making all things new by rescuing them from their exhaustion and us from our weariness.
On the cross the hour has finally come. And Mary, who is the one who intercedes for us always, recognized that they have no wine.
In many ways, she's also recognizing, in the light of the last supper, the reality that they no longer have blood, they no longer have life. There were six stone water jars standing there.
There's nothing special about the number six. But if there were seven jars, that would catch our attention. Jesus supplies the seventh jar. He empties Himself of blood and water on the cross. And now only with this gift of His will we have what we deeply long for, limitless celebration and endless wedding.
---
Comments