Refections
Water into Wine
Jesus brought the wine of God’s love into the world.
Everywhere He went the old was made new.
For the couple at Cana He changed water into wine. For the
widow of Nain He changed tears into joy.
For Zacchaeus He
changed selfishness into love.
For the thief on Calvary He
changed despair into hope.
And on Easter morning He changed death into life.
Lord, be present with us today and throughout our lives.
And when through human weakness the wine of love is
found wanting, touch our hearts and strengthen our wills, so
that we may taste the wine of unselfish love.
Your Builder Shall Marry You
The prophets often spoke of Jerusalem as if it were a person,
specifically a woman. Today Isaiah makes such an address to
the city with a deeper intention. When he wrote these words,
the city was in ruins. It's temple and walls were shattered. It
truly was "desolate". Isaiah predicts future glory for the city,
but he is speaking of more than structures of stone.
He is
telling the people of Jerusalem -- and all believers -- that God
(the builder and creator) will MARRY them. This suggests a
future intimacy with God's faithful that goes beyond a mere
creator and creature relationship. God will bond with us in a
relationship like that of human marriage.
Interpretation of Jesus' Comment
At the Cana wedding reception Jesus seems to speak rudely
to his mother. He calls her "woman" when she suggests that
bridal couple need help. Actually the translation is poor.
Jesus calls His mother, "My Lady" which is a title for a noblewoman
and hence a courtesy. Jesus may not be refusing
to come to their assistance. His remark, "My hour has not
come" may also be translated as a question, "Has my hour
come?" In other words He is asking Mary's advice about the
time for His ministry to begin.
This public sign of power will
propel Him along the course that will lead to his death and
resurrection.
The Hand Washing Ritual
Before eating, Jewish people must ritually wash their hands,
as follows: They first must fill a spoutless vessel with water.
Then they pour the water over the round smooth rim, onto
their hands.
The most common practice is to pour first over
the right hand three times, then the left three times, using up
all the water. Finally they dry their hands and recite a blessing.
If they leave the table for any reason during the meal, this
process must be repeated.
There is no wonder that so many
stone jars of water were handy, when Jesus changed the water
into wine.
Additional Study Guides!
1. *** Scott Hahn's commentaries can be found here
2. *** from "Our Sunday Readings"
downloadable commentary
To understand this week's scripture readings, please refer to our Bible Study page which has several links to more bible resources and notes.
Messianic Genealogy Chart of Jesus Christ - Click here for image!