Journey's Weekly Homilies

January 18^th, 2004 
Second Sunday, Year C
Homily by:  Laurie

Isaiah 62:1-5
I Cor. 12:4-11
John 2:1-11

I don’t know about you, but this whole wedding thing in our society pushes my buttons.  There are so many thoughts about what must be included to be a valid social occasion that a whole market exists to help brides and grooms to sort though all the must does.  The rich hire wedding planners and those with less money might try the Bravo Wedding Organizer. 

A friend, hoping that Guillermo and I will finally get married gave me one she had left over after her wedding last spring.  Some of the categories are I presume helpful to a bride to be, although a little too organized for the like of me.  “Oh by the way tomorrow is the rehearsal, could you stop by.”  “The rehearsal dinner, yikes, I forgot about that, I guess we’ll have pizza in the sacristy.”

Some of the worksheets are way over the top though. One is labeled Beauty worksheet including color analysis.  Since the bride is probably wearing a variation of white, I presume the color analysis is for the bridesmaids to all look good in the chosen color of fluff and feather.

Then there is all the propaganda that ensures the bride that this is her day, and she should have it her way.  This is the most important day of your life.  Brittany Spears, not withstanding, it really should be an important day in life, but if it is, then why not a little forethought rather than meeting all the expectations generated by the wedding industry.

Families go into debt for weddings and I’m here to tell you that things weren’t much better in Galilee where Jesus preformed the first of many signs providing his followers with a way to know him. 

Weddings lasted five days for virgins and three days for widows.  The plans were extensive and involved the whole community.  Family honor was at stake and each wedding must be more extravagant than the last one in town.  Other wise face would be lost and the whole families standing in the community would be downgraded.

Neighbors would have sent wine in advance of the celebration and to run out would have been a sign that one didn’t have very many friends.  We have traditionally though of this story as sacramental in nature, Jesus in usurping the role of the host becomes presider over the celebration.  What this story may be about is something that would have been more important to those watching him that day.  He helped a family save face, and he was a good son, doing as his mother had asked.  He is disclosing himself to those around him and in doing so provoking affection toward himself. His disciples could expect him to treat them in a similar way.  He is in a way promising them this is what you can expect from me.

In our reading from Isaiah, Israel is promised that her land shall be married, and not only that but her children shall marry you.  To my concrete mind that is all a little iffy.

Weddings are advertised today, as being the couples day and damned be other considerations.  In ancient Galilee marriages, having been arranged, were about the joining of two families, for social and political good.  They were not so much about a relationship between the couple as they where about the new relationships between families and the hope for new life.

So the promise of the prophet is for new relationships, between God and Israel and between Israel and her people. 

So what do these stories mean for us today.  We are in the year of Luke, but the lectionary has just handed us a reading from John.  We expect to hear from John in the direct succinctness of Marks gospel, but Luke has plenty of story and poetry to teach us through a liturgical year.  This story, the wedding at Cana is about epiphany. We are invited to see Jesus in a new light, to travel along with this man who will hold us in light as we journey onward.  To join our fate with his as families are joined in marriage.

To feast at such a happy day, to bring out all that is fine, all the gifts we bring together and to share them, be they the gift of service, of wisdom of faith, or of prophecy, working of miracles or speaking in tongues or interpreting tongues.  All these gifts given for the common good of those joined in relationship with God and Jesus.