Today’s gospel, the wedding feast at Cana, always reminds me of the Epiphany. Taken with the feasts of Epiphany and the Baptism it out Jesus as Messiah. John tells us:
“This was the first of the signs given by Jesus…He let his glory be seen.
I’m always touched by the mixture ordinary human life and miraculous intervention. On one level the gospel presents a very ordinary story… the embarrassment of running out of wine at a wedding and a disagreement between mother and son. On another level it is one of those moments of revelation when heaven opens and Jesus is declared Messiah. Every time I hear it I’m taken back to Mary Betten’s “People of the Passion”. She imagines a conversation between Jesus and the young bride of Cana. As he takes his leave while she tries to thank him he looks at her and says:
“You are made for joy.”
Their conversation reminds me that we are all made for joy. That doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer or face challenge and pain, but it does suggest that our underlying orientation is towards joy. It seems to me that today’s gospel suggests we look for the joy we’re made for in that mixture of ordinary and miraculous that it portrays. It is in the sometimes messy and challenging mix of daily experiences that we can discover the miraculous truth of Christ’s presence with us. That presence with us, whatever we face is the source of the joy we are created for.
Where do you discover the joy of Christ’s presence in your daily life?
