STAY AT THE PARTY

 By Tim Rohr

This will be a little different post than the JW usual. In fact, I should post it over at my other "Catholic" blog. Nevertheless, I'll post it here since this blog has a higher readership and this view may help someone that isn't necessarily looking for a "religious" perspective.

This past Sunday's gospel reading was the familiar "Wedding at Cana" whereat Jesus performs his first miracle. I'll copy the reading in full before sharing my thoughts:

Gospel. John 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

When the wine ran short,

the mother of Jesus said to him,

“They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, how does your concern affect me?

My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servers,

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,

each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them,

“Fill the jars with water.”

So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them,

“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

So they took it. 

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,

without knowing where it came from

— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,

the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,

“Everyone serves good wine first,

and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;

but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee

and so revealed his glory,

and his disciples began to believe in him. 

The usual sermon following this Gospel usually revolves around the unique roll of the Blessed Mother - even getting God the Son to do something he didn't want to do. In fact, it could be said she got him to do something that he wasn't supposed to do: "My hour has not yet come." 

Much can be said about this Gospel passage and much usually is. I particularly like this Gospel because it says so much about who the Blessed Mother is and what she can do for us poor creatures.

It was a few years ago when I suppose I finally matured enough to see something in this story that I've never heard before, and it's sort of a shame that we don't hear something said about this.

The key verse is when the headwaiter says to the groom: “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Of course, neither the headwaiter nor the groom knew at first what really happened, though I suppose later everyone found out because the gospel goes on to say "and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him."

As is usually the case, a single scripture passage or an account like this one can hold many meanings, and the great meaning for me is "you gotta stay at the party." 

When the wine ran out, probably some people left. There was obviously a disturbance in the party because the Blessed Mother was troubled enough to go to Jesus to fix the problem. And for those who stayed at the party, well, they got the best wine.

So, in short, and this is nothing new, God saves the best for last - for those who "endure to the end" as St. Paul tells us. And since this miracle occurs at a wedding, I believe it is a special message about marriage: endure to the end because God saves the best for last - for those who endure to the end. 

Stay at the party - even after the wine runs out.