John 2:3-11
When I was very young, maybe before I went to school, I learned the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and the morning offering. I distinctly remember the words “I offer you all my prayers, works and sufferings of this day”. I remember this because at some later point, maybe after I started grade school, I learned the version I still use today -- “I offer you all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day”. I don’t know if the first version was ever “official” or just something my mother had learned from her mother.
But joy is an interesting word, scattered throughout the bible and in our prayers. In the epistle of James, it says “Brothers, count it all as joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Saint Paul says in Romans, “"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." We Christians are supposed to be joyful.
But that brings us to the question, what is joy? It isn’t the same thing as happiness. I’m still getting used to my recently purchased car. Whenever I drive it I have a sense of happiness, because it was exactly what I wanted -- had all my favorite bells and whistles and then some, and a hybrid drivetrain to boot, so I don’t have to use much gas. Happiness, though, is momentary, and requires something external. That’s not a bad thing. But joy is different. Our ancestors in the faith understood that joy was something internal, something that could not be taken away. It’s a sense that we are part of something permanent, something that nothing can touch. It’s the product of belief. If we believe that God is in control of what is happening around us, then instead of getting upset because things don’t go our way, we take joy in seeing that what is happening is part of God’s plan for us. We don’t get the sense of it too often, but it’s a characteristic of sainthood -- to be joyful. Mother Theresa had joy, even when she was suffering from doubt and a sense of being abandoned -- because even though she was in pain, she believed God was working in her and through her. Saint John of the Cross was imprisoned by his fellow monks for more than a year, because he kept trying to call them back to the authentic Carmelite way of life. During this time, he wrote a long poem titled “Dark night of the soul” which maintains that God allows adversity to purify our desire for him; and knowing this we can be joyful even in prison. Martyrs especially experience joy, knowing that they will soon be face to face with Jesus.
So what does this have to do with today’s gospel? Saint John’s gospel is very different from the others. He takes events from the life of Jesus and things Jesus said and weaves them together to show something of the divine nature of Jesus, and today’s gospel is no exception. This is the first public miracle recorded by John. Why did the other gospel writers not mention it? I think again, it’s that Jesus worked so many miracles they all had to pick and choose what was going into their gospels,because they all had different things to emphasize. But here, wine is a symbol, a symbol of joy. It was a wedding feast, and let’s face it, it was a week of partying and wine helped with the rejoicing. And Mary tells Jesus, ‘They have no wine”. They’ve run out. And the amazing thing is that Jesus tells his mother “This isn’t the time or place, my hour hasn’t come yet”. Jesus is a human being like you and I, although perfect, and open at all times to the Father. He’s been waiting for a sign from the Father to begin his ministry and his march to the cross. But wine? At a village wedding? But Mary keeps on, “Do whatever he tells you”. And she sits down, picks up her glass and drains the last few drops of wine, and looks at him expectantly. And he gives in. And about 120 gallons of wine take the place of water, and joy is returned to the party, and everyone has enough wine to celebrate the marriage -- celebrate with no holding back. Wine is a symbol of joy.
When the Holy Eucharist is celebrated, Jesus comes to us in two forms, the bread and the wine. Why both? Because you and I have offered bread, symbolizing all that is necessary for sustaining our lives -- food, clothing, shelter, relationships, and so forth. We offer that as a sacrifice to the Father. But we also offer wine, which symbolizes what God has given us that we don’t need -- the beauty that we experience, the companionship of friends, the pleasure of watching a football game, if that’s your thing; an intimate moment with your spouse -- we offer all our joys as well.
And the Father returns them both to us transformed into the Body and Blood of his Son and invites us to eat and drink and become what we consume. And when we enter into this mystery, when we allow God to work in us, can there be any greater joy?
In the Litany of the Blessed Mother, we call her “Cause of our joy”. She is the one who said “yes” to the angel. She is the one who bore the child. She is the one who sees to it that his first miracle is to bring joy to a peasant village celebrating an ordinary wedding. Saint Theresa of Avila said “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!" Let us share the wine of joy we have been given!
