Homily -- The Marriage Feast

 

EPHIPHANY II           January 16, 2022     

STM Toronto

 Mystagogy X

These weeks after Christmas present us with a season of “epiphanies” or revelations. The liturgy is showing us who Jesus is and what He has revealed about our relationship with God.

 

Last week and the week before, the imagery was royal — Jesus is the newborn king of the Jews who makes us coheirs of Israel’s promise, beloved children of God. Last week in the liturgy we went to his baptism.

 

This week we’re at the Wedding in Cana and Jesus’ first miracle.

 

We’re being shown another dimension of our relationship with God. We are sons and daughters of God married into the family of faith.  

The Bible begins and ends with a wedding—Adam and Eve in the garden and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Gen. 2:23–24;  Rev. 19:9; 21:9; 22:17).  Monogamous marriage between one man and one woman is, of course, the most embattled of human institutions today after being established for millennia as an essential part of society . . . 

 

Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenant relationship God desires with His chosen people. God is the groom, humanity is the bride. We see this reflected beautifully in today’s First Reading.

 

When Israel breaks the covenant, she is compared to an unfaithful spouse (Jer. 2:20–36; 3:1–13). But God promises to take her back, to “espouse” her to Himself forever in an everlasting covenant (Hosea 2:18–22).

 

That’s why Jesus performs His first public “sign” at a wedding feast on the “Third Day.”  Third meaning the day of fulness, completion or finality.

 

Jesus is the divine bridegroom (John 3:29), calling us to the royal wedding feast (Mat 22:1–14). By His New Covenant, He will become “one flesh” with all humanity in the Church (Eph 5:21–33). By our baptism, each of us has been betrothed to Christ as a bride to her husband (2 Cor 11:2).

 

The new wine that Jesus pours out at this feast is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to His bride as today’s Epistle says. This is the “salvation” announced to the “families of nations” by the Psalmist.

 

Isaiah 62:1–5            Psalm 96:1–3, 7–10 1          Corinthians 12:4–11             John 2:1–12