April 29, 2019

The Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus (313-24); the Venerable Memnon the Wonderworker

Read
Acts 3:19-26; John 2:1-11

Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!

In Today’s Gospel, we read about the wedding at Cana. Jesus’ mother is the first to speak, as John tells the story: “They have no wine.” On the surface level, she is indeed commenting on a social disaster, running out of wine at a party, and she is asking Jesus to do something to make things better.

But let’s go deeper. Wine, in the Scriptures, is a symbol of the exuberance and intoxication of the divine life. When God is in us, we are lifted up, rendered joyful, transfigured. Therefore, when Mary says, “They have no more wine,” she is speaking of all of Israel and indeed all of the human race. They have run out of the exuberance and joyfulness that comes from union with God.

Let us pray for Mary’s intercession for each one of as she begs her son for so much needed grace of true, deep, divine, contagious and lasting joy for suffering humanity.

mo