John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Context: We make a transition out of Luke into John for a week in order to study this beautiful story of the wedding at Cana in Galilee. (This happens frequently in the life of the lectionary - passages from the book of John are interspersed throughout the three years in which we study each of the synoptics). We don't really know where this "Cana" is located today ... there are several places that vie for the original location but there is no scholarly consensus. This is the first of Jesus' miracles in the midst of other people ... although it is a quiet event only meant for a few who, like Mary so long before, tucked it away in their consciousness for some future time.
Going Deeper ... Pondering ... Praying with Lectio Divina **see the sidebar** The next three weeks we'll be engaging in different ways to practice the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina, which is a way of reading the Scripture prayerfully and allowing the Spirit of God to speak to our lives as the stories and the texts help us to interpret the movement of God in our midst. Each text holds a personal message for us if we will be still and listen in the deepest part of ourselves.
Lectio (read) ... Read the passage aloud slowly savoring each of the words.
Meditatio (meditate) ... Linger over the text for as long as you wish. In silence, identify and recall the word, phrase, sentence, or idea that most caught your attention, and reflect on it for five minutes or longer. Ponder it from different directions and different ways.
Lectio (read) ... Read the passage aloud again.
Meditatio (meditate) ... Ask yourself: Where does this passage touch my life, my community, my nation, or my world today? Pause again and reflect for five minutes or longer.
Lectio (read) ... Read the passage aloud for the third and final time.
Meditatio (meditate) ... Pause in the silence for at least five minutes. What message do you hear from God? Ponder on it. Ask yourself: Is there an invitation here for me …to change …to act …to rest …to be …to …???
Oratio (pray): As we have listened to God and responded ... now we allow ourselves to be drawn into the presence of God ... this movement is the beginning of deeper prayer. We are not left alone with our experience ... in this time of prayer, we are strengthened ... Continue to pray as you feel led.
Contemplatio (contemplate): Rest in the presence of God in blessed silence for at least five minutes before moving on. Amen.
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