Name: Anh Tran
Email: atransj@hotmai.com
Date: Tuesday - 16/Jan/107 - 20:04:55 GMT
Response:
Wedding at Cana:
This miracle, actually called "sign", is unique to the Fourth Gospel. No one else report a similar miraculous act, or intention. A casual reader might get stuck at the verbal exchanges between Jesus and his mother, and thus he/she might miss the more important theological message of John. Here, Jesus did not act in responding to external pressure (even of his mother), or to the perceive need, but he mainly did this to glorify God. Note that in doing so, he did not draw attention to himself. No one, except the servants who filled the water in the six jars, would know where the fine wine come from. The abundance of wine (according to my calculation is about 120-180 gallons of wine = 600-900 bottles, after everyone has drunk up) shows the celebratory and joyful character of knowing Jesus. The sign of Cana is, therefore, a preview of what is about to come in Jesus' person and mission from the Father: "I have come to give life, and life abundantly" (Jn 10:10).
Name: an hoa
Email:
Date: Tuesday - 16/Jan/107 - 05:23:04 GMT
Response:
- Paradoxically, human gaffe or sin opens a space for God's grace.
- Mary is aware of people's needs.
- God changes his time, his plan, to respond to people's needs.
- Jesus performs miracles in everyday life: in home, wedding, etc. Do I open my daily, ordinary life to God?
- After the healing, it's better.
- The real fruit of the miracle is not just better wine, or honor, but faith.
- Good wine is symbolic of beautiful new energy, new life, when life itself was running dry before.
Name: Hy
Email:
Date: Wednesday - 10/Jan/107 - 16:33:01 GMT
Response:
"On the third day": This completes the new creation, in 7 days. Examine the following verses in chapter 1:
+ 1:29, "the next day" or day 2;
+ 1:35 "the next day" or day 3;
+ 1:43 "the next day" or day 4.
With 3 more days, the total is 7.
I don't know of any other reason why John would count the days, other than to echo Genesis 1. This creation theme also goes with the Prologue, and Mary as the new "woman" or new Eve.
I learned this from Fr. Pat O'Leary, SJ, at Seattle University.
One potential theological problem: Jesus is working on the Sabbath? Yes, God continues to work on the Sabbath and even NOW, as laid out in the rest of John's Gospel.