Jesus changed water into wine at Cana in Galilee as the beginning of his signs and so revealed his glory. After almost two months of preparations and celebration of the Christmas mysteries, the liturgical calendar shifts to the Ordinary Cycle (Time). The Ordinary Time is a period in which the mystery of Christ is honored in its fullness even as we allow it to transform our lives as a people who have been saved by the event of the Incarnation. The Ordinary Cycle celebrates the saving mystery of Christ in its fullness especially on Sundays when the Gospel readings recounts the life and ministry of Jesus in a linear manner, from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee until its culmination at Calvary.
Today’s Gospel reading takes us to the beginning of Jesus' ministry (at least according to the evangelist John) when Jesus performed the first of the many signs (miracles) that would characterize his life and ministry. Miracles formed an integral part of Jesus’ mission since they opened the eyes of those who witnessed them into the true identity and mission of Jesus. In addition to revealing the divine origins of Jesus (cf. John 1:1-2), the miracles also exonerated Jesus from the biased claims that he was an imposter rabbi. Jesus’ ability to perform signs were proof that not only was he from God (cf. John 16:28), but also that he had the backing of God the Father (cf. John 9:24-25). Jesus was able to heal the sick, feed the hungry, raise the dead, and restore to wholeness those who were possessed by the evil spirit because he had been commissioned by God to preach the good news by leading to the fullness of life those who would believe in him (cf. John 1: 12; 10:10).
The account of the miracle at Cana is listed by the evangelist John as having taken place at the onset of Jesus’ ministry. That the first sign was performed at this particular moment was no mere coincidence. Jesus was beginning to gather around him those who were going to be both his companions and partners in ministry. Even though some of them were originally disciples of John the Baptist (cf. John 1:35ff), they still needed to grow in knowledge of their new master. An in-depth knowledge of Jesus was going to be helpful in coming to know the mission for which they were summoned. And whereas this was going to be a progressive endeavor (it would only be after the ascension that the disciples would fully understand their mission), the miracle at Cana definitely afforded them a good starting point.
With the help of two of the characters who were involved in the event, Mary and the servants, the miracle at Cana opened the eyes of the disciples into what their role as partners with Jesus in ministry was going to constitute. Like Mary who approached Jesus with the request, the disciples’ call was going to require them to be intercessors for the people (unfortunately events such as them preventing the children to come to Jesus showed that they at times forgot what their role was). Mary had somehow come to know that the wine that had been made available for the party was soon running out. And being the selfless and caring mother that she is, she became concerned and felt she had to do something. She could not bear the thought of the embarrassment that their gracious hosts were going to suffer if they were to inform the guests that they had ran out of wine. Having gradually come to understand the identity of her son, Mary was aware that Jesus was able to do something to save the situation. And so she approached Jesus and placed a request on behalf the bride and the groom. After a moment of “protest,” Jesus gave in to his mother’s request. It might not have been the way in which he had envisioned the working of his first “sign,” but just like his mother, he too was moved by the plight of their hosts. He ordered the servants to fill the jars with water which he then changed into wine.
Secondly, the eyes of the disciples were opened unto the awareness that the success of their partnership with Jesus would, to a greater extent, be dependent upon their willingness to obey his commands without questioning. Those servants who were ordered by Jesus to fill the jars with water might have gotten appalled at Jesus’ directive. They were aware that those jars were used for external cleansing rituals and as such were not fit for domestic use. However, they made the decision to put their questionings aside and did as Jesus had commanded them. For although they had not had the opportunity to know who Jesus was or the miracle he was about to pull, they too did not want the master of the house to be embarrassed. They were willing to go to any length to ensure that the celebrations were not interrupted.
Jesus’ first sign at Cana was an appropriate way for him to begin his ministry. It afforded those who witnessed it an opportunity to see in action the good news that Jesus was proclaiming. The miracle at Cana also became an important event for those who wanted to follow Jesus. Not only were they afforded a peek into the identity of Jesus, the sign also helped them to grow their faith in him.