Personally, the celebrations I like best are weddings. One will usually find people at their humanly best on such occasions. Watch how they dress, for instance. It will be fancy, fancy. How comfortable they feel in a gown or in an ill fitting tuxedo is questionable, but they will wear them, not to show off, but rather to let the bride and groom know that this affair is special for them. Of course, by the end of the reception some may look a little bedraggled, clothes wrinkled, eyes a bit drowsy from the fine food and drink, but, all in all everyone has a good time. It’s a celebration

I am sure that it will not be news to most people who have heard the gospels read in church Sunday after Sunday that often they tell about ordinary things that happen in life. The life portrayed in the gospels was not so different than it is today. But we need to remember when reading the gospels that a story, which seems so ordinary will often have a deeper meaning, something we need to think about before it becomes clear what this story is trying to convey to us, what the author had in mind. It’s called analogy. Jesus often used analogies to convey a lesson. He would say, for instance: “The kingdom of God can be compared to a farmer or a vintner or a rich man who gave a banquet for his son. Immediately, of course, you will know that the story is not about a farmer or a vintner or a rich man. It is about something with a deeper meaning and importance. It is the task of the reader or listener to figure out what that. means So, with all that, you may have noticed the theme of marriage or a wedding banquet running through the readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Isaiah the prophet and poet in the first reading is attempting to console the Israelite exiles. In so many words he writes: Some day you will return to your homeland because your God has made you his bride; you are his espoused; you will wear a diadem of gold and diamonds.

Of course, we know that God does not marry anyone. This is an example of an analogy of something precious. Generally, in those times, an entire village might attend weddings whether invited or not. In this instance there was such a crowd that the wine that was supplied by the groom ran out. Then, you see, we have this interesting little conversation between Jesus and his mother. Let me paraphrase it: Mary: “Son, did you notice that the wine is getting low?” Jesus replies: “Hey, mother what business is that of mine?” Mary tells the waiters: “Do whatever he tells you.” And what does he do? He changes 180 gallons of wash water into the best tasting wine you could find.

End of story? Well, not quite. We need to get back to the notion of analogy. Again, as before, the new wine is of supreme taste, not something off someone’s traveling cart. Not only that but the amount of wine is overwhelming: 180 gallons. Extravagance in the extreme!

Now, however this event took place, the early Christians remembered it in some form and passed it down for future ages. They remembered it because it was a sign to them of God’s gracious and abundant goodness. Life in God’s kingdom is like the most glorious feast you can imagine. God wishes only the best for his people, especially those who are poor, destitute, living in depressing conditions. So, this is a good news story for people who could expect little out of life.

Ultimately, it is not very important how this event took place, how much wine was produced. What is important is to realize that God provides abundantly for his people. God’s love is overwhelming,

The final point, of course, is this: God does not change water into wine at every wedding or any wedding. It is simply a story of God’s goodness, God’s will for us. God leaves the “miracle-working” up to us. It is our responsibility to bring some semblance of abundance to the little world we live in: Food, water, housing, medical care and the rest. The fact is that we can do “miracles” if we wish. On the day I wrote this hundreds of delegates are meeting in Copenhagen Denmark to determine how the world’s nations can clean up the universe for a future generation. If they are successful, it may well be a miracle.

None of us are at that meeting, of course, but in many, many different ways we can help to keep our earthly home livable.

Finally, we must say that gospel stories are not simply cute little anecdotes in which everything always works out for the best. They are stories with theological lessons: The lesson is this: Do something so good that it will seem like a miracle to others. Let the vintners take care of multiplying wine.

The scriptures: Isaiah 62: 1-5; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11; John 2: 1-11