Inviting Jesus to our wedding, into our marriage

This Sunday’s Gospel takes us to the wedding feast at Cana. John writes that Mary, Jesus and his disciples were invited to this wedding. 

Did the bride and groom understand how important it was that Jesus was on the guest list? Did they have any clue how great a blessing this poor carpenter and his mother would be to their wedding?

Jesus enters into the scene and doesn’t just transform water into wine; he also brings great blessing to this couple and also to us as Christians as he institutes the sacrament of marriage. 

Was Jesus on the guest list to your wedding? This is an important point to ponder. Even though weddings take place in the church, often we forget the most important guest on the list. Jesus wants to be part of every Christian marriage. As with all the sacraments, Jesus Christ uses these outward signs that he instituted to impart his grace upon us. Yet, this is not magic; it takes our active cooperation. We must be properly disposed to receive grace from the sacraments.

Mary demonstrates how to do this as she speaks to the servants at the wedding: “Do whatever he tells you!” There are two steps to this command. The first is that we must listen and be attuned to the voice of Jesus. The second is that we must act upon his word. We are told that the jars are filled to the brim. It is here that Jesus makes something entirely plain and ordinary into great wine.

In living out the sacrament of marriage, the ordinary water is the day-in-day-out struggle and the love that is shown between husband and wife. Often we are filled to the brim, reaching the limits of our own strength and sanity. When this is handed over to Jesus, he transforms it by his grace into something spectacular, overflowing with his grace. His grace transforms marriages into great wine. It is in this way that Jesus shows his glory.

Take a moment to sit down with your spouse and call this truth to mind. Invite Jesus into your marriage. He wants to use this sacrament to bring about a fruitful harvest. Let his grace transform both our joys and imperfections into a fine wine.

Father Joseph Sund is associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in O’Neill and St. Joseph Parish in Amelia, and he has teaching duties at St. Mary School in O’Neill.