Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday after Epiphany

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (John 2:1–11)

Let us inquire, then, what sign He performed in order to manifest His divinity to the people. This is said to have been His first miracle—that He changed water into wine. Clearly this is a great sign and one sufficient for believing the majesty of God, for who would not be amazed at elements transformed into something other than they were? For no one can change nature except the one who is Lord of nature. From this one must believe that a mortal human being can be transformed into immortality, when a base substance has been transformed into a precious substance. For, listener, I do not want you to notice only the names of wine and water, but if you wish to ascertain the power look at the virtue of the things, for by this deed something very lofty is pointed out. When the Lord converts water into wine, He does this not so that drunkenness may not be wanting to the banqueters but so that eternity may be the lot of believers. For, since Christ came into the world not that He might provide supplies for feasters but that He might obtain salvation for human beings, neither did He do so in order to fill water jars with a pleasant-smelling substance but in order to water souls with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when from that base water He wished the feasters to savor the taste of an excellent wine, He wished rather for believers to savor from this base flesh the taste of a heavenly resurrection. In this sign, in fact, the whole mystery of the resurrection is contained, for the turning of water that is base, lackluster, and cold into wine that is precious, red, and fiery, signifies that the substance of the human person—base in its condition, lackluster in its weakness, and cold in its dying—is to be changed into the glory of the resurrection, which is precious in its eternity, bright-hued in its grace, and fiery with the Spirit of deathlessness.

It is proper to believe, therefore, that the Lord wished to do this so that through this earthly sign the future heavenly mystery would already be seen then by the wise. For if it is truly marvelous that what was lacking to those at table was made up for by the wine, how much more marvelous it is that life which has been drained dry has been restored to human beings! And if it is a glorious thing to change water into wine, how much more glorious it is to change sins into righteousness and to temper behavior rather than goblets! I dare say that those water jars serve that precious substance not only to that banquet but to the whole world; indeed, they serve us better. For it is well known that they drew drunkenness from those vessels, but we draw righteousness; that they received a goblet of wine, but we take the cup of salvation; and, if it is permitted to speak thus, that what they drank was passing, but that what we have received abides.

Maximus of Turin, Sermon 101: “A Sequel on the Same Holy Day” 3