This Sunday the Gospel of John proclaims the account of Jesus’ first miracle, and what the Church considers another manifestation of Christ as the Son of God (adding to the Nativity of Jesus, the Epiphany of the Lord, and the Baptism of the Lord) at the Wedding Feast at Cana—the miracle of changing water into wine.

Our parish has the most beautiful stained-glass windows depicting this miracle, which hail from
Europe as a gift of Rosanne and Bob O’Hara, and are located in the meditation chapel off the atrium. If you haven’t already seen them—or just wish to relive their beauty—go in and look at the vibrant colors in the windows: deep red, brilliant blue and strong green and yellow which tell a story all by themselves—not just that the windows were quite costly but that they are a
true work of art and craftsmanship—as the vibrant colors note that they had to originate as a gift of a wealthy person or locale, and that a great deal of work and detail were put into their creation. But beyond the cost of the colors, we see the first miracle of Jesus: that God’s love and concern for us is paramount. The artist used the imagery of this miracle to create an analogy of
God’s Love—that in the story of saving the good wine until the end—God’s enormous and creative gifts which we have already received, i.e., the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of the world around us, the gift of love in family, friends and God, the gift of mercy and forgiveness, and the gift of free will is not the be-all-and-the-end-all of His concern for us—but rather, God has something more in store for His faithful followers, His desire to share His Divine Glory
with us for all eternity, Salvation.

To highlight this deep, abiding love God has for His creation, the very first miracle of Jesus
highlights the depth of Love that God has for each one of us which promises a share in His Divine Life. A promise that is not predicated on perfection in this world, but rather one that emanates from faithfulness to His Love—and our right relationship with others and with God, in-and-through our service in this world.