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lemonbeam
Guest
What is the meaning/symbolization behind Jesus’ turning the Water into Wine?
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thistle
Guest
I like Father Benedict Groeschel’s comment:
“The marriage feast of Cana is not only a sign of Christ beginning to manifest Himself to the world - part of the Epiphany - but it is the beginning of the revelation of the Holy Eucharist. The astonishing transformation of the substance of water into the substance of wine (which has been called water in excelsis) is meant to prepare human minds for the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.”
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empther
Guest
I agree with Fr. Groeshel. Would I argue with him? 
Also,
Also,
- while water is necessary to life, it doesn’t nourish. Wine nourishes. This is what God’s grace does for us. It helps us grow into children of God, and inheritors of Heaven, something the world alone can’t do.
- Jesus did the miracle at Mary’s urging. The message is that miracles can be accomplished through prayer.
- Jesus converted the water to wine at his mother’s “suggestion”. apparently the only time in the Gospels when he did a miracle by command. He was giving an example of obediance. However, this was one of only two miracles that did not involve healings ( the other being the cursing of the fig tree ). So healing is reserved to God who alone can initiate the command for a healing miracle.
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CentralFLJames
Guest
Oh my - there is SO much going on here that one could write a Theoligical Thesis on it all.
What does it mean to you is perhaps the better question to ask. There is depth of meaning and this is the nature of scripture and what invites us to be immersed in it.
God Bless,
James
What does it mean to you is perhaps the better question to ask. There is depth of meaning and this is the nature of scripture and what invites us to be immersed in it.
- There is an aspect of God using this occasion to reveal an extraordinary Role of Mary. Mary is the one to observe: “They have no more wine”
Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you”.
Mary’s protective and intercessional role is being revealed. - Jesus presence is just like the accounts of His presence at John’s baptism where he enters the waters. Thus Jesus is sanctifying Marriage as a sacrament just as baptism was made a sacrament. Where Jesus is so is grace (“Hail full of Grace” - Mary accompanies Jesus here)
- There is also a probable association of the new wine into old wine skins parable: Gospel of Matthew 9:17, Gospel of Mark 2:22 and Gospel of Luke 5:37-39
- Six Stone Jars to me at least brings forth an image of imperfect man (the number 6 - the day man was created along with the animals) cast from relatively fragile clay that is the stuff of the earth (what God fashioned Adam from) and the same nature of the harder substance that the stone tablets come from (which will break clay as does the law break a man’s life for disobedience).
- Again one might see this verse in hindsight to later teaching where Jesus teaches the necessity of being born of water and spirit. Might we infer that the good faith in obedience to Jesus in adding water to the clay pots is an imagery of birth and cleansing and the conversion thereof causes the spirit to transform the inner man (a spirited and exceptional vintage of wine)? Might it be that the spirit gives whole substance to the inner vessel which while still outwardly somewhat fragile is now part and parcel to something special that can serve God and refresh others"? “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
- Note too that wine is served at the last supper and bitter wine (the 4th pascal Seder cup left unfinished in the upper room?) is served to Christ on the cross from a branch of hyssop (used in Jewish ritual cleansing).
- Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
- Now that Jesus has sanctified marriage the imagery of the divine bridegroom and bride and marriage of Christ to His Church is all part of this too.
God Bless,
James
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FightingFat
Guest
There’s also an interesting new Adam–new Eve thing there don’t you think?
I think that John sees here a symbol of the revelation brought by Christ. It is a marriage feast, but for John it is a “sign” of the messianic wedding which God celebrates with His people: in this marriage of the New Covenant, Jesus is the bridegroom, Mary, the daughter if Zion, is the bride.
Vatican II affirms the propriety of the title “Advocate” for the Mother of Jesus (Lumen Gentium, 62). It means that just as Mary intervened at Cana for the needs of others, so she continues to make Heavenly intercessions for the needs of the saints on earth (CCC 969).
“My hour has not yet come” (2:5) also stares out at me here. Why would Jesus say this, except to draw direct attention to the provision of wine as a parallel to the hour of His passion? Massive Eucharistic significance!
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Lief_Erikson
Guest
A lot of this is what I think of when praying that part of the Rosary. This single scene, which on a glance looks like it’s “just” a miracle story, has so many phenomenal layers of meaning! It’s the entire message of the process of salvation in the soul of a Catholic, bound together in one short story.
We have Mary’s intercession, first, leading the Catholic to Christ. Then we have the six stone jars, as you say, represent the stone, empty heart of imperfect man. Then, through Mary’s intercession, the servants gain the will and direction to believe. Works and faith are brought together as through Mary’s intercession, man does what Christ wants. Then they pour water into the jars, representing the water of baptism cleansing the heart of a believer. Then, the Lord changes that water into wine, even as we receive the nourishing blood of Christ in the Eucharist after we are baptized. Finally, that wine is taken to the master of the banquet, representing God at the Last Judgment, who tastes it and declares that it is good, even as the soul is pronounced righteous and is vindicated by God. Then, the Sacrament of Marriage is instituted, representing the divine romance of Heaven. For Jesus, the Husband of the Church, is wed to her, and after the resurrection and Final Judgment, what is there but Married Life?
The whole process of salvation in a Catholic is revealed in the first miracle of Jesus. It’s an extraordinary sign.
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cazayoux
Guest
The grape (fruit of the vine) being a fruit altogether different from what Eve brought to Adam.
I never thought that tie.
Thanks!
michel
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FightingFat
Guest
You’re welcome, also, what about Eve tempting Adam into sin, and Mary “tempting” Jesus into the act of Redemption?
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YADA
Guest
Great Posts 
The 6 jars at a jewish wedding contain water for ritual bathing by the Bride and Groom … so as others said Baptism is symbolized …
The Groom is responsible to provide the wine for the wedding … Jesus- as the Groom provides the wine at this Jewish wedding … weds the Jewsish people …
John later states that he is the friend of the Bride groom that he must decrease and the Bride Groom increase … immediately Jesus appears at the Well in Samaria … the Samaritan’'s are the half breed jews … like Hosea, he reclaims his harlot wife [symbolically - the Samaritan people]… then he moves to gentile country … where he gathers the rest of humanity - all are covered by the groom …
John’s Gospel is so rich, absolutely full of theological symbols …
Salvation History replayed out in the Gospel of John. John begins with a parallel Genesis … In the Beginnig was the Word … The Wedding at Cana falls on the 7th day of John’s Gospel …
Years of years of study -
the Gospel of John will still delight
and illustrate the love of God for His people … :yup:
The 6 jars at a jewish wedding contain water for ritual bathing by the Bride and Groom … so as others said Baptism is symbolized …
The Groom is responsible to provide the wine for the wedding … Jesus- as the Groom provides the wine at this Jewish wedding … weds the Jewsish people …
John later states that he is the friend of the Bride groom that he must decrease and the Bride Groom increase … immediately Jesus appears at the Well in Samaria … the Samaritan’'s are the half breed jews … like Hosea, he reclaims his harlot wife [symbolically - the Samaritan people]… then he moves to gentile country … where he gathers the rest of humanity - all are covered by the groom …
John’s Gospel is so rich, absolutely full of theological symbols …
Salvation History replayed out in the Gospel of John. John begins with a parallel Genesis … In the Beginnig was the Word … The Wedding at Cana falls on the 7th day of John’s Gospel …
Years of years of study -
the Gospel of John will still delight
and illustrate the love of God for His people … :yup:
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Lief_Erikson
Guest
Yada, I agree, and I really appreciate that we have such a positive, uplifting thread on this forum too. There’s so much ideological conflict, logically enough (there has to be here for the truth to be known), but here we can just peal away some of the layers of the most beautiful passages of the Gospels.
Thanks for the information about Jewish custom, too. I didn’t know about any of that.
So the serpent urged Eve to create Death, as the angel urged Mary to create Life. And Eve urged Adam to take the fruit and kill all mankind in the act, while Mary urged Jesus to give the fruit, and create life for all mankind in the act.
Wow.
Come to think of it, Jesus, representing Humanity (as He did on the Cross), giving up the fruit at Cana may well represent the returning of what Humanity stole. Humanity took the fruit in Eden, and Humanity gives it back again at Cana (representing Golgotha). The “miracle” would then be the Passion of the Christ.
Thanks for the information about Jewish custom, too. I didn’t know about any of that.
That’s awesome!!! I never thought of that one. It’s a marvelous connection.
So the serpent urged Eve to create Death, as the angel urged Mary to create Life. And Eve urged Adam to take the fruit and kill all mankind in the act, while Mary urged Jesus to give the fruit, and create life for all mankind in the act.
Wow.
Come to think of it, Jesus, representing Humanity (as He did on the Cross), giving up the fruit at Cana may well represent the returning of what Humanity stole. Humanity took the fruit in Eden, and Humanity gives it back again at Cana (representing Golgotha). The “miracle” would then be the Passion of the Christ.
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lemonbeam
Guest
This is very interesting! Great replies, thank you 
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Pax
Guest
Another extended connection of this miracle is its connection to the other miracles leading up to the discourse on the bread of life.
Jesus shows what he can do with food in changing water into wine and by multiplying the loaves and fishes. Then Jesus walks on water and thus shows what he can do with his body. These three miracles prepared the Jews and us to accept Jesus promise of giving us his body and blood as true food and true drink.
Likewise, during the discourse Jesus compares the promise of the Eucharist to the miraculous manna in the desert and the future miracle of his ascension into heaven. Not only has Jesus prepared us by other miracles to accept the promise of the Eucharist by faith, but he has also used all of this to show that the promise of the Eucharist is also a miracle and not merely some sort of symbol.
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ryanoneil
Guest
One meaning of an abundance of wine is a sign of the messianic age.
The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, {And} refined, aged wine. (Isa 25:6)
**And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim. (Joel 3:18)
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. (Amos 9:13)**
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