Breaking the Word – Page 2512 – Rev. Dr. Victor Antonyraj SDB

18.01.10 FASTING & BRIDEGROOM

Posted under Reflections on January 17th, 2010 by

Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. Mk 2,19

Fasting, prayer and almsgiving are the three main pious practices of a religion. In this passage for today, Jesus takes up the issue of fasting for discussion.

Jesus raises a question and answers it as well. Usually when he raises a question he would always expect his listeners to answer. (Like, in the case of good Samaritan or in the parable of the two brothers who were asked to go the farm to work etc.) Here he answers it all by himself.

Here the issue is about fasting and celebration. Both cannot co-exist. One is opposed to the other.

So a religion has these two aspects: fasting and feasting. Jesus also accepts this. But what he says is that these two cannot be patched up.

Jesus presence in this world is a time of celebration. He is the bridegroom who has come into the world.

As long as he is in the world there is no fasting. Probably that is why he also says: No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” Mk 2, 21-22.

Christian religion is a celebrating religion

because Jesus is within.

Is there Jesus around?

17.01.2010 BRIDEGROOM ONLY KNOWS

Posted under Reflections on January 16th, 2010 by

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” JOHN 2,9-10

We are very familiar with this story/miracle.

wedding feast
wine runs out
Mary intervenes
Water turns to wine
Jesus knows also the servers
headwaiter is shocked

I would like to present a cultural story from Israel:

It seems when a marriage is arranged,

then the bridegroom begins to collect

and save wine in a cellar or in a room

known to him alone, and the wine that is

saved up is to be used for the wedding feast.

On the wedding day he calls his friends or servants

and tells them to go to the place where the

wine is saved up and asks them to serve the

wine to the guests who are at the table.

So, only the bridegroom knows where the wine

comes from. Only the bridegroom is aware of the

place of origin of the wine and he tells his friends.

In this story of John chapter two wine runs out.

And there is no wine for the guests.

Situation is bad, humiliating to the groom.

But Jesus brings in wine from somewhere which

no one knows except him.

SO WHO IS THE REAL BRIDEGROOM?

Through this story the author is telling us that

Jesus is the real BRIDEGROOM who has

come to marry the world/universe/creation.

So this happens at the beginning of his ministry

to say that he is in command of the celebrations

in the world and he is in fact the bridegroom.

Interestingly it is Mary who reveals the bridegroom

to the servants and to the world.

Wedding feast at Cana is the beginning of ministry for Jesus

and he begins by taking up his role as the bridegroom

and he is to continue the celebrations

until the whole world is gifted back to the FATHER.