Symbolism of the Wedding at Cana, in the Gospel

The wedding at Cana

This is a biblical passage that is described in the book of John, which tells of a wedding party that took place in Galilee, specifically in Cana and to which Jesus, Mary and all his disciples were invited. And it is there when through the intermediation of his Mother Mary, Jesus turns water into wine.

This biblical account shows the absolute faith that Mary had in her son Jesus, and her abilities to be able to face with determination and poise all the tests to which she was subjected. That is why she asks him to turn the water into wine, since it had finished and the guests were beginning to get impatient. A compelling reason for how ingrained her town was in celebrating its festivities with the company of such a precious elixir.

Jesus confronts such a request from Mary to turn the water into wine, so that his wedding hosts could appease the already somewhat heated tempers of their guests. With this fact he makes it clear that with his sole will he is capable of converting a liquid, which in this case is water, into another that will serve to continue the celebration at the wedding in Cana to which he was invited.

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. And lacking the wine, the mother of Jesus said to him: They have no wine. Jesus said to her: what do you have with me, woman? My time has not yet come. His mother said to those who served: Do whatever I tell you. And there were six stone jars for water, according to the purification rite of the Jews, in each of which, two or three jars fit. Jesus said to them: Fill these jars with water. And they filled them to the top. Then he said to them: Take it out now, and take it to the master-room. And they took him away.

Epiphany at the turning of water into wine

The Epiphany of the Lord takes place in the environments of Nazareth, the Jordan and Cana. These are the places where Jesus manifests himself as the messiah of the Jews, the chosen one of the Lord and his Prophet. It is in these areas where Jesus begins his process of showing the truth regarding his person and what is the true mission that was entrusted to him, according to the will of the Father.

His mother Mary is the one who lifts him up so that he makes known and reveals all the power that was conferred on him by the Almighty Father. She is that same mother, along with her husband José, who have been preparing him throughout his formation from Bethlehem to Cana, so that when the time came, he would be ready for his revelation in public life.

Everything that surrounds the revelation of Jesus on the occasion of attending the wedding feast at Cana, is the beginning of one of the many revelations that he makes to demonstrate the reason why his Father God has sent him to the world, and so that his disciples could witness how he had been Anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Next, we present some indications to understand a little more, the symbology present in this act of turning simple water to drink, into the most delicious wine ever tasted by those attending the wedding at Cana:

• The water represents how empty our religion is.
• That converted wine is God’s joy and promise that we will have abundant life.
• His Mother Mary is the woman , who was chosen by God.
• Weddings embody the union between God and his beloved people.
• The stone jars or vessels, which are presented as an imperfect number since there are six, symbolize the Law, which comes in search of the purification of the human being.
• When we come across the expression “Do what he tells you” , it has a very similar meaning to that which was expressed by the people, when the alliance took place at Sinai:

“It is necessary that we do everything that the Lord has said. And Moses took it upon himself to bring to the Lord what his people had said.”

The Gospel of Saint John

In the Gospel of Saint John, we are given the story of a wedding that in the scriptures is known as “the wedding at Cana”, and that took place in Galilee, and he begins to tell his story saying that, on the third day, a wedding was held in Cana of Galilee which is said to have been a very special wedding, since Mary, who was the Mother of Jesus, had been invited to it.

The reason why she was invited was to attend and serve the guests. The families of the bride and groom were very poor and simple, as is known, Jesus also attended the party, who was present in the company of his first disciples, whom he chose as he went along the way.

As in all the festivals of antiquity, the men always grouped themselves apart, making small groups, in one of those groups Jesus stood out, since he was very happy and extremely extroverted. The women usually gathered very close to the stove, to be attentive with the preparation of what would be served to the diners.

Because of that sixth sense that women have, and even more so if they are mothers, María realized that the number of guests far exceeded what had been estimated from the beginning and the food and drink would not be enough for everyone. Which meant big trouble for the bride and groom, as the bride and groom would long be remembered as the worst of hosts.

The Wedding at Cana: Role of Mary

Such was Mary’s concern for the dishonor of these humble bride and groom, that without being noticed she approached her son Jesus and almost whispered in his ear: Son, these humble bride and groom are almost out of wine and they still have many guests. , this was not a request that Maria made to him, it was simply a very subtle suggestion that he made to her.

Jesus, somewhat annoyed, because he considered that it was not yet his time to manifest his gifts, made certain reproaches to his mother. And after having a good time, Jesus set out to please his mother, not because he wanted to save the honor of her humble hosts. Rather, his reasons had to do with the opportunity to find himself in the right place to be able to manifest his glory, he is ready to fulfill the request of his Mother.

Mary, without fully understanding her son’s refusal and responses, decided very firmly to call the bride and groom alone to tell them to do everything that her son Jesus would tell them. Jesus makes a request to the servants, but these surprised at such a request look at each other astonished.

Jesus asked them to fill the six jars that were in the kitchen with water, and then take them to the master-room. Such was the surprise of the servants when they saw in the glasses the wine that came out of the jars.

Paul Veronese

He is an Italian painter who is the author of the painting The Wedding at Cana , said work is made in oil on a canvas 9.94 m long by 6.77 m high, and was painted in 1563.