Lessons 7-9 from the Divine Office of Second Sunday after Epiphany: John 2: 1-11; Treatise 9 on John by St. Augustine the Bishop.
Lessons 7-9 from the Divine Office of Second Sunday after Epiphany: John 2: 1-11; Treatise 9 on John by St. Augustine the Bishop.
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At that time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.
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The fact that the Lord was pleased to be asked, and thereupon to go to the marriage, sheweth plainly enough (apart from any mystical significance in His act) that He is the Author and Blesser of marriage. For there were those of whom the Apostle hath warned us, who were yet to come, which same were to prohíbit marriage, and to say that matrimony is a bad thing in itself, and a work of the devil. As against any such teaching, we read in the Gospel that when the Lord was asked, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? He answered that it was not lawful, saving for the cause of fornication. In which answer ye will remember that He used these words: What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
They who are well instructed in the Catholick religion know that God is the Author and Blesser of marriage; and that, even as union in marriage is of God, so divorce is of the devil. But it is lawful for a man to put away his wife in case of fornication, because she herself hath refused to be a wife in that she keepeth not wedded-faith with her husband. They also who have made a vow of their virginity to God, and have thereby attained to a higher degree of holy honour in the Church, are not to be considered as unmarried, for they are a special part of the marriage of the whole Church, which is the Bride of Christ.
The Lord, being asked, went to the marriage, to strengthen the marriage bond, and to shed light on the hidden meaning of Holy Matrimony. In this marriage feast the bridegroom to whom it was said: Thou hast kept the good wine until now: was a figure of Christ, Who hath kept until now the good wine, namely the Gospel.