The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9:15

Jesus compares himself to the bridegroom at a wedding in today’s gospel passage. He also compares his disciples to the wedding guests. Weddings are happy occasions; they are very special events where people get together to celebrate; to express their happiness and joy for a newly married bride and groom. The atmosphere that Jesus created among his disciples was like a wedding. It was a celebratory atmosphere; an atmosphere that was charged with a new spirit of love, joy and freedom.

The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees could not handle this joyful and celebratory atmosphere that Jesus shared with his followers. Thus they asked Jesus, “why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” They did not understand that Jesus came to bring joy so “that our joy may be full.” He came to redeem us; to raise us up; not to wear us down with a religion of gloom and doom like the Pharisees who loved to lay heavy burdens and sacrifices on people.

The spirit of celebration weaves its way through the gospels like a golden thread. It is at the marriage feast of Cana that Jesus begins his public ministry by changing the water into wine so that the wedding guests can celebrate.

There’s a story about a wedding party in Italy that was holding a reception in the church patio. It began to rain, so the bridegroom asked the pastor of the church if they could re-locate the reception inside the church, out of the rain. He promised the pastor that the wedding party would behave and that they would keep the celebration dignified. The pastor reluctantly agreed, but he paced back and forth in the sacristy, praying that the party would end as soon as possible. Every time there was a burst of laughter from the wedding guests, the pastor suffered in silence. The associate pastor, who had joined the wedding party, found the pastor pacing the floor of the sacristy in a grumpy mood:
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Look at that group celebrating. What a disgrace!”
“Isn’t that what Jesus did at the marriage feast of Cana?” replied the associate.
“The Blessed Sacrament wasn’t there”, exclaimed the pastor.

Jesus was not only there at the marriage feast of Cana; He celebrated with the guests. He celebrated with his disciples after the resurrection when He prepared a meal for them near the seashore. He celebrated with them at the last supper, and He celebrates with us every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist.
“Do this”, He said, “in memory of me.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy