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No More Wine?
Remember His Example
By
Tom Quirk |
Scituate
— “No
more wine?” Depending on the circumstances, speaker or tone
of voice, those words can have markedly different
implications. For a young couple’s first dinner party, it
can be the embarrassment of their lack of experience and
planning. For party goers, eager to socialize, it may be the
signal that it is time to move on. Where events have moved
beyond appropriate bounds, it may be an authority figure’s
voice, signaling the end of the evening’s festivities. For
others, it may be their personal prayer for another day of
sobriety.
A recent gospel concerned Jesus’ first miracle at the
wedding feast at Cana when Mary said, “…there is no more
wine.” Jesus’ initial response was, “…My hour has not come.”
However, He asked that six large jars be filled with water,
which He transformed into fine wine.
Fr. Bob Jones, a wonderful homilist, used the analogy of how
humans may similarly run out of steam or enthusiasm; “wine”
if you will. We all are very energized with a new job or
relationship, and for a while everything is simply great.
Later the situation may become boring and less challenging;
we may become tired and worn down. Do any of us recognize
that perhaps “our hour” has come to help fill those jars of
the weary caregivers and the sick? Divine intervention is
not our call!
In that gospel, certainly Jesus could have created the wine
on his own, without the serving staff’s need to fill the
jars with water; but He didn’t. Human participation was
considered important. How many water jars do any of us fill?
Do we visit with the lonely, encourage and comfort those
with family or job frustrations, and do we offer assistance
to those overwhelmed by their own, or a loved one’s,
illness?
I would submit that those individuals, not only the brain
aneurysm survivors and their family caregivers, but also the
devoted professionals, who are actively participating in the
support group experience of sharing, are mutually filling
those very important water jars, and doing their part, just
as did the servers at the wedding in Cana. God will attend
to the miracles!
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ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
For more information you may contact Tom Quirk at (781)
545-2300, extension 628 or via email at tfquirk@aol.com. For
more detailed information about brain aneurysms, please
visit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s web site at
www.bafound.org.
The South Shore Brain Aneurysm Support
Group meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month,
from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Parish Center, 2 Edward
Foster Road, Scituate.
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