Sunday, February 11 : Saint Ephrem

Why did our Lord change water into wine as his first sign? It was to show how God, who transforms nature into something else, also works his transformation in the womb of the Virgin. In the same way, as the crown of his miraculous deeds, Jesus opened a tomb to make known his freedom with regard to the death that is hungry to swallow up everything. To both authenticate and confirm the twofold reversal of nature brought by his birth and his resurrection, Jesus changed water into wine without in any way altering the stone water-jars. This was the symbol of his own body, miraculously conceived and wonderfully created in a virgin without the working of a man… Contrary to their normal use, the jars… brought new wine into the world without ever repeating the same miracle again. In the same way the Virgin conceived and brought Emmanuel into the world (Is 7,14) without afterwards conceiving again. The miracle of the stone water-jars was that what was small became great, sparseness was changed into superabundance, plain water into sweet wine… In Mary, on the other hand, the greatness and glory of the godhead changed its appearance to take on the aspect of weakness and humiliation. Those jars were used for the Jewish purifications; into them our Lord poured his teaching: he demonstrated that he came according to the Law and the prophets but with the purpose of changing them all through his teaching as the water became wine… “The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1,17). The bridegroom who lived in Cana invited the Bridegroom from heaven, and the Lord, who was ready for that wedding, answered his invitation. Those seated at table invited him who sets worlds in his Kingdom, and he sent them a wedding gift able to delight them… They had no wine even of an ordinary sort; he poured a little from his own abundance for them. In return for their invitation he himself invited them to his own wedding.
maronite readings – rosary,team