On Sunday, January 14th, the faithful, together with all the members of the Custody, recalled Jesus' first miracle at Cana. This was a joyous celebration in which different couples renewed their marriage vows.
A church and a community recall and testify to a passage of the Gospel: a visitor could use these words to describe the Latin parish of Cana, which on Sunday, January 14, celebrated a mass to commemorate Jesus' first miracle, as told by St. John: Jesus was invited to a wedding and He turned water into wine.
Fr. DOBROMIR JASZTAL, O.F.M.
Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land
"With this wedding, we celebrate the beginning of Jesus' miracles. The time had come for Jesus to begin His ministry. With this miracle and with this ministry, he begins to work in men's lives, but, above all, He begins to change men's hearts. Therefore, it is very important to welcome the message of this passage.”
The placing of this feast after the Epiphany and after the Baptism of the Lord in the liturgical calendar, is based on a theological tradition that, in the miracle of Cana, pictures the beginning of the revelation of the divinity of Jesus and an allusion to His project of Salvation that will be accomplished during the Holy Week.
Sr. HIAM, F.C.I.M
Franciscan Missionaries of Egypt - Nazareth
"The message of this feast, for me, as a religious, is to be the new wine for the people I work with and in the mission that the Lord entrusted to me. I also especially pray for families.”
The interventions of Jesus and Mary in favor of the young couple make this passage particularly meaningful for the family. For this reason, during the celebration, the couples renewed their marriage vows.
AISSAM BILAL
Christian man from Cana
"We have been married for four years; every year we renew our marriage vows here. Many follow this tradition, even my parents have done it for many years. We renewed our faith with the Holy Family: our marriage and our children have received the blessing of being a truly Christian family, according to the teaching of the Holy Church and to the teachings of our Lord Jesus.”
The closeness of Jesus to the spouses demonstrated 2000 years ago still serves as a model for the pastoral care of today's family.
Fr. HAYTHAM HANO, O.F.M.
Latin Pastor from Cana
"Here, the Franciscan presence focuses on the sacrament of marriage and on the importance of married life, because the wedding at Cana is a starting point for the construction of a family."
