Our liturgical calendar reminds that we are now in what is known as ‘Ordinary Time’. Our liturgical colour turns to green – a reminder that these Sundays are about ourselves turning green and growing.
The Church begins with a very ‘growing’ story from St John’s gospel – the story of the wedding feast at Cana.
In the late 1980’s I was engaged in what is commonly known as a thirty day retreat. The thirty days are silent and spent in contemplation of the Scriptures with the guidance of a spiritual director. The retreat follows the dynamic of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatuis of Loyola. The original exercises were written by Ignatius between 1522 – 1524.
The poem that follows is a result of spending a day sipping wine with Jesus, his mother Mary and other wedding guests.
The illustration I have chosen is by the British painter, Winifred Knights (1899 – 1947). Produced for the British School at Rome, it is now in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Cana
What is wine
but water at the mercy of
vine, maker and time.
This water
cut trampled and crushed
into the hands of the maker,
Patient;
and skill unfolds it
with a secret known only to the
Maker.
Juice itself not parry to its workings.
Water blended, laid to rest
with a something special not revealed.
{they say you can know the Maker
by supping his juice.}
this priceless water
like the “Daisies of Van Gogh
finds value in dust and darkness.
Who knows its price
smells its fruit
is palate touched
unless blood red ‘tis spilled.
When last did water spill red?
“This cup is for you
do it in memory”
And in the supping of the wine
forget not
the vine from whose stock was sprung,
the maker whose secret unfolded you.
