A glorious day it was, and merrily
Resounded flutes and pipes and tambourines,
At Canaan in spring-time Galilee -
With flowered meadows and fresh sprightly greens,

The Galilean hills sloped round about,
And merry guests clapped callous work-worn hands,
A village wedding feast,- a happy crowd
Delighted in the banquet and the dance.

Jesus Himself was there, and several
Of his disciples’ gallivanting band;
His mother too,- and in the well-stocked hall
Lent counsel and experienced a hand.

The wedding party kicked into high gear-
A cantor praised in song King Solomon,-
But disconcerted stewards in the rear
Began to whisper: "Lo! - the wine is gone”.

A banquet is so cheerless without wine,
Woe! if the golden precious draught gives out,
And generous hosts’ repute is on the line
When jars are empty and dried up the spout.

The mother,- watching wineskins, jars and cask-
Saw the embarrassed stewards at their post-
Remembering the “Seek ye knock and ask”,
Got up to plead for the unhappy host.

Faith spurred her loving heart- she turned to Him-
To Him, her son, the mother did incline;
Who can fill up all vessels to the brim,
And whispered softly: “Son! - they have no wine!”



His time had not yet come, but Mary she
Unwittingly precipitated it,
Out of her motherly great sympathy
With people in embarassment and need.

At first it seemed, denied was the request,
Unheeded passed the mother’s whispered plea,
But then at length He slowly rose and blessed
The water in the jars - and all could see-

Its color gleamed a bright incarnadine,
The stewards tasted and the crowd was hushed-
The wine was strong,- its quality the best-
The water saw its Maker’s Face and blushed!.



© Elizabeth Dandy

Our Life on Earth is a Wedding Feast!
Cana Wedding Feast (Jn.2)

The change of the "Eternal Plan of God":

The Epistle to the Ephesians tells us about the perfect eternal plan of God for salvation, to restore everything in Christ. At Cana, the time of Jesus to start his ministry had not yet come, as Jesus told his mother in 2:4. But He changed the eternal perfect plan of God because His Mother interceded!.