The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Hear S. Chrysostom : “ Although He answered thus, yet He complied with His Mother’s prayer, that He might give honour to her, and not seem stubborn (contumax) to her, nor put her to shame when so many were present.” And Euthymius says, “ How very greatly He honoured her is plain from many other reasons, and also from this, that He fulfilled her exhortation.”
Moreover, in these words of the Virgin her meekness, piety, charity, prudence, faith, constancy, and greatness of soul wonderfully shine forth.
Ver. 6 . — There were set, &c. Christ then made use of these waterpots that it might be the more clearly evident that they had no wine in them ; and so the turning the water into wine in such vessels might be the more conspicuous.
Purification : by which the Jews according to their traditions were accustomed at their feasts ceremonially to wash their hands, if they happened to touch anything unclean at the table. (See S. Mark
Tropologically, S. Bernard expounds thus (Serm. 1, in Domin. 1, post. Oct. Epiph.) : The six waterpots are the six purifying virtues of the soul. “ The first waterpot, and the first cleansing, is in compunction , of which we read, that in the very hour in which the sinner shall groan, I will no more remember all their iniquities. The second is confession ; for all things are washed by confession. The third is the giving of alms ; for we read in the Gospel, ‘ Give alms, and behold all things are clean unto you.’ The fourth, forgiveness of injuries ; for we say when we pray, ‘ Forgive us our debts, for we also forgive those who are indebted to us.’ The fifth is affliction of the body ; for we pray that we, being purified by abstinence, may sing glory to God. The sixth is obedience to the commandments: even as the disciples heard what may we too deserve to hear, ‘ Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.’ ” He then applies the rest as follows : “ They are filled with water, that they may be kept in the fear of God, since the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.” Then he adds: “But by the Divine power the water is changed into wine when perfect love casts out fear. Now the waterpots are said to be of stone, not because of hardness, but for steadfastness ; for they contained two or three firkins apiece.”
Two or three firkins — Greek, measures . This measure was the same as the Hebrew ephah , or bath.
Ver. 7 .—Jesus saith, &c. S. Chrysostom asks, “But why did not He Himself fill the waterpots with water, and then turn it into wine?” He gives the right answer, saying, in order that He might have them as witnesses to the miracle who had drawn the water, lest any fraud or trickery should be supposed.
To the brim : lest, if any vacant space were left, Christ might have been supposed to have poured wine on the top of the water, which might have communicated the flavour of wine to the water underneath.
Ver. 8 . — And Jesus saith , &c. Draw out of the great waterpots, and pour into smaller vessels, and carry it to the master of the feast, and let him judge how good the wine is. As Christ said this, He in one moment by His Almighty power changed the whole of the water in the six waterpots into wine. Listen to Nonnus: “Suddenly was the miracle wrought ; and the water, changing its colour, flowed with a ruddy glow instead of its own pale colour, and was changed into purple wine.” As S. Cyril says, “ What is difficult to Almighty God, or why should not He, who called all things into being out of nothing, much more easily change one thing into another?”
From this conversion of water into wine, the Fathers prove the conversion of bread and wine in the Eucharist into the Body and Blood of Christ. And they add that it seems to be a greater miracle for Christ to turn water into wine than wine into blood. For wine is nearer akin to blood than water is to wine. So S. Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat. 4), S. Cyprian ( Epist coni. Aquar .), S. Irenaeus (l. 3, c. 11). S. Isidore of Pelusium asks (l. 1, Epist. 393) why Christ willed this to be His first miracle? He gives the answer mystically, that it was because He wished to supply what was wanting to the Law. “For the Law,” he says, “only baptized with water, but He perfected the sacred initiation with His own Blood, joining both in Himself, and uniting the Law with grace.” For water was the symbol of the old Law, which purified all things, but only with a corporeal cleansing. But wine is the symbol of the Blood of Christ, which, being shed upon the cross, cleanses souls. For Christ changes wine into His own Blood in the Eucharist. Christ, therefore, by changing water into wine at the beginning of His preaching, signified that He was about to change the Law of Moses, which was as cold and insipid as water, into the Gospel of His grace.
Master of the feast. S. Gaudentius says, that when marriages were celebrated amongst the Jews, a priest was assigned to preside over the proper ceremonies. The same person took care of conjugal modesty and ordered the provision for the least, and the ministers ; wherefore he was called the master, or governor of the feast. Christ therefore orders that the water which had been made wine should be borne to this master of the feast, because he by his office was a most sober and responsible person, and also well skilled in the flavour of wine. Therefore he was the best able to judge of the excellence of this wine, and to make known Christ’s miracle unto all.
They bore it. It is probable that Christ turned the water into red wine, both because red wine is the only kind used in Palestine, and also that it might be the more evident that the water had been changed into wine. They bore then with joy, gladly obeying, and contributing their part to this miracle of Christ. For their prompt obedience in drawing the water contributed not a little to this miracle.
Ver. 9. — When the governor of the feast , &c. Tasted: he did not give credit entirely to the smell and ruddy colour, but he tasted, and found that it was the very best and most excellent wine. For tasting was the surest way of judging.
And when men are inebriated (Vulg.), well drunk (Eng. Vers.), i.e., exhilarated . For intoxication in Scripture often means a liberal draught which gladdens the mind, but does not deprive it of the use of reason. For if these guests had been really drunk, surely Jesus would never have turned water into wine for them, for then He would have assisted and encouraged their drunkenness. Much rather would He have put a stop to their potations, and sent them home. And the Blessed Virgin would have done the same.
Then that which is worse: because, when the stomach is filled with wine, it is a poor judge of the quality. This is a type of the deceitfulness of the world, which at the beginning presents things that are fair to the eye, and afterwards brings in what is vile and worthless, and so deceives and deludes its lovers.
But thou hast kept, &c. Hence it is plain that this wine was most excellent as being the work of Christ, and therefore Divine. For the works of God are perfect. Thus the loaves which Christ multiplied to feed the four thousand were as sweet as manna. And S. Chrysostom says that the limbs of those persons which Christ restored became stronger than they were originally.
All these things were wisely ordered by Christ, so that the miracle might be perfectly well attested. For the master of the feast called the bridegroom, and asked him from whence was this wine. He replied that he knew nothing about it. Then, learning from the servants the sequence of what had been done, they came to the waterpots, and found them all full of the best wine. Whereupon they burst forth in praise of Jesus as the author of the miracle, and their benefactor, and made known what had been done to all the guests. Jesus, avoiding vainglory, retired, first admonishing them to use this wine with moderation, to the praise of God, with giving of thanks to Him.