Home      Back to Epiphany 2

 

 

 

 
A Reading from the Sermons of Bishop Faustus of Riez
(Exerpt From the Fathers to the Churches - Daily Spiritual Readings, pp. 162-164;
Edited by Brother Kenneth CGA, Collins 1983)
The Marriage of Christ and the Church

'Now on the third day there was a wedding.'  This wedding is prayer and joy over man's salvation.  It is celebrated on the third day, according to the mystical meaning of that number, either by professing faith in the Trinity or through faith that comes from the resurrection.

For so also in another Gospel passage the younger son's return, that is, the conversion of the people of the Gentiles, is welcomed with music and wedding garments.

And so 'like a bridegroom he comes forth from his bride chamber' to the earth in order to be espoused to the Church to be gathered from all people, having taken flesh upon himself--the Church to whom he gave both a dowry and earnest money: earnest money when God was joined to man; dowry when he was sacrificed for the salvation of man.  Earnest money we understand to be a present ransom, dowry we understand to be life eternal.  And so to those who saw, these things were miracles, to those who understand, sacraments.  For if we carefully consider, there is a certain way in which in the waters themselves a likeness to baptism and regeneration is manifested.  For when one thing is being effectually changed into another within itself, where the lowlier created thing is transformed by a secret conversion into a nobler kind, the mystery of the second birth is enacted.  The waters are suddenly changed later to change men.

Therefore when Christ was active in Galilee wine is produced, that is, the law gave way, grace succeeded: the shadow is removed, the truth is demonstrated, the fleshly things are compared with the spiritual: the ancient observances are changed to the New Testament; as the blessed Apostle says: 'Old things have passed away, and behold they are made new', and just as the waters which are contained in the pitchers lose nothing of their being, and now begin to be what they were not, so the law does not perish when made manifest through the coming of Christ, but it flourishes.

When therefore the wine fails, other wine is supplied.  A good wine indeed is that of the Old Testament, but that of the New is better: the Old Testament which the Jews observe vanishes away in the letter; the New Testament which applies to us gives back in grace the savour of life.

'Good wine,' that is, a good injunction, belongs to the law when you hear: 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'  But better and stronger is the wine of the Gospel when you hear: 'But I say unto you, Love your enemies and do good to them that hate you.'