I’ve been in the same parish for daily masses and weekend masses for twenty-four years, St. Robert bellarmine on the northwest side of the city. 

And there is a family that comes to church there. They’re from Syria. And they came as refugees. They experienced terrible loss and tragedy with all the violence going on in their country. The things that they experienced we can’t begin to imagine. 

I’ve come to know them and they invited me to one of the family weddings recently. They said, “father, it will be like a wedding you’ve never seen.” And they were right. There were seven hundred people at the wedding. Unbelievable.  

And it’s the closest I’ll ever get to what is described in the gospel today. The bride and the groom are really kings and queens at the wedding and are dressed up as so. They’re carried in on chairs. There were fireworks right within the wedding reception banquet. The music and the dancing and the drinking, it was a great celebration. One of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been at. 

In the time of Jesus, that’s how wedding celebrations were. The whole village was invited. The whole community was invited. And the bride and groom, people who usually had very little, that was the most important day of their life. And they really did become royalty. And so you can imagine the embarrassment 

In the celebration, wine, which is a sign of joy and it runs out. And Jesus’ mother asks him, “Can you do something about this?” He says, it’s not his time. But being a good son, He listens to his mother and a miracle takes place. Water is converted into wine. The joy and the celebration continues. Nothing could be worse than losing joy at a wedding. 

And Jesus is invited in at the request of his mother and the joy and the celebration continues. Think there’s much to be said about this particular wedding celebration in the gospel today. It tells us that whenever Jesus is invited, whenever Jesus is a part of our lives, it’s reason to celebrate. It’s reason to be joyful. And when Jesus is present, there is always enough in abundance for all and more. 

I’ve been in the same parish for daily masses and weekend masses for twenty-four years, St. Robert bellarmine on the northwest side of the city. 

And there is a family that comes to church there. They’re from Syria. And they came as refugees. They experienced terrible loss and tragedy with all the violence going on in their country. The things that they experienced we can’t begin to imagine. 

I’ve come to know them and they invited me to one of the family weddings recently. They said, “father, it will be like a wedding you’ve never seen.” And they were right. There were seven hundred people at the wedding. Unbelievable.  

And it’s the closest I’ll ever get to what is described in the gospel today. The bride and the groom are really kings and queens at the wedding and are dressed up as so. They’re carried in on chairs. There were fireworks right within the wedding reception banquet. The music and the dancing and the drinking, it was a great celebration. One of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been at. 

In the time of Jesus, that’s how wedding celebrations were. The whole village was invited. The whole community was invited. And the bride and groom, people who usually had very little, that was the most important day of their life. And they really did become royalty. And so you can imagine the embarrassment 

In the celebration, wine, which is a sign of joy and it runs out. And Jesus’ mother asks him, “Can you do something about this?” He says, it’s not his time. But being a good son, He listens to his mother and a miracle takes place. Water is converted into wine. The joy and the celebration continues. Nothing could be worse than losing joy at a wedding. 

And Jesus is invited in at the request of his mother and the joy and the celebration continues. Think there’s much to be said about this particular wedding celebration in the gospel today. It tells us that whenever Jesus is invited, whenever Jesus is a part of our lives, it’s reason to celebrate. It’s reason to be joyful. And when Jesus is present, there is always enough in abundance for all and more. 

I’ve been in the same parish for daily masses and weekend masses for twenty-four years, St. Robert bellarmine on the northwest side of the city. 

And there is a family that comes to church there. They’re from Syria. And they came as refugees. They experienced terrible loss and tragedy with all the violence going on in their country. The things that they experienced we can’t begin to imagine. 

I’ve come to know them and they invited me to one of the family weddings recently. They said, “father, it will be like a wedding you’ve never seen.” And they were right. There were seven hundred people at the wedding. Unbelievable.  

And it’s the closest I’ll ever get to what is described in the gospel today. The bride and the groom are really kings and queens at the wedding and are dressed up as so. They’re carried in on chairs. There were fireworks right within the wedding reception banquet. The music and the dancing and the drinking, it was a great celebration. One of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been at. 

In the time of Jesus, that’s how wedding celebrations were. The whole village was invited. The whole community was invited. And the bride and groom, people who usually had very little, that was the most important day of their life. And they really did become royalty. And so you can imagine the embarrassment 

In the celebration, wine, which is a sign of joy and it runs out. And Jesus’ mother asks him, “Can you do something about this?” He says, it’s not his time. But being a good son, He listens to his mother and a miracle takes place. Water is converted into wine. The joy and the celebration continues. Nothing could be worse than losing joy at a wedding. 

And Jesus is invited in at the request of his mother and the joy and the celebration continues. Think there’s much to be said about this particular wedding celebration in the gospel today. It tells us that whenever Jesus is invited, whenever Jesus is a part of our lives, it’s reason to celebrate. It’s reason to be joyful. And when Jesus is present, there is always enough in abundance for all and more. 

I’ve been in the same parish for daily masses and weekend masses for twenty-four years, St. Robert bellarmine on the northwest side of the city. 

And there is a family that comes to church there. They’re from Syria. And they came as refugees. They experienced terrible loss and tragedy with all the violence going on in their country. The things that they experienced we can’t begin to imagine. 

I’ve come to know them and they invited me to one of the family weddings recently. They said, “father, it will be like a wedding you’ve never seen.” And they were right. There were seven hundred people at the wedding. Unbelievable.  

And it’s the closest I’ll ever get to what is described in the gospel today. The bride and the groom are really kings and queens at the wedding and are dressed up as so. They’re carried in on chairs. There were fireworks right within the wedding reception banquet. The music and the dancing and the drinking, it was a great celebration. One of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been at. 

In the time of Jesus, that’s how wedding celebrations were. The whole village was invited. The whole community was invited. And the bride and groom, people who usually had very little, that was the most important day of their life. And they really did become royalty. And so you can imagine the embarrassment 

In the celebration, wine, which is a sign of joy and it runs out. And Jesus’ mother asks him, “Can you do something about this?” He says, it’s not his time. But being a good son, He listens to his mother and a miracle takes place. Water is converted into wine. The joy and the celebration continues. Nothing could be worse than losing joy at a wedding. 

And Jesus is invited in at the request of his mother and the joy and the celebration continues. Think there’s much to be said about this particular wedding celebration in the gospel today. It tells us that whenever Jesus is invited, whenever Jesus is a part of our lives, it’s reason to celebrate. It’s reason to be joyful. And when Jesus is present, there is always enough in abundance for all and more.