Gospel Reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jars of Stone Versus Jars of Clay
The six jars of stone that were present at the wedding in Cana were not only full of great wine but also full of great symbolisms.
First, these jars were made of stone. Most jars were made of clay. To carve a jar out of a solid piece of rock was not easy. It took a lot of time, was very expensive, and was difficult to accomplish.
Because of this, jars in the time of Jesus were usually clay. The family of the wedding is therefore wealthy.
The family is also devoutly religious. A jar of stone can be ritually cleansed. A jar of clay, if it becomes unclean, must be smashed. There is no way to “clean” it after it has been defiled.
But jars of stone could be cleansed and therefore would have been very helpful to any person who took the Jewish rites seriously.
A deeper symbolism is found in the water in stone jars.
This symbolizes the Old Testament laws and rituals (the Ten Commandments were written on stone) which were not enough, had failed to satisfy, and had run their course.
But Jesus comes to write his law on our hearts.
The wine represents the newness of life that Jesus gives to his believers.
(From ePriest, January 2025)