“This was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee.” First the water into wine; now the healing of the soldier’s son. There is more than one parallel between these two miracles, parallels that reveal to us something important about the Heart of Our Lord.
The first parallel is that both miracles involve family: the new family of the bride and groom; the existing family of a loving father and a dying son. Christ understands, better than we ever could, the nature and importance of family. Of course, He would know. He’s God, after all; He invented family. Christ understands the love between a Father and Son. And He understands the kind of love, like marital love, that is so profound it creates new life. After all, creative love began with Him, when He made the world. And when He became incarnate, He was born into a family, son of Mother Mary and St. Joseph, His foster father.
The second parallel is the nature of the miracles themselves. In both cases, those who receive the miracle do not “see” it happen. The soldier is still on the return journey when his servants deliver news that his son had been healed at the very moment Christ promised him it would be done. And neither the bride and groom, nor the servants or Mother Mary, are present when Christ changes water into wine. In both cases, Christ works His miracles in silence, in secret. What does this tell us about His Heart? It tells us of His great love for us. He does not perform miracles for fame. He wants to draw souls closer to Him and increase our faith.
The third parallel is that in both cases, new creation springs to life at Christ’s mere word. The sick son is healed. Water becomes wine. Christ’s word transforms reality. His words do not merely represent reality; they are reality. And He is using them to bring life. What does this tell us about His Heart? It tells us that words, particularly His Word in Scripture, are meant to be restorative, life-giving, revolutionary. Since we are made in His image, our words can be a powerful force for good as well.
And in meditating on the Heart of Christ through these miracles, another parallel appears: the parallel between these lives and the death of Christ. The Father surrendered His Son so that spiritual life could be restored to us, His children. Water and wine flowed from Christ’s side. He said “It is finished” on the Cross, after His suffering and death, and it recreated the entire world.
In all things, Christ’s Heart points to His sacrificial love for us: His desire for us to be part of a family, to provide for us in sometimes hidden ways, and to bring us back to life through His Word. For He has died that we might obtain the fullness of life.
“Ésta fue la segunda señal milagrosa que hizo Jesús al volver de Judea a Galilea”. Primero, el agua convertida en vino; ahora, la curación del hijo del soldado. Hay más de un paralelismo entre estos dos milagros, paralelismos que nos revelan algo importante sobre el Corazón de Nuestro Señor.
El primer paralelismo es que ambos milagros involucran a la familia: la nueva familia de los novios; la familia ya existente de un padre amoroso y un hijo moribundo. Cristo comprende, mejor que nosotros, la naturaleza y la importancia de la familia. Claro que sí. Después de todo, es Dios; Él creó la familia. Cristo comprende el amor entre un Padre y un Hijo. Y comprende el tipo de amor, como el amor conyugal, que es tan profundo que crea nueva vida. Al fin y al cabo, el amor creador comenzó con Él, cuando creó el mundo. Y cuando se encarnó, nació en una familia, hijo de la Virgen María y San José, su padre adoptivo.
El segundo paralelismo es la naturaleza de los milagros mismos. En ambos casos, quienes reciben el milagro no lo “ven”. El soldado todavía iba regresando de su viaje cuando sus sirvientes le anunciaron que su hijo había sido sanado justo en el momento que Cristo se lo había prometido. Ni los novios, ni los sirvientes, ni la Virgen María estaban presentes cuando Cristo convirtió el agua en vino. En ambos casos, Cristo obra sus milagros en silencio, en secreto. ¿Qué nos revela esto sobre su corazón? Nos revela su gran amor por nosotros. Él no realiza milagros para obtener fama. Desea acercar las almas a sí mismo y fortalecer nuestra fe.
El tercer paralelismo es que, en ambos casos, la creación nueva surge con la sola palabra de Cristo. El hijo enfermo queda sano. El agua se convierte en vino. La palabra de Cristo transforma la realidad. Sus palabras no solo representan la realidad; son la realidad misma. Y Él las usa para dar vida. ¿Qué nos revela esto sobre su corazón? Nos revela que las palabras, en particular su Palabra en las Escrituras, están destinadas a ser restauradoras, vivificantes y transformadoras. Dado que fuimos creados a su imagen, nuestras palabras también pueden ser una poderosa fuerza para el bien.
Y al meditar en el Corazón de Cristo a través de estos milagros, surge otro paralelismo: el que existe entre estas vidas y la muerte de Cristo. El Padre entregó a su Hijo para que la vida espiritual pudiera ser restaurada a nosotros, sus hijos. Agua y vino brotaron del costado de Cristo. Él dijo: “Consumado es” en la Cruz, después de su sufrimiento y muerte, y con ello recreó el mundo entero.
En todas las cosas, el Corazón de Cristo señala su amor sacrificial por nosotros: su deseo de que formemos parte de una familia, de proveernos a veces de maneras ocultas y de devolvernos la vida mediante su Palabra. Porque él murió para que alcanzáramos la plenitud de la vida.
Hailing from Nashville, Catherine is a graduate of Christendom College with a lifelong passion for words. Her love of writing and her Catholic Faith continue to shape her as a freelance editor, copywriter, and (aspiring) novelist, where she pursues her passions for the love and greater glory of God.
Feature Image Credit: Gokul Mohan, pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-man-carrying-a-child-12968277/
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