Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-03


Oh. that WINS sad! But It was not
nearly go sad as II that young man had
lived and they had been married in
body, but not in spirit. Better the dead
body Of the loved one In your arms
than the cold corpse Of dead love,
holding together n man and woman
BY law and not In spirit. Christ's pres
ence Mt Cana Of Galilec is a divine
suggestion teaching that over every
marriage altar should be n divine ben
etiict,on. Talk to your Saviour about
whom you arc to marry and then In.
vite Christ to your wedding. and you
will make no marital mistakes.
A f,essou from che Miracle.
Another lesson Of the miracle Is that
nothing 10 too small or too insignificant
to do IL BY that act you are going to
make your fellow men happier. This
changing of water into wine was not
done 20 heal the sick, or to raise the
dead, or 10 cast out the devils" which
to the number Of legion were tortur.
ing the poor maniac amid the Gadarene
tombs, Il was done simply and pure.
~ to relieve the embarrassment Of q
host and hostess whose supply Of wine
for the marriage feast had run out. It
wns done to alleviate one Of those little
domestic troubles with which most Of
us have been conversant in the days
Of our own homes.
Cannot you see those guests gather.
ing in the east In your own house
Your wife Ind made preparations for
ten or twelve guests for dinner There
were just enough oysters. enough sal
ads. enough squads. enough figures Of
ice cream, for the invited guests, no
more and no less. Suddenly. when you
were about to be seated. the bell rang,
ana in came three or four friends from
q distant city. You had to ask them
10 dine. There was no way out Of Il.
Then your wife took you and the chill
dren aside and said ~ don't know how
we will get through. We have not
enough food for those extra guests.
Now, you and the children have got to
take turns In going without. You must
refuse in turn the different courses.
When the plates are passed you must
say, 4 do not want any, thank you ,"
OF course all went well except with
your youngest boy. The salad looked
so good that when 1t was being passed
he said, II want some. mamma" Then
her face flushed. She was embarrass-
ed Every one in the room was en-
barrassed. DO yOu not recognize a
mighty Christian lesson in the fact that
Christ performed his first miracle" in
order to relieve little domestic furry
of the home?
If put myself in Jesus place I
think l can imagine the scene which
took place which led to his going to
this wedding. Cana is only few miles
away from Nazareth. where Jesus was
then living There is tradition that
this Cana bridegroom's name was Cleo.
phas, who was about to marry Mary's
sister. The mother Of Christ is talk.
ing to Jesus. Are you going TO your
aunt's wedding!" she asks. "Oh, no.
Is the reply. Il do not want to 60
Weddings have not very much interest
for me. But. mother. you 90. know
you will have n good time and l will
send my aunt my love and bcnediction
through YOU" But. my son." says
Mary, II do not want to go without
you. You should go for the family't
sake as well as for mine" "Well
mother" he answers, III you wish it.
will CO." Does not this statement
bear out the strange wording Of this
chapter, "And the third day there was
a marriage In Cana OF Galilee. and the
mother Of Jesus was there. and bott
Jesus was called and his disciples tc
the marringe?' Why was Mary's name
here mentioned first If there was nc
reason for Christ going there to please
his mother? Yes ! think am not go
ing beyond my right when state that
Christ went to the wedding, and liz
teach us that nothing in life is too
small or too insignificant to do IL by
that little act we can bring happiness
into some loving heart.
among Ills NeI4OWOr0.
Where was this FIRST miracle" per
formed? In Cana. What does that
mean? Christ started his earthly min
istry among his near neighbors and
friends. Cana is only short distanct
from Nazareth. He did not leave home
and go among strangers to find Il Cos
pei field. He began right among the
friends and companions OF his youth
In oil probability there was not 9
guest at this famous wedding who did
not personally know him. Not 6
grown man or grown woman wal
there but had seen him a barefootet
boy running over the Zebulun hills
There was not among all those guests
one who had not felt the touch Of III!
personal life upon his or her life. Thi!
personal touch Of Christ has to me {
great lesson. The wonderful picture
Of the wedding In Cana Of Galllee II
the Partisan Louvre teaches 1t In more
ways than one. There the old master
has the laughing eyed maidens and the
young men whispering their secrets IN
their ears. There the table is groan'
ing under the most tempting Of dishes
Thera nre the old folks and the chill
dren. But there in that wedding scene
the artist has assembled all the mem
bers of his own family and all bis
friends. His wife Is there. His mother
Is there. His children are all there