Meditative Exercise for Chapter 2

At this point in our translation of the Gospel we have treated many ideas. Let us now recapitulate the events and ideas presented concerning the second chapter of the Gospel (in the form of a meditative exercise) before we complete the commentary on this section. We have asked the reader to place himself in the Gospel as the characters and scenes of the Gospel (which represent the totality of the person who encounters Jesus). In this way we have advised the reader to begin a process of self-searching and self-identifying. Our hope is that the reader will discover his true relationship with Jesus as a result of this approach.

In the first section of the chapter we are placed in the scene of the wedding feast. In keeping with the imaginal reading technique, the reader is the scene and the characters are elements of the reader. In this posting we wish for you to engage in a meditative exercise:

Re-read the verses relating to the wedding feast, imagining that you are in a room seated across from Jesus and this time you will speak all the parts to him as in a conversation.

Now the characters and elements and how they relate to your person:

• The couple (who do not speak but are only referred to) represent your future self as a disciple of Jesus…or as St. Paul would say, another Christ. This is your soon-to-be-born divine aspect.

• The Mother of Jesus, represents the aspect of your self that is open to giving birth to this new creation, this united self…this other Christ. She is that which nurtures the divine life within you.

• The disciples represent all the traits within you that have made prepared you for the conversion. These are your Christ-like attributes.

• The servants are the aspects of your person that are concerned with the mundane, daily chores of life. They are neither good nor bad, they are simply the parts of you that maintain your material life. They are always obedient to you. They serve you.

• The master of the feast the part of you that makes moment by moment decisions and life plans. He is your planner.

• The stone jars are the “empty” events or persons you encounter in life. These represent anything that is void of fully-actualized divine substance. They are vessels waiting to be filled.

• The water represents the everyday current of normal earthly life and earthly activity.

• The ordinary wine represents ordinary joy and an ordinary earthly, happy life.

• The good wine represents divine joy and the divine, heavenly life.

Once you have an understanding of the bulleted points above, prepare yourself for the mediation and reading. Imagine that what you are about to do (the meditation itself) is your wedding feast moment. This is the act of the Mother of God speaking through your heart and imagination. This is you inviting Jesus to your wedding. It is the moment that you will ask him to bring you the good wine and become that new creation ready for the divine journey with him through the Gospel of life.

I recommend that you prepare for this mediation by using the bulleted points above to make a list identifying specific traits or persons or situations in your life that correspond to the descriptions of the characters and elements listed. For example: what in your life would be the “water” or the “ordinary wine.”? Who or what would be the stone jars? What parts of your personality or what aspects of your life are represented by the disciples? …the servants? …the master of the feast?

Let yourself have the time and privacy to engage this mediation appropriately and go slowly. Mediate on each verse and listen to the Voice of the Spirit in your heart.
See if you can feel the moment when Jesus turns your water in to the good wine.

I will post the last part of the commentary in about a week, giving our readers time to experience this meditative exercise first.