Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
January 14 (moveable)
In the current liturgical calendar, the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6,
and, a week later, on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana.
Jesus’ first miracle:
The Wedding at Cana John 2:1–11
Jesus’ first miracle:
The Wedding at Cana John 2:1–11
The Wedding Church stands in the Lower Galilee town of Kfar Kana. 2,000 years ago Kfar Kana would have been the town of Cana. Jesus attended a wedding in Cana and performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. As the site of such an important Biblical wedding Cana has become a popular place to wed or renew marital vows and it is home to the famous Wedding Church.
In the 4th century Empress Helena, mother of the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine traveled to the Holy Land to identify Biblical sites. Helena had a church erected in Kfar Kana to mark the site of Jesus’ first miracle. In 1883 the Franciscans completed the construction of a new church over the remains of the 4th-century church. This Franciscan church is the church we know today as the Wedding Church.
Cana in the Bible
Mary, Jesus and his disciples attended a wedding in Cana. At some point during the celebrations the wine ran out and Mary approached Jesus saying: “There is no more wine.” Jesus replied:” Why do you involve me? My time has not yet come. “Mary then told the servants at the wedding to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Jesus commanded the servants to fill six stone jars with water. He then told them to pour from one of the jars to fill the master of the banquet’s cup. Upon tasting the master of the banquet declared it to be top quality wine (John 2:1-11).
The Wedding Church of Cana
Visitors approach the Wedding Church across a courtyard and are faced with a modest facade flanked by twin bell tower and adorned with angel statues. There is an arcade narthex (enclosed front porch) topped by a balcony. Within the church there is an upper level with a chapel topped by a dome. The nave of the upper church holds a section of Byzantine mosaic from the 5th-6th century. In the lower church is a chapel and small museum displaying excavated artifacts including an ancient jar which could have been one of the jar that Jesus filled with wine.
Prayer:
Visit:
The "Wedding Church" in Kafr Kanna, Israel
The Wedding Feast at Cana Painting (above),
the Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
At over 6 meters high and nearly 10 meters wide, The Wedding Feast at Cana is the largest painting in the famous Louvre Museum in France. The painting depict an extraordinary banquet with a crowd of around 130 different figures in a glow of light and color.
Recipe:
Classic Muhammara
Muhammara is a Middle eastern dip made of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and usually some fresh bread crumbs, which provide a pleasant texture. Pomegranate molasses adds sweetness and a little tang, giving the Muhammara its trademark flavor. And since the dip originated in Aleppo, the use of Aleppo pepper is traditional, and worth looking for. It can be found online or in most large grocery stores. This vegan dip is great with pretty much anything; serve it with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or peppers, or with your favorite pita bread or chips!
Ingredients
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2 red bell peppers
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2 slices bread, preferably white or sourdough
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1/2 c. walnuts
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Juice of 1/2 lemon
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1/2 tsp. aleppo pepper
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2 tsp. paprika
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1 clove garlic
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1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses
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3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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Roast peppers by placing over a flame of a gas burner until well charred all over, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, cut peppers in half and remove stem and seeds. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 475° until peppers are well charred, about 30 minutes.
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Place peppers immediately into a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam for about 10 minutes. Remove from bowl and peel charred skin off of peppers. It should fall off easily, but you can use the back of your knife to help. Discard skin, seeds, and stem. Slice peppers.
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Preheat oven to 300°. Tear bread to fit into a food processor, then pulse into rough bread crumbs. Measure out ¾ cup of bread crumbs and spread out on a small baking sheet and bake until dried out, about 10 minutes. Wipe out food processor and save any extra bread crumbs for another use.
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Place walnuts on another small baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
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Add roasted bell peppers, bread crumbs, toasted walnuts, lemon juice, aleppo, paprika, garlic, and pomegranate molasses to food processor and blend until well combined. With motor running, slowly add oil. Season with salt and pepper.
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Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
