Posts Tagged ‘Defy Death’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

There’s a rich, very dense, chewy cake called pan forte that is an Italian specialty, especially in Tuscany. The version from Siena requires 17 different ingredients, one for each of the 17 contrade, or sections of the city.  Honey, sugar, spices, fruits, nuts, flour.  The pleasure is in the sheer complexity of this very dense confection, usually served with coffee for dessert, or even for breakfast. Pan forte.

Today we have the pan forte, the “strong bread”, of Gospel stories: the wedding feast at Cana.  We have Jesus, the mother of Jesus, the disciples, the wedding guests, the servants, the steward of the feast, the happy couple, the parents and family of the newlyweds. It’s the beginning of a life together; and, indeed, new life could be conceived in the womb of a young mother this very night. And we have water, wine, water turned into wine, plenty of food, music and dancing, surely. It’s the “third day”.  There’s the hint of some difficult mother/son dynamics. His hour has not yet come.  “It most certainly has,” she might have said. “Do what he tells you.”  The glory of Jesus is revealed; the disciples believe. It’s his first “sign”, as John puts it. Do have a look at the wonderful Coptic icon here with Jesus in the claret-red garment and his very pleased mother beside him. Read More