Holy Land Homily Day 7 - The Wedding Church in Cana

Colin and Fleur, Ese and Obi with Fr Charles in Cana - where they renewed their marriage vows.

Fr Charles Soyombo gave this homily in Cana on the last day of our pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The text has been slightly edited.

"Now we've been here together I can no long stand before you in Pimlico and preach, without going back to my Greek notes, my Hebrew notes, and my commentary … because you are all so well informed - you have been there. It's a challenge to me as a priest because many of the things you have learnt were new to me too.

"This week has been very wonderful because there are people I've known for the past six years but never talked with for more than maybe one minute or so before.... in London everybody is moving all the time in a hurry - even in church - we have tea and coffee after Mass but people don't wait - they have to rush away.

"But this week they have nowhere to run to … we walked together, we ate and drank, we enjoyed ourselves. We chatted on the coach. This for me was a very illuminating experience.

"So here we are in Cana in Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle. Last night I was listening to some Nigerian music - the title, in English was: 'Jesus is never tired of miracles'. And today we are here where the first miracle happened. And I looked over the last week at the miracles we have enjoyed. First it started with historical miracles. At the church in Nazareth we remembered a Mary who was visited by an angel who told her 'you will be the mother of a child' and she said 'I don't even have a husband' .. it takes two to tango so why are you telling me this it is impossible! But nothing is impossible to God. From that historical miracle comes the mystery the Incarnation which is tied to our salvation and redemption... From that historical miracle 2,000 years later we are still finding things which confirm that these events happened. The world hasn't recovered from that. We are still asking questions.

"That is what has brought us here. We come here because we want to strengthen our belief we want to walk the same path that Jesus walked. Let us know more about our faith. Let us know more about our journey with Christ.

I've shared with some people when we went to the church of St Peter Gallicantu and we went down to the cave and where Jesus was held. While we were in that cave, Obi and I, there was a book with psalm 87 and psalm 88. I started reading it... There were words like 'tormented' 'broken', 'captured', 'imprisoned'. Those were scary words. Little did I know that everybody had gone! Even Obi had gone up and I was alone and it was frightening when I looked up and realised everybody was gone. I was in the middle of the psalm and I felt afraid. But I did complete reading the psalm and then ran up! But I had a sense of the feeling that this was not fear, it was fate. Because I believe that Jesus actually was in that place. He was there with me. Is that not what we believe? .. God is with us. Even when we have our own fears. Even when we don't know what the future holds for us. Even when we don't know what is going to happen to us. Even we we feel like giving up. Remember God is with us. We know the meaning of that in our lives. We allow that to happen to us. Or do we allow few to dominate us? Do we allow fear to consume us? Do we allow fear to be part of our everyday living? That we cannot enjoy the peace of God in our lives?

"Our God is with us. And he sent his only Son to us. To die for humanity. That love is what we are celebrating. That spiritual miracle that Jesus brought to the world - and … 2000 years later people are still coming here in millions to come and see how God came into the world - that's love. That's what we're celebrating today.

"I don't know how many years Colin and Fleur have been together.." ( Fleur says 52 ) 52 years! (Everyone claps) Obi and Essie says eight months - (more clapping.)

Fr Charles praised both couples for staying together, holding hands together - through different tests and challenges.

He said: "I define love as L.O.V.E. - Let Offences Vanish Everytime. When people understand that - when they accept everyone's difference - there is unity in diversity.... Its not easy to hold someone's hand You want to empty yourself to another person it is never enough. Because as individuals it it not easy to hold ourselves … let alone support another person... Some people are even afraid to have a child. They say: 'I can't look after myself let along another child. I can't deal with it.'

"Love is sacrificial. That is why Jesus died on a cross for us to understand it. When two people come together and say we want to be one. They are asking for one plus one to still be one. It's a mystery. Its a divine mystery. Its what you celebrate every day of your marriage. And that is what we have come to experience: the love of God for humanity. The love of God that we share. Vertically between God and us. And horizontally between one another. That is what we have come to celebrate in Cana.

"And so I'm going back home renewed for the love of God the I have enjoyed for human love the I have shared and I believe in God's love that I will continue to proclaim. And I want all of you - not only to renew your love for one another but to renew your love for God for your children, for your friends….

"You don't run out of love. When Jesus came here and they were running out of wine - he didn't want to put people to shame - he showed us that. He turned the water into wine. That was the first miracle. And so if we are still in love with God, still in love with Jesus there is no way we will put anyone to shame. That is the love I want us to renew - not only between Colin and Fleur , Ese and Obi, but the love of God in every heart. Because I believe if love goes round from person to person the world becomes a better place.

"There's conflict and war and strife in the world because people have abandoned that love we share. The love which we carry. The light we have and are supposed to shine on other people. People are withdrawn, people are lonely people are isolated.

"So let us continue when we get home, let people feel that something has changed about us. That we have experienced Christ in a new way. We have got renewed. So that miracles will continue to happen - not just here in Cana. it will happen in Pimlico. It will happen in Brighton - in all the places that people come from. And it will happen in every heart. This is our prayer through Christ Our Lord."

After this homily Fleur and Colin, Ese and Obi renewed their marriage vows.