Many, many Lents ago, I was lurking in the back of my parish's social hall watching in amusement as a number of Southern Baptist converts undergoing RCIA fell into a gape-mouthed paralysis worthy of a possum caught in headlights. The cause of their consternation, a table full of snacks which included, among other things, a tub full of six packs on ice. Beer! In a church! Our education director, not too long off the boat from The Land of Saints and Scholars, chuckled a bit then leaned over to me, whispering, "Do you know what de oirish definition av drunk is? It's w'en you fall down and can't get back up." Hey, the Irish guy said it, not me.
Irish stereotypes not withstanding, the Church does teach moderation and condemns drunken excess. Still, it also recognizes that the Bible itself allows for social drinking if that's your thing. I mean, come on; the guy we worship as the incarnation of God on Earth performed as his first public miracle the turning of water into wine to help keep a party going. And we're not just talking a cup or two. John's Gospel notes Jesus filled six stone water jars, each holding 20 or 30 gallons, all the way up to the brim. That's somewhere between 120 to 180 gallons, or approximately 1,000 bottles of wine. For a single wedding reception. No wonder the Irish converted to Christianity so easily.
What!?! It's a joke, one my old Irish pal would have appreciated. He would have also recognized the real significance of Jesus' decision to refill the keg, so to speak. In the Bible, wine, especially the abundance of it, is often used as a sign of God’s blessing. What better demonstration to kick off the public ministry of the world's savior than to produce an abundance of blessings so voluminous that no wedding party could possibly consume them all. Not even an Irish one.
What!?! It's a joke! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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