The Sunday Sermons of St. Bonaventure

Sermon 8: Second Sunday after Epiphany

The Sunday SermonS of ST. BonavenTure 130 sermon 8: seCond sunday afTer ePiPhany 1. Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him. John 2:1. [Protheme] Without the light of divine wisdom we are unable to say anything edifying by ourselves since, no one, as the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 12:3, is able to say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit; nor are we able to understand anything in a useful manner for, as Job 32:8 says: The inspiration of the Almighty grants understanding ; nor are we able to act meritoriously because, as the Truth states in John 15:5: You can do nothing without me, therefore at the beginning of our sermon let us raise our prayers to the Father of lights141 and giver of wisdom, so that he himself would moisten my dry words with the dew of grace and, with the power of the Holy Spirit, direct the tongue that speaks and the ear that hears. We might then be able to speak edifyingly, understand advantageously , and act meritoriously to the praise, etc. [Sermon] 2. Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and he manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him. The knowledge of an effect leads to the knowledge of the cause,142 thus John the Evangelist with these proposed words, which are like the conclusion 141 See James 1:17. 142 See Book II, c. 16 of Aristotle, Analytica posteriora in WAE, vol. 1, 98b. SundayS In chrISTmaS and epIphany 131 and epilogue of the entire Gospel today, suggests that the Lord Jesus Christ manifested at the wedding his preeminent power, by the miraculous effect beyond natural power in the sudden transformation of water into wine, without any prior preparation, when it says: Jesus did this, the first of his signs etc. The apparent beginning of Christ’s miracles is noted when it says: Jesus did this, the first of his signs; second, the evident manifestation of his power through the sign, when it adds: he manifested his glory; third, his guiding illumination for the disciples, when it includes: and his disciples believed in him, that is, because of the infusion of interior, supernatural grace and the exterior guidance of the miracle. 3. First, the apparent beginning of Christ’s miracles is noted, when it says: Jesus did this, the first of his signs. This sign of the sudden transformation of water into wine was not the first sign of Christ as to occurrence, but only as to appearance. For this reason, if we wish to proceed in a good and ordered manner, we can truthfully say that on that same day, although at different times, he fashioned a threefold sign through which he manifested the excellence of his threefold power. He fashioned, I say, on the same day of Epiphany, first, a visible sign in the unusual appearance of a shining star; second, a marvelous sign in the sudden transformation of obedient nature; third, an amiable sign in the gratuitous sanctification of the regenerating water. And this is what holy mother Church sings today: “We celebrate a holy day embellished with three miracles” etc. And this sign of an appearing star did not begin on that day, nevertheless, on the day of Epiphany it completed the purpose for which it was instituted, namely , to manifest the true light. It is not incongruous to say that it happened on this day and celebrate the memory of it, since everything is commended as worthy and laudable according to its end. The Sunday SermonS of ST. BonavenTure 132 4. He fashioned first, therefore, a visible sign in the unusual appearance of a shining star. Whence Isaiah 11:12 says: The Lord will raise a sign among the nations, and assemble the refugees of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The Lord will raise up the sign of the shining star among the nations, that is, among the peoples, in order to manifest to them through this that he is the true light143 that illuminates every mind. For this reason the star of new clarity, which appeared to the Magi, declared the true light born to the world. And assemble the fugitives of Israel, which is to say, direct those suited...