cana weekend

As I mentioned in my previous post, this year’s National Conference took place last Friday.  And like the past NatCons, so many couples attended from all over the UAE. The ballroom of Crowne Plaza Deira was practically packed and overflowing!

You can probably guess from the title of this post that the theme this year was based on the wedding at Cana...nothing special for most, but it just so happened to be the same gospel we chose for our wedding almost 5 years ago!

Just a short background: When Hubby and I were choosing the readings for our wedding ceremony, we didn’t really think that they would bear any significance to us, so we just randomly selected the ones that we thought were “nice.” But then during our special retreat at Don Bosco Batulao with Fr. Ding, he requested us to make the Cana wedding our gospel. We agreed without thinking much about it, and although many of our friends also used it for their weddings after us, it was only later…a couple of days ago, actually…when we realized how special it really is.

This was the occasion and place where Jesus performed his first miracle! That alone made it a historical event. And it wasn’t at church, or during a birthday…it was a wedding! It showed how important this kind of union really is.   Every verse of that Gospel had its own background, and the speakers that day explained the importance of each. Our eyes, ears and hearts were opened once again with the Good News, on how to pray like Mary, on obedience, on being empty so that God can fill us, on serving wholeheartedly, on being concerned for others, and so many more.  And at the end of the last session, all the couples renewed their wedding vows, with exchange of rings!  Kinda awkward for some, but really cute, actually.

The wedding at Cana might just be an ordinary gospel which is often read during weddings, but to Hubby and me, it’s our official wedding gospel. And if we have a wedding again for the renewal of our vows several years from now, you can be sure that this gospel will be what the priest will read.