The Father’s Estate

DM 12th July 2025

My son is getting married soon, and one of his friends, who owns a winery, has generously offered to supply some cases of his best reds and whites. I hope it’s not too good, otherwise the question of whether there’s enough will raise its awkward head. At least the guest list is fixed, and some other beverages will be available during the canapés, and there’s always the bar as a backup. And so any possibility of running dry ought not to spoil the party.

The Book records a wedding in the town of Cana that narrowly averted a hospitality-hiccup. In typical Middle East fashion of warm and generous hospitality, invitations were sent to one and all, making the guest list more of a guess list. And unfortunately for the happy couple, not just the ‘all’ rsvp-ed to say they were coming, but extras too. And with no plan B, plan A was looking decidedly difficult.

Predictably the awkward moment came: “They have run out of wine!” But then unpredictably came another moment. Someone, one of the guests, unexpectedly supplied numerous cases of the most excellent vintage. But how and from where? From his Father’s vineyard, special edition, special delivery. The master of ceremonies was unimpressed with the disrespect for protocol – best wine first, not best wine last! – but not all the guests were unhappy. And not so much because they had tasted the most delicious drop, but because they had seen a miracle. The first of many.

Recent Posts

An Iliad

An Iliad DM 19th June 2026 “Rage! Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles / that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the

Read More »

One blood

One blood DM 5th June 2026 In 1830, Robert FitzRoy captained the Beagle that carried Charles Darwin on his famous voyage. Darwin wrote his account.

Read More »

Man flu

Man flu DM 29th May 2026 Man-flu is a real phenomenon, and I have just proved it by careful scientific experiment. My wife and I

Read More »

Two faces

Two faces DM 24th April 2026 Cue the frown. The local paper has just lobbed onto my driveway, and without picking it up, I bet

Read More »
Super-social behaviour

Super-social behaviour

Super-social behaviour DM 17th April 2026 Phubbing may well become the word of the century. It describes the act of phone-snubbing, where a person deliberately

Read More »

Brain freeze

Brain freeze DM 10th April 2026 I’ve had them before. Brain-freezes. And usually from consuming an icy drink too quickly. The secret to relieve the

Read More »