Today, Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, Archbishop of the Alexandria Diocese of the Anglican Church, led the Divine Liturgy at the Epiphany Anglican Church in Port Said, where he officiated the confirmation of 14 new members, with the participation of Rev. Mina Helmy, pastor of the church.
In his sermon, the Archbishop said: “The miracle of turning water into wine was the first miracle of the Lord Jesus, performed at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. In this miracle, we clearly see the role of the Virgin Mary, who did not force the Lord to perform the miracle. When she asked Him, He said, ‘My hour has not yet come.’ With all the respect and love this statement carries, it confirms a fundamental truth: God has His own timing in which He acts, and He moves only according to His divine will.”
He continued: “The first miracle Jesus performed was not to satisfy His personal hunger, as we see during the wilderness temptation when He refused to turn stones into bread despite His extreme fatigue and long fast. Yet at the wedding in Cana, He turned water into wine—not because it was a basic necessity like bread, but because He wanted to bring joy to a simple family and meet a need that would have caused them embarrassment on their day of celebration. This shows us that God cares about the smallest details of our lives, not just the essentials.”
He added: “The miracle also affirmed the sanctity of marriage and the fulfillment of genuine need. If there had been no real need, the people would not have tasted the wine Jesus made. Often, we must first feel our need, because God fulfills our needs in His way, transforming sorrow and sighs into joy. Remarkably, Jesus did not perform this miracle in a grand event or in front of rulers, but in a small village in Galilee, inside the humble home of a simple family with no social status. God does not need to display His works before the mighty; He came specifically for those in need.”
He concluded: “After the miracle, the disciples believed in Him—not because the miracle created their faith, but because it confirmed and strengthened it. They saw His power, and if He could turn water into wine, He could do all things. Jesus was not called to delight only His relatives or disciples, but to bring joy to the humble, those with genuine need. Yet He performed the miracle and increased the faith of His disciples. The question for us today remains: do we truly believe in Him and surrender our lives to Him with complete trust?”
It is noteworthy that the confirmation service is a declaration of an individual’s membership in the Anglican Church. During the ceremony, the new member pledges before the bishop, the pastor, and all attendees to remain steadfast in faith, deepen their study of God’s Word, maintain a regular prayer life, and actively participate in the life and service of the church.