But when he had begun to pray, he passed suddenly to something else, and sank into thought, forgetting both the prayer and what had interrupted it. He began listening to what Father Païssy was reading, but worn out with exhaustion he gradually began to doze.
“ And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; ” read Father Païssy. “ And the mother of Jesus was there; And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. ”
“Marriage? What’s that? … A marriage!” floated whirling through Alyosha’s mind. “There is happiness for her, too. … She has gone to the feast. … No, she has not taken the knife. … That was only a tragic phrase. … Well … tragic phrases should be forgiven, they must be. Tragic phrases comfort the heart. … Without them, sorrow would be too heavy for men to bear. Rakitin has gone off to the back alley. As long as Rakitin broods over his wrongs, he will always go off to the back alley. … But the high road … The road is wide and straight and bright as crystal, and the sun is at the end of it. … Ah! … What’s being read?” …
“ And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine ” … Alyosha heard.
“Ah, yes, I was missing that, and I didn’t want to miss it, I love that passage: it’s Cana of Galilee, the first miracle. … Ah, that miracle! Ah, that sweet miracle! It was not men’s grief, but their joy Christ visited, He worked His first miracle to help men’s gladness. … ‘He who loves men loves their gladness, too’ … He was always repeating that, it was one of his leading ideas. … ‘There’s no living without joy,’ Mitya says. … Yes, Mitya. … ‘Everything that is true and good is always full of forgiveness,’ he used to say that, too” …
“ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what has it to do with thee or me? Mine hour is not yet come. ”