There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.This is the story of the wedding at cana. The Gospel of John is the only one of the four gospel writers that recount this story. In his commentary on this gospel, Dr. John Bergsma has claimed that this is because John was the most poetic and mystical of all of the gospel writers, and he wrote his Gospel in this way because he wanted to show that Jesus’ ministry began and ended with a wedding feast. In both the Wedding at Cana, and in His passion on the cross, Jesus is present at a wedding feast and He miraculously provides the means of the celebration.
In Cana, Jesus is at a wedding feast for a close relative, at the cross He is the bridegroom, wedding himself to his Bride the Church. In Cana the wedding is at risk of ending embarassingly early, because of the lack of physical wine, Jesus as the source of superabuncance, provides wine that is better than anything they have ever tasted before. On the Cross, Jesus offers Himself in the eucharist as the the feast, and provides a real food that is not only the best food ever made, but a food that provides eternal life. In Cana, He satisfies completely the immediate need of the people. On the Cross, He offers Himself fully for us, and satisfies completely our eternal needs. The symbolism and beauty of these moments are astounding.
Another beautiful analogy that John employed in his gospel was to make reference to the days of creation in Genesis. Today’s reading takes place on the “third day.” This is chronologically (within the Gospel) the third day after Jesus’ meeting with Nethaniel, but it is also a beautiful reference to the third day of creation in Genesis. On the third day The Lord God created all of the plants of the world (including grapes). All of the plants were ultimately given to man to cultivate, care for and also enjoy. Wine in particular, is a gift from God, and has always been considered a sign of joy and celebration, among all people, for all time, as it is today.
Mary’s role in this reading also reveals some incredible insights. First that it is she that recognizes the need for more wine. A lack of wine would be considered a major problem for the bridegroom at this time. Weddings often were celebrated over a week, and the wine was always at the center of that celebration. It seems clear that because Mary spoke up about this issue reveals that she cared deeply for the new couple and for the success of their celebration. It is quite likely that the couple being married, were close relatives, and very close friends of Mary.
The second interesting thing about Mary in this reading is how she brings this problem to the attentions of Jesus. She recognizes the problem, humbly brings it to the attention of Jesus, and allows Him to solve the problem in the way that He wishes to do so. Jesus’ response to her, brings attention to the importance of this moment and reveals a deep theological insight that Mary is carrying out in this moment. He calls her “woman,” but it was not as an insult. It is impossible to imagine that Jesus would ever intentionally insult His mother. But the word “woman” is used here instead as a reference to the first woman Eve (Eva). Eve took from God something that she was not allowed to have, and thus brought sin into the world. Mary (Ave), on the other hand reverses all of that, and redeems all women, by meekly bringing the needs of the people to the attention of Jesus, and intercesses on their behalf. And so today, Mary still listens to the cries and prayers of all mankind, and brings those intercessions to the feat of Jesus to do with as He wills.
This reading more than most, is evidence that Mary is truly the great intercessor of the people. If you need something, ask mary to ask Jesus, and Jesus will not refuse her. He loves his mother deeply, and he will not ignore her requests. This is truly a wonderful thing to contemplate, because often we think that God is too big to notice our prayers, but Mary is not! She is the mother of all of us, and she wants the best for all of us. But she is also the Mother of God, and she will let Him know when we need something, and He will not refuse her request. So pray for her intercession, and watch miracles happen in your life.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh Lord, help me to do your will, and help me to love mother Mary the way you do. Amen.