Jn 2:1-12
On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Caper′na-um, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.
We see that Jesus gave His first public sign through Mary’s intercession. At first the Lord was reluctant to manifest Himself in this way at this wedding. As He says, He considered that the time had not yet come: ‘My hour has not yet come’.
This is how we can interpret the reaction of Jesus who did not immediately fulfil the subtle request of His Mother. But this is where the perseverance we sometimes find in women comes into play. Jesus’ mother sees the need of the bride and groom, who could no longer properly serve the guests at a wedding. Sensing this situation, she assumes that her Son will intervene to meet this need. And so it happened!
Meditating on this passage from the Bible, many of the faithful understand that the Mother of the Lord exerts a great influence on the heart of her Son, and to this day they often turn to her to present to her the intentions they have in their hearts, be they great or small. In fact, the Church is convinced that the Virgin Mary does not ignore any petition addressed to her, as long as it corresponds to the will of God.
It is a great mystery of love between Jesus and His Mother. Not only did she embrace Him with a natural maternal love, but she followed her Son and did everything to fulfil the mission entrusted to her by the Father, even persevering until the Cross. At the same time, for Jesus, Mary is not only His biological mother, but the one whom the Eternal Father has deeply involved in the plan of salvation, in which she serves as the “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38).
When the Virgin Mary speaks to the servants, she utters those words which contain the fundamental instruction for all of us in our lives: “Do whatever he [my Son] tells you”.
This is what the Mother of God wants from us. It is not enough to have an affectionate relationship with her, however beautiful and tender it may be. Our Lady has been entrusted with a spiritual motherhood over all the faithful. In concrete terms, this means that we are to follow her Son as she herself did. Her greatest desire is that her Son be known and that people obey Him.
On Mount Tabor we heard the words of the heavenly Father: “This is my beloved Son (…); listen to him” (Mt 17:5). At Cana, she who had given herself totally to God’s will, our Mother, said to us: “Do whatever he tells you”.
Listen and do it. This is the admonition from heaven and the most beautiful flower that God has created on earth.
If we listen to Jesus and do what He tells us, the miracle of Cana can be fulfilled again and again, in many different ways. For in Jesus we are offered the best wine. This holy fruit of God’s vine has come to maturity in our Lord and has been squeezed out to the last drop so that humanity may receive the wine offered to Him in the Blood of the Lamb in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Whoever drinks of this wine will live, as Jesus Himself testifies (cf. Jn 6:53). There can be no better wine than the Blood of Christ, shed for our salvation.
The visible sign of Cana strengthened the faith of the disciples. Indeed, miracles must always serve to glorify God and to make people aware of His goodness and providence. If today there are theological currents which seek a natural explanation for all supernatural phenomena, then the deeper meaning of a miracle has not been understood. The conclusion of today’s Gospel clearly describes it: “The first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him”.
