"Jesus himself was a guest at a wedding in Cana.
We've heard it all before.
He turned the water into wine.
(It's our proof-text against puritans.)
Vintage stuff. Jesus was a guest - of humanity.
The heavenly host,
who laid on a harvest of abundance for the world,
the creator, my provider,
became the guest of the animals in the stable,
the villagers of Nazareth,
the religious leaders in the Temple,
the prostitutes, drunkards, tax collectors.
He let us play host,
did away with the VIP pass,
ate, drank, and became one of us,
dined at our table,
ate the same bread, drank the same wine;
everybody having a good time.
Shared stories;
shared our story.
When he left the table,
he left bread and wine.
He, himself, left;
but he left himself.
The guest, once more,
became the consummate Host."
Kevin & Ana Draper, Steve Collins, Jonny Baker 2000/2007
Whoever it was that was responsible for the catering arrangements that day
in Cana of Galilee, wouldn’t have been asked again to arrange anybody else’s wedding! “Couldn’t organise a booze-up in a brewery”!
If the wine had run out, everybody would have gone home early,
the celebrations would have been over in a few hours,
rather than the normal two or three days of noisy, joyful celebration.
The wedding would have been the talk of Galilee for years to come –
“do you remember that awful wedding in Cana….?”
They would have recounted it again and again at many a future wedding.
How embarrassing!
This must have been a family wedding,
someone close to The Davidson’s of Nazareth.
There they all were – Auntie Mary; cousin Jesus, some of the disciples as well;
and perhaps, being fishermen, they had a greater capacity to drink a lot!
It may have been those disciples, and others like them,
who caused the wine problem in the first place!
Mary was confident that her Son would be able to help.
Mary knew that Jesus would want to turn around this difficult situation
into one which would bring glory to God
and restore a chaotic situation back to order.
That’s the way God likes things – no chaos, just good order.
Mary asked Him for wine… He provided wine.
At her bidding, He provides the BEST wine,
more wine than anybody at the party could possibly drink.
When Mary asks, Jesus honours her request,
and it becomes The Lord’s business!
The advice Mary gave to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you"
she gives also to us, the servants of Christ today.
We must listen attentively to His Voice,
and do whatever He tells us to do.
In this His first miracle, it was His mother who told Him that the wine had ran out. Jesus clearly told her that His time has not yet come!
But despite this, He still performed a miracle – His very first.
All because His Mother asked Him to.
As the scriptures say, the earnest prayer of a righteous person
has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16).
You can’t find anyone more righteous
than the woman who unequivocally accepted God’s plan
and allowed Him to use her for His purpose.
And Mary, as Jesus's Mother - could anyone be closer to Him than Mary?
Don't be afraid to pray to Jesus for something that worries you,
or that you find concerning; and ask Mary to pray with you.
O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus, and our Mother,
we ask you to pray to Jesus for our family,
for all the families of the world,
to guard the cradle of the newborn,
the schools of the young, and their vocations,
the workplace of those embarking upon adulthood.
By the prayers of Blessed Mary ever Virgin,
may we be delivered from present sorrows,
and enjoy everlasting happiness.
Through your Son, Christ our Lord. Amen.
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