December 17th

The Wedding at Cana

So apparently I've been spelling it wrong. This is also the first repeat (thanks to the Bonus Entry! in honor of Haley and Cameron Cooper's wedding - I wonder if they would approve of such an honor incidentally). Luckily the first full rotation through the rosary has a unified theme, so hopefully there will be a new perspective on each mystery.

I started thinking about this one and how I have covered this story through most of the players' perspectives. I mention this mystery often, both jokingly and seriously, for how much I love that Jesus' first 'public' miracle was changing water into wine (not the other way around! har har). The more serious bent is a meditation on how you have to become wine from water, and then later the Blood of Christ from wine.

I also see the players as symbols of the different roles we have to play in the wonder of Christ. Are we the lowly laborers drawing water because we were told to, disbelieving and eventually, if we are lucky, dumbfounded or, if we are not, sending water off to the steward in terror and some kind of stubborn faith. Are we the steward who has no idea what's going on but is the one to state and affirm the miracle ignorantly? Are we the couple, blessed unknowingly by the presence of God Almighty at our wedding and saved from embarrassment by Him? Are we Mary, ever helpful and willing to let our Son take the first step toward Calvary for the sake of helping a friend? Are we His disciples, sitting by as witnesses and little else?

Chances are we are all, however briefly, each of them in turn. I think I have most often identified with the steward myself because I often feel that the best things that I do are not things that I consciously choose to do.

But I don't think I've ever really thought about the incident from Mary's perspective (with the exception of the chapter in Fulton J. Sheen's book on the story) until I thought about keeping the thread of steps in a faith journey of Mary consistent. Sheen called this incident the blessing of His earthly parent on the beginning of His ministry, Jesus having already received the blessing of his heavenly Parent in the Baptism by John. It struck me before then how painful must have been Jesus' warning, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come," and that this step would bring Him to the Crucifixion all the sooner. Would we, any of us, answer with Mary's echo of her first words to the Angel, "Do whatever He tells you." As she did, as she was willing to accept the consequences of doing.

Honestly, in our modern world how many of us would a) notice the problem our friends were having and b) think it was our problem enough that we would c) go to the person who could fix it d) even if it means that we would suffer greatly sooner - e) all for no thanks or even recognition?

But that's exactly what we will likely, at some point, find ourselves called to do. Do a great act of good that will cost us greatly without any hope of thanks or even realization from the benefiting party. And we must keep our eyes open to see it.

Jesus' miracle was the main event in this story, but first Mary asked Jesus for something that would cost her more time with her Son - both in cutting short His private life and ending sooner His life on earth.

May we follow humbly in the footsteps of Our Lady.