When Our Lady truly becomes Queen of all hearts, “wonderful things will happen” in this world. In history, as in the Wedding of Cana, the best wine is being reserved for the end…
Gospel of the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
“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 failed, 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” (Jn 2:1-11).
I – The Power of Mary’s Intercession
The pages of the Old Testament are perfumed with the deeds of the holy women who edified successive generations of the Chosen People. They are all, from a certain perspective, prefigures of Our Lady, and presaged the unmatched example of Mary Most Holy in the practice of virtue.
There was Ruth, the Moabite, the chaste Susanna, and Judith, who defeated the terrible Holofernes when the rulers of Israel were about to surrender the city. The same occurred with Esther. Though vulnerable, she heeded the promptings of her uncle Mordecai to intercede before the king to save the Israelites from extermination. She prayed, asking for strength and, at risk of life, found grace before the king, manifesting how much she loved her people.
Like every symbol, these prefigures are inferior to what they represent, but they reveal aspects of the unequalled soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas. He gathered all His graces together and called them Mary.” 1 After this, any perfection existing in the created universe—with the exception of Jesus Christ, the God-Man—is unfit to be worthily compared to the Mother of God. 2
It is from this perspective that we should consider the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana, in which the shortage of wine provided occasion for the first miracle of Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Mary.
II – The Miracle of the Wedding at Cana
It is not surprising that the first miracle of Our Lord took place during a wedding feast, for the matrimonial ceremonies of that time were surrounded by great solemnity, since all awaited the coming of the Messiah who would save the Jewish people. Every new couple was formed in the expectation of participating in the Saviour’s lineage, and sterility was considered a true punishment.
According to custom, marriage preparations began a year in advance, when the parents of the engaged met to draw up the marriage contract and to arrange patrimonial matters, so as to ensure the stability of the new home.
Normally the wedding banquet was held after sunset. The bride made her way to the new home accompanied by her friends, who went ahead carrying oil lamps amid songs and manifestations of joy. Commemorations in this epoch had sui generis characteristics and many times lasted as long as one week, often with the participation of a great many guests. 3
Jesus and Mary are invited to a wedding
“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.”
Cana was about ten kilometres from the less important city of Nazareth. The Mother of Jesus certainly had friendly relations with the family of the bride or groom. Or, in the opinion of Abbé Jourdain, “one can imagine that Mary was bound to the families of the young couple by close ties of kinship and, having been invited for this reason, felt obliged to attend.” 4
Our Lord accompanied her, bringing with Him His first disciples: John, James, Peter, Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel. The reason for the presence of Jesus and His Mother is thus explained by Abbé Jourdain: “Jesus Christ deigned to attend the Wedding of Cana, whether to honour matrimony, as the Holy Fathers unanimously teach; or to elevate it to the dignity of a Sacrament and to show the Church and the world that, without the presence of the Son of God and His most holy Mother, nuptials are neither holy nor pleasing to God.” 5 But, as we have already had the opportunity to deal with this in a previous article, we will now focus our analysis on the role of Our Lady. 6
In commenting on this verse, it is opportune to focus on a characteristic of the Catholic spirit: the understanding that human life, lived within the observance of God’s Law, should be pleasant and have its comforts and joys. By attending the feast, Our Lord and Our Lady made it clear that “the legitimate amusements of domestic life are holy” and that “the Christian spirit is neither withdrawn nor antisocial.” 7 The temperate joy of good food and good drink, the chaste pleasures of the table and other licit delights, such as music or a well-decorated and refined environment, are wholly in agreement with the spirit of the Church, since they foster progress in the love of God.
In that marriage celebration sanctified by their presence, it is inconceivable that Our Lord and Our Lady passed unnoticed. In their countenance, bearing, way of being, and above all, by the look in their eyes, their incommensurable superiority over the others must have been evident. A supernatural halo must have surrounded them, discreetly attracting the curiosity of the diners. Our Lord, affirms Fr. Ambroise Gardeil, OP —, “by the peace that He spread, more than by His miracles and His affirmations, proved that He was the Son of God.” 8
Always desiring to do good to others
“When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’”
In keeping with Judaic custom, the women did not sit at table during the banquets, but remained separate from the men and prepared the food. It was the role of the older women to supervise the work of the younger ones, to take any necessary measures and manage the waiting of the tables. 9 Our Lady must have been among them, since, from the tone of this verse we can gather that she was helping the hosts to ensure the success of the celebration.
Unconcerned with herself, as always, and solicitous to do good to others, Mary Most Holy paid close attention to everything. She thus noticed, perhaps without anyone informing her, the embarrassing situation: there was no more wine. What a disgrace for the hosts! What great disappointment this would cause when it became known! But this never happened, because, as St. Bernardine of Siena says, “the Heart of Mary could not bear the sight of need or affliction,” and, even without receiving any plea, “she intervenes, asking for a miracle to deliver this humble couple from their predicament.” 10
Our Lady interpreted everything with wisdom and she certainly considered that Providence had allowed the shortage of wine to provide Jesus with an occasion to manifest His Divinity. “He had not yet performed any prodigy, but she did not doubt His supernatural power, and her message implied an appeal for Him to do whatever possible, even a miracle”—Beringer comments. 11
As the Jesuit professors indicate, “in her intuition as Mother and enlightened Virgin, she perceived that the hour had come for Jesus to reveal the Messianic secret, hidden for so many years. The prior leave-taking, the baptism, the preaching of John and the disciples that followed Jesus—all of these episodes told her that a new phase had begun: Public Life.” 12
On the other hand, Our Lord had already revealed the great mystery of the Eucharist to His Mother, perhaps to console her in light of the Passion He was to endure, and the abandonment she would experience abiding nearly fifteen more years on this earth. 13 Mary must have been eager for the moment when she would receive Communion. She could well conclude that, the wine having run out, this was a fitting occasion for the institution of the Eucharist, ahead of time. 14
Prefigure of the Eucharistic miracle
“And Jesus said to her, ‘O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’”
Although the word “woman”, present in Jesus’ response, sounds somewhat harsh to our ears, in the speech of the time it rather denoted respect and solemnity, even great esteem and perhaps a note of tenderness. And its use was not uncommon in addressing princesses and queens. 15
Our Lord had understood His Mother’s insinuation perfectly, and by addressing her with those words and calling her “woman”, He wanted to show, as Maldonado affirms, the desire to “free Himself of all suspicion of human love, in performing the miracle.” 16 Jesuit professors are of the same opinion: “Jesus does not deny the miracle asked of Him, but denies that He will perform it for a merely human motive. In everything, He is moved by the will of His heavenly Father.” 17
Our Lord, too, could not have failed to pity the families in that situation. Yet He wished to instruct His disciples and to associate Our Lady with His work, showing His Mother’s decisive role as mediator. So, He undoubtedly rejoiced at Mary’s request and, according to the renowned exegete Fr. Lagrange, responded as if to say: “Leave it to Me, everything will be fine […] with more dignity in His tone, but undoubtedly with more affection in the modulation of His voice.” 18
In saying “My hour has not yet come,” Jesus declared that it was still early for the institution of the Eucharist. 19 Furthermore, St. John Chrysostom argues, as He was not yet recognized as the Messiah, it was not the moment to reveal Himself by performing a miracle. 20
Confidence in Our Lady should be entire
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
Our Lady was well acquainted with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, begotten in the sublime temple that is her womb. “Since she enjoys, as Mother, a privileged understanding of the Heart of her Son, she knows she will be heeded and she advises the servants to do everything He tells them. And therefore, at the request of Mary, the time of Christ’s miracles is exceptionally set in advance.” 21 Such is the efficacy of supplicating Omnipotence.
This clearly demonstrates how we ought to unreservedly confide in Our Lady, even when it seems that we merit the rejection of Our Lord. It is she who will come to our aid when our “wine is lacking” as well. By divine design, the power of entreaty of the Mediatrix of all graces is absolute. In His unfathomable goodness, the Redeemer promised: “Everything you ask of the Father in My name will be given you” (Jn 14:13). If this holds true for us, conceived in original sin and laden with so many personal miseries, how could it not be so, in the highest degree, for His incomparable Mother?
If Jesus refused her nothing while on earth, would He act differently in Heaven? 22 If He performed this stupendous miracle, even though the time had not yet come, we can be certain that His time has now arrived, since He is in Heaven as the Eternal Priest to intercede before the Father on our behalf (cf. Heb 4:14). He is there to answer our petitions, and remains on hand to fulfil the requests of Our Lady. The pious Cardinal de la Luzerne rightly concludes: “At the apex of glory, did she lose her power? The reward for her incomparable virtues was to have less credit before God? […] Would He who was submissive to her orders on this earth, reject her prayers in Heaven?” 23
Hence, we can be certain that in having recourse to Mary, we will be heeded in any circumstance.
God wants our cooperation in the miracles
“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.”
Advising the servants to do everything that Jesus told them, Our Lady teaches us not to place any obstacles in the way of Jesus’ will. And this is what she constantly repeats in our souls: “Do everything He tells you,” in other words, “follow the interior voice of grace, without placing any obstacles.”
Unfortunately, we often fail in our interpretation of the voice of God, and we resist grace, contrary to the exemplary attitude of those servants. It undoubtedly seemed strange to them to offer water at a banquet, but they obeyed readily, without raising the least objection.
Fr. D’Hauterive draws an important lesson from this passage: “In this episode, we should consider how important it is to faithfully obey God and whoever represents Him for us, without enquiring with excessive curiosity the reason why we were ordered to do one or another thing.” 24 God desires our cooperation in the miracles, by faith and obedience to the interior voice of grace. It is as if He were to say, in the wise expression of Fr. Jourdain: “If you do what you can, He will do what you cannot.” 25
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The manner of performing the miracle
“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)…”
In His miracles, Jesus sought to either satisfy the hunger of the multitude—as when He multiplied the loaves and fishes—, or attend to other pressing needs. However, in this case it was not indispensable that He change water into wine, because the lack of wine would do no great harm to anyone.
Nevertheless, Jesus heeds the request with superabundance, providing six full jars, or about 600 litres, of the best wine—a quantity that greatly surpassed the need at that moment. Why this “excess”?
Our Lord acted thus to show us that surplus, of itself, is not only not a sin, but can even be legitimate and recommendable. This abundance of wine, affirms Cardinal Gomá, “will not provoke abuse among the guests, because Jesus’ mere presence will restrain them, but providing this quantity of wine will help to free some friends or relatives from serious plight and lessen their poverty.” 26 It is not without reason, for the great exegete Fr. Fillion invites us to admire “the regal munificence of Jesus’ wedding present.” 27
On the other hand, it is worthwhile to note an important detail: the miracle was performed without any formula or outward sign, except Our Lord’s order to the servants; after they obeyed, there was no longer water in the jars, but wine. Father D’Hauterive summarises what took place: “By an act of His sovereign will, the will by which He commands the elements, as their Lord, Jesus instantaneously changed the substance of water into the substance of wine.” 28 However, at the Last Supper, in transubstantiating bread and wine, He used a fixed formula, which the Church employs in the Liturgy until today.
He did not proceed similarly in Cana because that act was not to be repeated by posterity. And although the miracle of Cana was spectacular, it was much inferior to the one that takes place in every Mass, with the Transubstantiation of wine and bread into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. But in the Eucharist the miracle is not visible: the priest pronounces the words of the Consecration, and the consecrated host and wine maintain the appearance of bread and wine, despite the substance having been changed. This is so to test our faith.
The best wine was served at the end
“…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.’”
The wine produced by this miracle was, without doubt, the most delicious ever made in history—the wine of all wines—because it was made by God Himself.
We can draw a valuable lesson for our spiritual life from the fact that it was served at the end. When we give in to the allurement of sin, we at first drink of the “good wine”: the fruition of the pleasures and the illusion of perfect happiness. However, soon afterwards, when already inebriated by vice, these impressions are followed by sadness and frustration. 29
In contrast, when we set out along the way of holiness, we perhaps encounter difficulties or trials at the beginning. However, this will soon be followed by the delightful “wine” of spiritual consolations. “The world initially promises goods, joy and pleasures, but in the end it only gives bitterness, afflictions and despair. On the contrary, God has those who render themselves to Him taste the bitterness of the chalice of Jesus Christ, sorrows and toil, but in the end the sufferings and the tears give way to ineffable joy and torrents of delight.” 30
There is a word of hope and comfort for those who suffer: the good wine transformed by Our Lord is being prepared for them.
Our Lord’s miracles demonstrate His Divinity
“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
From the tone of this verse, it can be deduced that the disciples had not believed entirely in the Master until that moment. “They had begun believing in Him—affirms Cardinal de la Luzerne—, for they linked themselves to his person. But their faith was still weak, perhaps even uncertain, and this miracle consolidated it, rendering it more lively and solid.” 31 Therefore, this miracle was necessary so that they would see Our Lord as the Messiah.
This invites us to adhere to God at the very outset of our spiritual life, demanding neither miracles nor consolations, because He Himself said to Thomas: “Blessed are those who believe and have not seen” (Jn 20:29).
III – The Best Wine in History: the Reign of Mary
Faced with the perplexities and misgivings that today’s world can impress upon us, this Sunday’s Gospel invites us to hope. For, we know that when humanity reaches a degree of moral decadence in which all seems lost, the omnipotent intercession of Mary will obtain from her Divine Son the transformation of water—in this case, water contaminated by sin—into the best wine.
The spiritual misery of the world will be transformed, by the intercession of the Mother of God, into extraordinary things that we cannot even imagine: the Reign of Mary, that is, the triumph of her Wise and Immaculate Heart, which she announced in Fatima.
Today’s Gospel phrase “You have kept the good wine until now,” could well mean: “Thou hast reserved, O God, the best of Thy graces for the latter times.” The most excellent graces, the most outstanding benefits, the greatest saints and the most refined cultures—the best realities that could possibly exist were reserved for this Marian era.
In a gentle, but rapid and direct manner—just as the water was transformed into wine at the wedding of Cana—, Our Lady will obtain from her Divine Son the sanctification of our souls. To attain this happy restoration, we need only follow Fr. Jourdain’s wise counsel: “Present to her your need, your misery, your lukewarmness, and entreat her: ‘Most holy Virgin, I am lacking the wine of love and devotion, I have only a little cold and insipid water; ask thy Son to convert it into wine.’” 32
In that blessed era, Mary will be established as Queen of all hearts, and “wonderful things will happen in those lowly places where the Holy Spirit, finding His dear spouse, as it were, reproduced, in souls, shall come in with abundance, and fill them to overflowing with His gifts, and particularly with the gift of wisdom, to work miracles of grace. […] When will that happy time, that age of Mary, come, when many souls, chosen and procured from the Most High by Mary, shall lose themselves in the abyss of her interior, shall become living copies of Mary, to love and glorify Jesus?” 33
By the loving plan of her Divine Son, the best wine in history will come at the end, and it will be the “wine of Mary”! ◊
Notes
1 ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT. True Devotion to Mary, n.23. 15.ed. Petrópolis: Vozes, 1987, p.30.
2 In this regard, St. Thomas teaches: “The humanity of Christ, from the fact that it is united to the Godhead; and created happiness from the fact that it is the fruition of God; and the Blessed Virgin from the fact that she is the mother of God; have all a certain infinite dignity from the infinite good, which is God.” (ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica, I, q.25, a.6, ad. 4).
3 Cf. FERNÁNDEZ TRUYOLS, SJ, Andrés. Vida de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Madrid: BAC, 1954. p.150-152.
4 JOURDAIN, Zéphyr-Clément. Somme des grandeurs de Marie. Paris: Walzer, 1900, t.II, p.461.
5 Idem, ibidem.
6 Heralds of the Gospel Magazine, nº 22 (October 2003). [Portuguese edition]
7 GOMÁ Y TOMÁS, Isidro. El Evangelio explicado. Barcelona: Casulleras, 1930, v.I, p.454.
8 GARDEIL, Ambroise. El Espírito Santo en la vida cristiana. Madri: Rialp, 1998, p.167.
9 Cf. DIDON. Jesus Christo. Porto: Chardron, 1895, v.I, p.187; TUYA, OP, Manuel de. Biblia Comentada. Madrid: BAC, 1964, p.999-1.000.
10 Apud ST. BERNARDINE OF SIENA. Explication des Évangiles. Hong-Kong: Imprimerie de la Société des Missions Étrangères, 1920, t.I, p.272.
11 BERINGER, R. Repertorio universal del predicador. Barcelona: Litúrgica española, 1933, v.I, p.198.
12 Cf. LEAL, SJ, Juan; PARAMO, SJ, Severiano del; ALONSO, SJ, José. La Sagrada Escritura. Texto y comentario por los Profesores de la Compañía de Jesús. Nuevo Testamento I, Evangelios. Madrid: BAC, 1961, p.846.
13 “There is no doubt that Mary knew Christ’s intention of instituting the Eucharist long before so august a Sacrament was instituted”. (ALASTRUEY, Gregorio. Tratado de la Virgen Santíssima. Madrid: BAC, 1956, p.678-679).
14 Cf. ALASTRUEY, op. cit., p.680-681.
15 Cf. JOURDAIN, op. cit., p.59; TUYA, OP, Manuel de. Biblia comentada, II. Madrid : BAC, 1964, p.1.006 ; CAROL, OFM, J.B. Mariología. Madrid: BAC, 1964, p.103-104; DEHAUT. L’Evangile expliqué, défendu, médité. Paris: Lethielleux, 1867, p.39-40.
16 MALDONADO, SJ, Juan de. Comentarios a los cuatro Evangelios. III. Evangelio de San Juan. Madrid: BAC, 1954, p.155.
17 LEAL, SJ; PARAMO, SJ; ALONSO, SJ, op. cit., p.847.
18 LAGRANGE, OP, M.J. Évangile selon Saint Jean. Paris: Lecoffre, 1936, p.56.
19 “That Christ had the institution of the Eucharist in mind on that occasion is insinuated by St. Augustine […]. And St. Maximus of Turin affirms: ‘In saying my time has not yet come, He promises the time of His most glorious Passion and the wine of our Redemption’” (ALASTRUEY, op. cit., p.680).
20 Cf. ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. Homilías sobre el Evangelio de San Juan (1-29). Madrid: Ciudad Nueva, s/d. p.268.
21 TUYA, OP, op. cit., p. 1003.
22 Cf. CLÁ DIAS, EP, João Scognamiglio. Pequeno ofício da Imaculada Conceição comentado. São Paulo: Artpress, 1997, p.283-285.
23 LUZERNE. Explication des Évangiles. Paris: Mequignon Junior, 1847, t.I, p.194.
24 D’HAUTERIVE, P. La suma del predicador. Paris: Luis Vivès, 1888, t.II, p.284.
25 JOURDAIN, op. cit., t.VII, p.368.
26 GOMÁ Y TOMÁS, op. cit., p.451.
27 FILLION, Louis Claude. Vida de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Madrid: Rialp, v.I, p.335.
28 D’HAUTERIVE, op. cit., p.302.
29 The professors of the Company of Jesus clarify that, in this verse, the words of the steward of the feast should not be understood as an allusion to drunkenness, but rather as part of “a kind of proverb” (LEAL, op. cit., p.852). For his part, Cardinal Gomá interprets the words of the steward of the feast as an “amiable jest” (Op. cit., p.451). L’Abbé Dehaut (Op. cit., p.26) and the professors of Salamanca (TUYA, op. cit., p.1002) hold the same opinion.
30 Epitres et Évangiles avec des explications. Paris: Jean Mariette, 1727, t.I, p.199.
31 LUZERNE, op. cit., p.200.
32 JOURDAIN, op. cit., t.VII, p.369.
33 ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT, op. cit., n.217, p. 211.
