The Marriage Feast of Cana, as well as being Christ's first public miracle, holds a special place in my affections.
It was one of the readings at our wedding. That is one reason.
It is also a mighty lesson in the intercessionary powers of Our Lady and a wonderful example of God's mercy towards us, even over a relatively trivial thing like running low on wine at a wedding.
It would have been embarrassing to have run dry, a great loss of face would have been involved but, it would not have been the end of the world.
Our Lady, with a mother's perception, knew that an embarrassment for the host family would be painful to bear.
She also knew that Our Lord had the power to put matters right - "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do Thee".
This is a great example of the innate faith and compassionate nature of Our Lady.
The more one dwells on this aspect, the more one's respect and devotion to Our Lady grows.
GOSPEL (Jn. 2:1-11). At that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus with to her: Woman, what is it to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine; and when men have well drank, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee: and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
To be concerned for the feelings of the host is one thing but to actually know that her Son is the only person in the room and in the world who can make matters right without any fuss or hoo-hah, is quite another.
There are many elements within this account that provide us with a perfect route map for our own faith.
First and foremost is trust in God and in his Mother's intercessionary power.
Second is that, if Christ could intervene on a domestic issue such as this, how much more will He intervene on our behalf when life or death is at stake?
Then we have the implicit trust in God. "Do whatever He tells you" - that is a maxim for all time.
And also in the Miracle at Cana we have a link to the Eucharist, the changing of matter as at the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes and, ultimately, at the Last Supper when bread and wine was changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
All of the above is taken from a sermon given by Fr Jason Jones at a Vigil Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Morriston, Swansea. Father's homily contained much more of import but the above account is the best my poor memory can achieve.
At least it proves that I listened, Father!
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It is also a mighty lesson in the intercessionary powers of Our Lady and a wonderful example of God's mercy towards us, even over a relatively trivial thing like running low on wine at a wedding.
It would have been embarrassing to have run dry, a great loss of face would have been involved but, it would not have been the end of the world.
Our Lady, with a mother's perception, knew that an embarrassment for the host family would be painful to bear.
She also knew that Our Lord had the power to put matters right - "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do Thee".
This is a great example of the innate faith and compassionate nature of Our Lady.
The more one dwells on this aspect, the more one's respect and devotion to Our Lady grows.
GOSPEL (Jn. 2:1-11). At that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus with to her: Woman, what is it to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine; and when men have well drank, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee: and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
To be concerned for the feelings of the host is one thing but to actually know that her Son is the only person in the room and in the world who can make matters right without any fuss or hoo-hah, is quite another.
There are many elements within this account that provide us with a perfect route map for our own faith.
First and foremost is trust in God and in his Mother's intercessionary power.
Second is that, if Christ could intervene on a domestic issue such as this, how much more will He intervene on our behalf when life or death is at stake?
Then we have the implicit trust in God. "Do whatever He tells you" - that is a maxim for all time.
And also in the Miracle at Cana we have a link to the Eucharist, the changing of matter as at the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes and, ultimately, at the Last Supper when bread and wine was changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
All of the above is taken from a sermon given by Fr Jason Jones at a Vigil Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Morriston, Swansea. Father's homily contained much more of import but the above account is the best my poor memory can achieve.
At least it proves that I listened, Father!
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