Do Whatever He tells you.

Today we hear one of the very beautiful gospel passages that seem to make us happy simply in the hearing.  They bring us the story of the wedding at Cana which John says tells us of the very first ‘sign’ Jesus worked at the beginning of his public ministry:  he changed the jugs of water into wine, a gesture that saved the new bride and bridegroom from embarrassment when the supply of wine they had set aside for their wedding ran out.  And what an embarrassment that would be.

The way it all came about is also a beautiful story in itself.  Mary who had been invited to the wedding, as was Jesus and his disciples noticed that the wine was running low.  She spoke to her Son, and I can imagine in a quiet voice told him, ‘they have no more wine’.  At first Jesus didn’t seem too concerned with all this.  Mary, however, because she knew her Son so well, simply spoke to the servants and said to them “Do whatever he tells you.”

That’s when Jesus worked this first sign.  He simply changed the water into wine and the party went on.  He didn’t’ make a display about it; didn’t want to attract undue attention to himself, He just let things happen as they did.

The part in this gospel passage that is remembered most is the words spoken by Mary to the servants:  ‘do whatever He tells you’.  These are also the last words attributed to Mary that are recorded in any of the gospels.  And yet, they are truly so memorable, so powerful and with no exaggeration they are words addressed to us as well.   Their message is clear and powerful for they tell us that we too should do whatever Jesus says to us as we make our journey of faith, living each day with all that happens in our lives.

A mother’s role is often carried out almost silently when a child, perhaps still an infant, cries during the night.  It is the mother who gets up and cares for that baby.  How many times in a lifetime does this happen?  A mother’s role is lived in her heart when she has to hold back tears she would rather let flood out openly, but to show courage they remain locked in that maternal heart.  We could go on with so many instances of a mother’s role, her vocation lived twenty-four seven.  And Mary was such a mother.

I hope you find this gospel story and the words spoken by Mary especially beautiful and comforting ones.  I hope you hold on to them as the treasure that they are.  Bring them to mind often and let them comfort you and deepen not only your relationship with Jesus but with his Blessed Mother Mary as well.

Have a good week, thinking about Jesus…..and Mary.

Fr Walt