Epistle: Romans 12. 6-16; Gospel: John 2, 1-11
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our Lady has interceded for those who approach her divine Son from the
very beginning of his public life and ministry. Mary was invited to a wedding
at Cana, and "Jesus also was invited to the marriage with his disciples".
Our Lady informs Jesus "they have no more wine" and even though he hesitates,
saying "My hour has not yet come" he yet accedes to her wishes. Though
wine for the wedding guests is not of importance to his heavenly reign,
he yet condescends when his mother brings the request. Our Lady then tells
the servants "Do whatever he tells you." We also are invited by our Lady
to obedience: "in that all Christian holiness consists: for perfect holiness
is obeying Christ in all things". (St. Thomas Aquinas, Comm. on St. John,
in loc.). The Lord condescends to her wishes and the needs of the wedding
guests and changes water into wine.
In the public life of Jesus Mary appears prominently; at the very beginning
when at the marriage feast of Cana, moved with pity, she brought about
by her intercession the beginning of the miracles of Jesus the Messiah
(cf. John 2: 1-11). In the course of her Son's preaching she received the
words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh
and blood, he declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God
(cf. Mk 3:35; Lk 11:27-28) as she was faithfully doing (cf. Lk 2:19; 51).
Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully
preserved in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood (cf.
Jn 19:25), in line with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten
Son the intensity of his passion, with his sacrifice, associating herself
in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this
victim which was born of her. Finally, she was given by the same Christ
Jesus dying on the cross as a mother to his disciple, with these words:
'Woman, behold thy son' (Jn 19: 26-27)" (Second Vatican Council, Lumen
gentium, 58).
"At Cana, Mary appears once more as the Virgin in prayer: when she tactfully
told her Son of a temporal need, she also obtained an effect of grace,
namely, that Jesus, in working the first of his 'signs', confirmed his
disciples' faith in him." (Paul VI, Marialis cultus, 18).
Why are Mary's prayers so effective with God? The prayers of the saints
are prayers of servants, whereas Mary's are a Mother's prayer, whence flows
their efficacy and their authority; and since Jesus has immense love for
his Mother, she cannot pray without being listened to...To understand Mary's
great goodness, let us remember what the Gospel says...There was a shortage
of wine, which naturally worried the married couple. No one asks the Blessed
Virgin to intervene and request her Son to come to the rescue of the couple...;
it stirs her to act as intercessor and ask her Son for the miracle, even
though no one asks her to...If our Lady acted like this without being asked,
what would she not have done if they actually asked her to intervene?"
(St. Alphonsus Mary Ligouri, Sunday Sermons, 48).
By God's design Mary is uniquely a Mediatrix for us, our Mother in the
order of grace (CCC 967-970) just as she was for the wedding guests at
Cana.
"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly
from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she
sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment
of all the elect. Taken up to the heaven she did not lay aside this saving
office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts
of eternal salvation...Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church
under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (Second
Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, 62) (CCC 969)
Let's pray for each other until, again next week, we "meet Christ in
the liturgy",
Father Cusick
(See also nos. 486, 495, 1335, 1613, and 2618 in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.)
Used with the permission of Fr. Cusick from his
website.
