“What we usually take for granted, could be seen as a miracle by many.”

Our Lord’s self-sacrifice for mankind had its hour, which had not yet come when he was at Cana. But Jesus brings it forward as a result of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession. “Mary places herself between her Son and mankind in the reality of their wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herself ‘in the middle’, that is to say she acts as a mediatrix not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that as such she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind, and in fact, she ‘has the right’ to do so” (John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptoris Mater, 25 March 1987, no. 21).

Gospel Text: (JN 2:1-11)

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

When the wine ran short,

the mother of Jesus said to him,

“They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, how does your concern affect me?

My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servers,

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,

each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them,

“Fill the jars with water.”

So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them,

“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

So they took it.

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,

without knowing where it came from

— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,

the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,

“Everyone serves good wine first,

and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;

but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee

and so revealed his glory,

and his disciples began to believe in him.

Jesus’ mother noticed the trouble at the wedding and spoke up.  To run out of wine in the midst of celebration would bring shame upon the family.  Jesus launched his public life before he was ready.  Without notice, his time had arrived.  Mary’s trust awakened the spirit within him.  To have faith in another bestows a great gift.  In faith we draw joy from the “jugs of water” set before us.  Our faith nudges God to act.

Jesus’ first sign was at the wedding feast.  When we open our eyes to the goodness in things, we arrive at the feast.  The signs are here.  Just listen.