Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
Nearby were six stone water jars meant for the ritual washing as practiced by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, «Fill the jars with water». And they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, «Now draw some out and take it to the steward». So they did. The steward tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing from where it had come; for only the servants who had drawn the water knew. So, he called the bridegroom to tell him, «Everyone serves the best wine first and when people have drunk enough, he serves that which is ordinary. Instead you have kept the best wine until the end».
This miraculous sign was the first, and Jesus performed it at Cana in Galilee. In this way He let his Glory appear and his disciples believed in Him.
«Do whatever he tells you»
Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM (Barcelona, Spain)Today is the feast of our Lady of Lourdes. In the Gospel Jesus is the central character, but He provides his mother with a humble role as He daily does in Lourdes, in everything that happens there. Invited to a wedding party with his disciples, Jesus, there, makes his first "sign". Mary, tactfully, realizes the need of the new spouses, and prudently lets Jesus know, by pleading for them: "They have no more wine" (Jn 2:3). While Jesus’ answer seems rather evasive, not to say negative, Mary, all the same, warns the servants "Do whatever He tells you" (Jn 2:,5). She did not know what Jesus would do, but she was probably thinking: whatever He does, He will do his best! And she was right
The outcome is already well known: the messianic abundance of the "best wine" that makes the master of the banquet to be surprised and the disciples to reaffirm their faith in Jesus.
I would like to highlight the usefulness of the simple presence of Mary in that wedding feast: with feminine thoughtfulness, she realizes what is missing, and prudently she shares it with her son. This is the beautiful undertaking of Mary in our lives and in the Church. Let us recall here Pope Francis’ words on the role of Mary, and of women in general, in the Church: "The woman is essential for the church. ”Mary, a woman, is more important than the bishops. The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions".
In the Church, in our families, in our personal lives, there are many shortcomings that Mary discovers and bestows upon Jesus; and her mediation is always effective! The woman is meant to provide a similar function
But it is necessary to invite Jesus and Mary to participate in our lives. And, most than all, it is also necessary to do whatever Jesus tells us to.
