When the wine ran short…
What an interesting beginning for Jesus’s first recorded miracle! So many of His recorded miracles involve healings—giving sight to those who are blind, hearing to those who are deaf, health to those who are ill, and even life to those who have died. But wine running short? Somehow that doesn’t seem to rate as one of those critical needs. So why begin his public ministry this way?
A Wedding Invitation
Let’s start with the setting—a wedding in the town of Cana. Why a wedding as the setting for the first miracle Christ would perform?
The wedding feast in the parable (Mt 22:2-4) symbolizes the kingdom of heaven, our ultimate destiny, and the grand invitation. In that parable, those who were invited did not show up, so the king invites everyone, no matter how lowly, to attend.
Christ calls everyone to the feast, the wedding banquet, to publicly declare His love for each of us. The Mass is the wedding feast of the Lamb who was slain. Every time we have the privilege to attend Mass, our Beloved Jesus demonstrates his profound love for us.
A wedding is also a time for great joy, the expansion of family! St. Francis de Sales was quick to remind us that: “A sad saint is a sorry saint.” We were made for celebration. Each day should celebrate our gratitude to our Father who has given us everything, including his only Son.
Therefore, a wedding is the perfect place to begin. It always begins with God’s initiative, His invitation to our hearts to be forever joined to His in eternal joy.
The Blessed Mama
The role of a mother can never be understated, and especially when we are talking about the Mother of Christ, who is also our Mama. Every kid on the planet knows the age-old adage through personal experience: When you want something, ask mom!
And what a mom she is! The wedding couple may not have even realized that an embarrassing disaster was about to erupt. But Mary noticed! She noticed before anyone else in the wedding party. I don’t know about you, but I would probably have been completely clueless to this plight. I would have been laughing, talking, and enjoying the festivities.
How good it is to know our Blessed Mother is right there—observing and taking care of business. She is a woman with a mission and a heart of gold. She notices and takes action. A great lesson here: Go to her. Ask her. Include her in your plans. You will NEVER be disappointed! What Son can resist his own Mother?
When the Wine Ran Short
So back to the first question. Why work a miracle over a wine shortage? Yes, it would have been embarrassing, but it is not a sickness vs. health or life vs. death situation.
Does not wine run short in our lives in a variety of circumstances? Do we not daily feel the shortages of money, courage, energy, forgiveness, health, or time to name a few?
Perhaps that is precisely the reason why Jesus chose to work his first miracle here. Because he wants us to turn to him ALL of the time, not just in those tragic or serious moments, but always. He cares about our daily grind! He wants to be part of the tiny moments. Isn’t this what a true relationship looks like with friends, loved ones, your spouse, or children? Jesus is trying to assure us that he is there for us, in every situation.
So, let’s turn to our Blessed Mother and Christ right now in this small moment. Let’s lay our shortages, those situations, and places where we feel like we are lacking, in her hands. Let us listen carefully in prayer and then do whatever Her Son tells us! Miracles abound! These are the great lessons learned at Cana.
