MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #99

And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: "They have no wine." And Jesus saith to her: "Woman, what is that to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come." His mother saith to the waiters: "Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: "Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast." And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him: "Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now."
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11)

THE OBJECT OF OUR LORD'S MIRACLES: We can see clearly by this story the reason why our Lord worked miracles. His first object was to induce men to believe in the divinity of His mission and in the truth of His doctrine (see the words of Nicodemus, ("No man can do these miracles which Thou doest, unless God be with Him" [John 3:2]). If God were with Jesus, then everything which He taught must be true, because God is only with what is true. The second object of our Lord's miracles was to instruct men not only by words, but by deeds also. The miracle at Cana teaches us that we ought, according to our means, to help our neighbors in their necessities. It is also typical of that great and lasting miracle of divine love, power and wisdom, the changing of bread into the Body of our Lord Jesus, and of wine into His Blood. Thirdly, our Lord worked miracles in order to help men in their sufferings and necessities. By the miracle at the marriage-feast Jesus desired to deliver the bridegroom from an awkward dilemma, and to restore the festal joy. The help given was so lavish that a quantity of wine remained over after the feast; just as, later on, after the feeding of five thousand, twelve baskets-full of bread remained over. Let us recognize in all this the goodness of Jesus, and appeal to His Sacred Heart for help in all our necessities, both spiritual and temporal.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)