The wedding at Cana

[Eruvande]

This passage was read at church this morning, and not for the first time I was puzzled. Jesus is told they have no wine (why, what was it to do with Him?) and seems to tell His mother it was not His hour… and then proceeds to do the miracle anyway.

Our minister was quite unhelpful in unpacking the hard parts of the passage, choosing instead to talk about something entirely unrelated, so I wondered if I could find any wisdom here.

Is it simply about Marian intercession? Is there a teaching about the Eucharist here? Why does Jesus says it’s not His time and then do the miracle anyway? Many thanks.

 

[kkollwitz]

Mary simply observes to Jesus that the wedding party has run out of wine. It’s very mild compared to people such as the Roman soldier asking Jesus directly for a miracle. And yes, it’s a food miracle which foreshadows the Eucharist.

 

[CB_Catholic]

This passage was read at church this morning, and not for the first time I was puzzled. Jesus is told they have no wine (why, what was it to do with Him?) and seems to tell His mother it was not His hour… and then proceeds to do the miracle anyway.

Our minister was quite unhelpful in unpacking the hard parts of the passage, choosing instead to talk about something entirely unrelated, so I wondered if I could find any wisdom here.

Is it simply about Marian intercession? Is there a teaching about the Eucharist here? Why does Jesus says it’s not His time and then do the miracle anyway? Many thanks.

I found this very detailed and interesting teaching on this here:

salvationhistory.com/studies/lesson/queen_wedding_at_cana_garden_in_eden

Much food for thought.

 

[PJM]

=Eruvande;12107332]This passage was read at church this morning, and not for the first time I was puzzled. Jesus is told they have no wine (why, what was it to do with Him?) and seems to tell His mother it was not His hour… and then proceeds to do the miracle anyway.

Our minister was quite unhelpful in unpacking the hard parts of the passage, choosing instead to talk about something entirely unrelated, so I wondered if I could find any wisdom here.

Is it simply about Marian intercession? Is there a teaching about the Eucharist here? Why does Jesus says it’s not His time and then do the miracle anyway? Many thanks.

Explaining the events at Canna

Jn. 2: 1-5 “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.”

Here in summary form are the details:

When the B & G are about to run out of wine ; some suppose perhaps while Jesus and Mary were invited, the 12 Apostles may not have been expected. …Divine Providence in action here, causes the shortage. Mary, the Mother of Jesus goes to him KNOWING that he is GOD, and ask for a miracle.

Jesus replies that “it is not YET my time” which indicates that both He and She were aware of what was to lie ahead. Mary, perhaps NOT in the detail that Christ Knew. So in asking Christ for this public announcement of His Divinity, Mary has directly ordered the death of Her Son. And jump-started His Public Ministry.

Christ by asking “Cf. what business of this is mine” is REALLY asking; “do YOU Mother REALLY want this for me?” Meaning His eventual passion and death? Mary reply: “Cf.DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU” is an emphatic “YES!” from which we are to understand that She has been prompted by the HS to do this, as Mary’s will has always and every time adhered to the Divine Will the Father. Also implied here in Christ question to his mother is: “are you ready to suffer” along with me?

Luke 2: 31-35 At the circumcision of Jesus in the Temple: “Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

I hope this aids your understanding? Thanks for asking,
Patrick

 

[TimothyH]

Mary was given the privilege of being the only person in the history of creation to order God to do something. Jesus said, “It is not my hour” and Mary said, “Oh yes it is!”

People tried to put God on a timetable in the Bible and it didn’t work out well for them. Mary was the only one.

-Tim-

 

[Joy2day]

I think it is about Our Lady and how she can be the medium between us and Jesus. It is often her request to Jesus that sees a benefit given to us. I also think this is why Our Lord said on the cross to St John that Our Lady was his mother - to indicate that she is our mother and we should ask many things of her therefore.

 

[Petaro]

I am very simple so I don’t go to deeply in the beautiful complex analysis surrounding His eventual death.
I see a woman, who with the perspicacity of most women at social occasions, sees that there is a crisis for the host. Knowing her Son will obey her, she mentions it to Him.
He almost rebukes her, implying that this was not the time or place to start saving the world. She doesn’t even answer Him, argue or plead. She just turns to the servants and directs them to obey Him. This surely is her eternal message to all of us.
What love He must have for her! What power of intercession she has! This is my favorite decade of the Rosary!

 

[PJM]

=TimothyH;12108924]Mary was given the privilege of being the only person in the history of creation to order God to do something. Jesus said, “It is not my hour” and Mary said, “Oh yes it is!”

People tried to put God on a timetable in the Bible and it didn’t work out well for them. Mary was the only one.

-Tim-

NO NO! Tim,

Mary did NOT Order Christ; She simply ASKED for this favor. Christ COULD have denied the request. However you may still be right. Perhaps as a kid She ORDERED him to clean up his room

God Bless you,
Patrick

 

[TimothyH]

NO NO! Tim,

Mary did NOT Order Christ; She simply ASKED for this favor. Christ COULD have denied the request. However you may still be right. Perhaps as a kid She ORDERED him to clean up his room

God Bless you,
Patrick

Mary set the events in motion.

Her son was reluctant saying, “What does this have to do with me?” Mary ignored him, looked at the servants and said, “Do what he tells you.” Jesus did it. That’s not asking. A mother does not ask her son for a favor, especially a Jewish mother. I had Jewish friends growing up. A Jewish mother expects her son to do what he is told. A Jewish son obeys his mother.

Read the story of the Jewish mother and her seven sons in 2 Maccabees 7 and you will see the model - the mother encouraging her sons to stay faithful and the sons doing exactly as they are told in the face of horrible torture and death.

But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: "My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being. Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again with your brothers." (2 Maccabees 7:27-29)

Ruth, Judith, Esther… all the strong women of the Bible set events in motion which lead to the salvation of Israel from great harm. This is the great privilege given to Mary, that she was the one who would set Jesus’ ministry into motion, knowing full well how it would end, and that it would lead to the salvation of Israel and of all mankind.

I know you read the Scriptures Patrick. Look at the strong women of the Bible and you will find Mary in all of them. Ponder the passage above for a moment Patrick, for that is the image of Mary at the wedding at Cana.

-Tim-

 

[ProVobis]

NO NO! Tim,

Mary did NOT Order Christ; She simply ASKED for this favor. Christ COULD have denied the request. However you may still be right. Perhaps as a kid She ORDERED him to clean up his room

God Bless you,
Patrick

Patrick, I don’t ever recall my mother ordering me to do anything. I know she often asked. And I often complained and sometimes I even disobeyed.

Did your mother actually order you?

 

[PJM]

=TimothyH;12110746]Mary set the events in motion.

Her son was reluctant saying, “What does this have to do with me?” Mary ignored him, looked at the servants and said, “Do what he tells you.” Jesus did it. That’s not asking. A mother does not ask her son for a favor, especially a Jewish mother. I had Jewish friends growing up. A Jewish mother expects her son to do what he is told. A Jewish son obeys his mother.

Read the story of the Jewish mother and her seven sons in 2 Maccabees 7 and you will see the model - the mother encouraging her sons to stay faithful and the sons doing exactly as they are told in the face of horrible torture and death.

But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: "My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being. Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again with your brothers." (2 Maccabees 7:27-29)

Ruth, Judith, Esther… all the strong women of the Bible set events in motion which lead to the salvation of Israel from great harm. This is the great privilege given to Mary, that she was the one who would set Jesus’ ministry into motion, knowing full well how it would end, and that it would lead to the salvation of Israel and of all mankind.

I know you read the Scriptures Patrick. Look at the strong women of the Bible and you will find Mary in all of them. Ponder the passage above for a moment Patrick, for that is the image of Mary at the wedding at Cana.

-Tim-

Hi Tim,

I THINK [me; personal opinion here]

That what you’re missing in Mary “I AM the handmaiden of the Lord”; DO with Me as YOU will" is the absolute necessity for a Saint to have humility. Mary ASKED; Mary Did NOT demand.

God Bless you Tim

 

[TimothyH]

Hi Tim,

I THINK [me; personal opinion here]

That what you’re missing in Mary “I AM the handmaiden of the Lord”; DO with Me as YOU will" is the absolute necessity for a Saint to have humility. Mary ASKED; Mary Did NOT demand.

God Bless you Tim

But Jesus was Mary’s son. It was a real human family made up of real people and functioned as such. Do you not read that Mary scolds her son for disappearing for three days when he is twelve years old? Mary did not defer to her son. That is not how families function. That’s not how Jewish mothers function.

I think many have bought into the modern notion that Mary was this sheepish victim but that is greeting card theology. Maybe we have looked at the Peita too long and listented to “Mary did you know” too many times.

Jewish mother’s are fierce. They are loyal. They are brave. Look at all the Apostles who run away and look at the women who stay at the foot of the cross. Only Eve disobeyed - every other woman in the Bible was a faithful hero, a savior of Israel in one way or another, and Mary was the greatest of them all, given the privilege of setting into motion the events that would redeem mankind, even though Jesus didn’t want to.

-Tim-

 

[PJM]

=TimothyH;12113089]But Jesus was Mary’s son. It was a real human family made up of real people and functioned as such. Do you not read that Mary scolds her son for disappearing for three days when he is twelve years old? Mary did not defer to her son. That is not how families function. That’s not how Jewish mothers function.

I think many have bought into the modern notion that Mary was this sheepish victim but that is greeting card theology. Maybe we have looked at the Peita too long and listented to “Mary did you know” too many times.

Jewish mother’s are fierce. They are loyal. They are brave. Look at all the Apostles who run away and look at the women who stay at the foot of the cross. Only Eve disobeyed - every other woman in the Bible was a faithful hero, a savior of Israel in one way or another, and Mary was the greatest of them all, given the privilege of setting into motion the events that would redeem mankind, even though Jesus didn’t want to.

-Tim-

No my friend, you’re wrong.

Both Mary and Joseph were Very and always mindful that Jesus WAS [IS] the Son of God.

**Because God Can’t sin [Jesus IS GOD], and Mary Choose NEVER to Sin, there was NO Strive n there family; NONE at all. Reread Luke 1: 26-36 **

So while exteriorly they gave the normal family image; interiorially they were ALL aware of who and what they were. Consider the Lost Child found after three days TEACHING the Teachers, at age 13.

This was never a “normal family,” in the sense of family tensions.

God Bless you,

Patrick

 

[bmonk]

The wedding at Cana.

There’s a lot of symbolism going on here, as in all of John’s stories. (Some may be my own delusions. )

It’s a wedding feast, which reminds us of the Wedding of the King’s Son in various parables–Jesus being the King’s Son, who came to wed his bride, prepared before the creation of the world.

In this, Mary has a special role: she is the Queen, the Mother of the King. She was a privileged means of accessing the King–if the King’s government was not taking care of your needs, you could appeal to the Queen and she would get it done. That’s what they do here, all unknowing–they appeal to the Queen (Mother), and she gets it done, supplying wine for the celebration.

They run out of wine. Wine is a symbol of the Spirit, since it uplifts our spirits.

In turn, Jesus has them fill six stone jars supplied for ceremonial washings to the brim with water. This reminds us of our own ceremonial washing–baptism. Now, stone jars were the best the Jews could offer: the water in them stayed ritually pure, while clay jars (much cheaper) could be contaminated and become impure. But Jesus offers something even better: the water becomes wine, a symbol of the Spirit (and the Eucharistic Blood, which also washes away our sins). So the best cleansing that the Jewish ritual offers has been replaced by something much better. In fact, as the steward observes, it’s even better wine than was originally supplied–and there is something like 150-180 gallons of it!

 

[zz912]

He almost rebukes her, implying that this was not the time or place to start saving the world.

He bestows the title of “woman” on her. In today’s language, it would be an insult to say such a thing to your mother, but not in that time. Jesus was referring back to Genesis 3:15, by declaring her the “woman” who will crush the serpent’s head.

 

[TimothyH]

No my friend, you’re wrong.

Both Mary and Joseph were Very and always mindful that Jesus WAS [IS] the Son of God.

**Because God Can’t sin [Jesus IS GOD], and Mary Choose NEVER to Sin, there was NO Strive n there family; NONE at all. Reread Luke 1: 26-36 **

So while exteriorly they gave the normal family image; interiorially they were ALL aware of who and what they were. Consider the Lost Child found after three days TEACHING the Teachers, at age 13.

This was never a “normal family,” in the sense of family tensions.

God Bless you,

Patrick

I’m sorry Patrick but the Scriptures disagree…

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51)

Jesus obeyed Mary and Jospeh.

-Tim-

 

[GaryTaylor]

The hour that has not come is the Cross, the water and wine are symbolic of the Cross. This was the start of Christs public ministry and first miracle performed.

On the third day there was a wedding, on the third day Jesus rose.

“Do whatever he tells you.” is indicative of who He is, Mary “interceded” in the ministry. As she has done for all mankind.

Christ changes water into wine and opens the hearts of the disciples to faith, thanks to the intervention of Mary, the first among believers.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Jesus obeyed Mary and Joseph.

I would only add that imho God humbled Himself in the first place to become man, and further He placed Himself in the care of Mary and Joseph as a baby. There could be no more humbling of a position as we see from the Nativity to the Cross. Correct giver receiver relationship I would think and all the way around.