Was Mary mother-in-law at Wedding in Cana? John 2

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Was our blessed Mother the mother-in-law at the wedding in Cana?
  1. She told the servants to act on Jesus’ command; they did so.
  2. Why would they listen to her advice since she was a woman? Women were held in lower esteem.
  3. After the wedding Jesus left with Mary, His brothers and sisters and disciples.
    Were these brethren the children of Joseph and therefore also Mary’s children as reckoned in Jewish culture? – Not her uterine children but children through family relationship.
  4. If the bride or groom were one of these children, she would therefore be the mother-in-law and presumably the servants would be inclined to listen to her.
What do you think?
 
The servants were desperate. They may have been willing to listen to any and all ideas, no matter who they came from or how “crazy” they were.
 
Read Proverbs on the biblical view of a good wife and respect for women.
 
Note that Mary is mentioned first, rather than Jesus, and that Jesus and the twelve were “also invited.” Jesus was known as “Master” and Mary was the Master’s mother. As such, an invited guest’s wishes would be respected. In any event, once Mary advised them to listen to her Son, His command or request would have been carried out, since He was a man, rendering the point moot. Yet, there must have been something about Mary, to coin a phrase.

This is a demonstration of Mary’s intercessory ability with her Son, so as to call His favor.

From the Haydock commentary:

Ver. 1. The Mother of Jesus was present. It is supposed she was then a widow, since in all the rest of the history of Jesus, not a single word occurs respecting St. Joseph. (Calmet)

Ver. 3. They have no wine. The blessed virgin Mother was not ignorant of the divine power of her Son, and that the time was come when he designed to make himself known to the world. She could not make her request in more modest terms. (Witham)

Ver. 4. Some of the Fathers have spoken without sufficient precaution on this action of the blessed Virgin; supposing she was actuated by some inclination to vanity, in begging her Son to perform a miracle on this occasion; that some of the glory of it might accrue to her, and that on this account our Saviour answers her with severity, saying, Woman, (not Mother) what is it to thee or me. Other Fathers, with more reason, attribute the interference of the blessed Virgin to her charity and compassion for the new married couple. Whatever turn be given to our Saviour’s answer, it must be acknowledged it has in it the appearance of something severe. But the Fathers have explained it with mildness, observing that our Saviour only meant to say, Mother, what affair is it of ours if they want wine? Ought we to concern ourselves about that? Others think that he wished, by these words, to let his Mother know that she must not forestall the time appointed by the heavenly Father, as if her demand were unseasonable and out of time. But most of the Fathers and best commentators understand, that he speaks here not as man and Son of Mary, but as God; and in that quality, he observes to his Mother, I have nothing in common with you. It is not for you to prescribe when miracles are to be performed, which are not to be expected in compliance with any human respect. I know when my power is to be manifested for the greater glory of God. (Calmet) —See the like forms of speech, Mark i. 24; Luke iv. 34; &c. — My hour is not yet come. It is not yet time. He waited till the wine was quite done, lest any should believe that he had only increased the quantity, or had only mixed water with the wine. He would have his first miracle to be incontestable, and that all the company should be witnesses of it. (St. Augustine, et alii patres passim. — Christ’s first miracle in the New Testament, was a kind of transubstantiation in changing water into wine; the first miracle Moses performed when sent to the Jews, was transubstantiation. (Exodus iv.) The first Moses and Aaron performed, when sent to the Egyptians, was transubstantiation. (Exodus vii.)
 
What’s interesting besides it being the first mention of a miracle of Jesus. It’s probably the most well known wedding for two thousand years, and we don’t even know the names of the bride and groom.
 
What’s interesting besides it being the first mention of a miracle of Jesus. It’s probably the most well known wedding for two thousand years, and we don’t even know the names of the bride and groom.
According to Mother Angelica, we know that the wine ran out only after the Apostles arrived… 😃
 
According to Mother Angelica, we know that the wine ran out only after the Apostles arrived… 😃
I’m not one to argue with Mother but I think she forgot that once the party started, no one could come or go (recall the parable of the wise and foolish virgins and their lamps).
 
I have seen it suggested that Mary was a close friend of the bride and groom, and their families. As such she was doing the behind-the-scenes managing of the party.
 
It is clear that she had great faith in both Who her Son was and what He could do. In the Luther Bibel (1545), he used the German word for “create” (schaffen) when giving Jesus’ answer to Mary “What have I to do (create) with you” in John 2:4. Without knowing this, our Lord’s words seem almost dismissive of Mary. Not so.
 
According to Mother Angelica, we know that the wine ran out only after the Apostles arrived… 😃
:rotfl:
I have seen it suggested that Mary was a close friend of the bride and groom, and their families. As such she was doing the behind-the-scenes managing of the party.
That’s a good thought. With regard to the OP’s question, tradition (as I understand it) is that Joseph was a bit older, possibly a widower. It is certainly possible that if Joseph was a widower, he may have had other children that looked to Mary as a mother figure. If po18guy is correct that Joseph may have been dead by that point, and one of Joseph’s children were to marry, it would certainly make sense that Mary would take on a maternal role in such a wedding.

I don’t know how much any of this matters (as long as we understand that nothing conflicts with Mary’s perpetual virginity), but it certainly is fun to speculate.
 
  1. Why would they listen to her advice since she was a woman? Women were held in lower esteem.
people forget that women were responsible for running the household. Supplying food and drink and directing servants would be normal for a woman. women had a great deal of authority within the home. Servants would feel obligated to listen to and obey any person who was not a servant.
 
:rotfl:

That’s a good thought. With regard to the OP’s question, tradition (as I understand it) is that Joseph was a bit older, possibly a widower. It is certainly possible that if Joseph was a widower, he may have had other children that looked to Mary as a mother figure. If po18guy is correct that Joseph may have been dead by that point, and one of Joseph’s children were to marry, it would certainly make sense that Mary would take on a maternal role in such a wedding.

I don’t know how much any of this matters (as long as we understand that nothing conflicts with Mary’s perpetual virginity), but it certainly is fun to speculate.
It fits the facts and is a reasonable conjecture.
 
people forget that women were responsible for running the household. Supplying food and drink and directing servants would be normal for a woman. women had a great deal of authority within the home. Servants would feel obligated to listen to and obey any person who was not a servant.
That is the point:
If Mary, ever-virgin, were an elder family member or the mother-in-law, the servants would listen to her.
If Mary, ever-virgin, were simply a random guest, why would the servants listen to her?
 
:rotfl:

That’s a good thought. With regard to the OP’s question, tradition (as I understand it) is that Joseph was a bit older, possibly a widower. It is certainly possible that if Joseph was a widower, he may have had other children that looked to Mary as a mother figure. If po18guy is correct that Joseph may have been dead by that point, and one of Joseph’s children were to marry, it would certainly make sense that Mary would take on a maternal role in such a wedding.

I don’t know how much any of this matters (as long as we understand that nothing conflicts with Mary’s perpetual virginity), but it certainly is fun to speculate.
Poor Saint Joseph doesn’t get a single word in all of scripture, and is not mentioned at all after he and Mary found Jesus in the Temple when He was 12 years old. It seems that the only resonable assumption here, since Jesus honored His father and mother (Luke 2:51) is that Joseph had died before Jesus’ public ministry began.

Since Mary was with Jesus from Nazareth until Jerusalem, it also destroys that recent argument of Mary’s “other children” - a supposition that is neither of the reformers, nor implied in the bible, I might add. And, if Mary and Jesus were invited to the wedding, why not all of those brothers and sisters of Jesus that anti-Catholics talk so much about? I mean, what a snub! It seems that just about everyone disliked them. Then, on the cross, Jesus gives Mary to John!
 
It is clear that she had great faith in both Who her Son was and what He could do. In the Luther Bibel (1545), he used the German word for “create” (schaffen) when giving Jesus’ answer to Mary “What have I to do (create) with you” in John 2:4. Without knowing this, our Lord’s words seem almost dismissive of Mary. Not so.
Interesting. I’ll have to check my “key word” Bible for lexical and grammatical notes when I get home.
 
Perhaps you’ll could give me a little help. Was Mary the mother-in-law not the mother-in-law?
 
Mary was not the mother-in-law. She was just being a older lady guest or kinswoman with a perpetual compulsion to help out and make things run smoothly. If you ever go to a Jewish wedding or other affair, there will be tons of older women just like this.

There’s actually an obligation, at Jewish wedding feasts, that the guests should do everything they can to make sure that the bride and groom stay happy and amused, and not let them be unhappy at all, even for a moment. Thus, all the drinking, dancing, eating, and even guests singing songs and displaying their talents (juggling, games, etc.). If there are any problems, guests can easily get involved in covering them up.

Actually, the speculation used to be that it was the marriage of John the Evangelist to Mary Magdalene. 🙂 There also was some speculation about Simon Kananaios (aka Simon the Zealot), because his name can be interpreted as saying he was from Cana. (Actually, it’s from qana, zealous, so it’s just Simon the Zealot again. But it was a nice try.)
 
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