Do whatever he tells you
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
John 2:1-11
On the second Sunday of the year, the Church recalls the wedding feast at Cana. The focus is on Jesus’ self-revelation to the world at the beginning of his public ministry. This was the occasion of his first public miracle. However, I propose to make a reflection on today’s gospel starting from Mary his mother.
Mary had a keen eye to notice what was needed. We are not told that the servants came to her and made a request through her. They did not even know that Jesus had power to perform miracles; no one knew at the time. She observed and noticed the embarrassment and awkwardness for the wedding couple, the servants, and the wedding steward. Mary knew where to turn for a solution. Her strength was God, and now she had God in the person of her Son. She knew how to frame her request. It was not a presumptuous request like: “my son, please do this favor for your mother”. She simply stated the facts” “they have no wine”.
There was an intimate loving relationship between the Mother and the Son on account of which not everything needed to be expressed in words. We do find such communication between people who know and love each other well. A glance, a smile, a squint is enough to make the other understand. She did not take the Son’s answer as a rebuff or a refusal. On the contrary, she knew he had assented to her request. She simply turned to the servants and instructed them on what to do.
Mary new exactly what needed to be done. She gave the most concise and perfect instruction: “Do whatever he tells you”. That is all that is needed. Do it even when it appears meaningless like filling water jugs where what is needed is wine not water. Do it even when it appears ridiculous and dangerous to one’s job safety like taking to the steward water when he expects wine.
Mary is no less powerful now than she was then. She is closer to her Son now than she was then. She is more observant of our needs now that she is unencumbered by the limitations of a mortal body. We need to strive to know her better, love her, appreciate her, treasure her, trust her. We need to do whatever she tells us, for she knows what is best. We need to heed her when she tells us: “Do whatever he tells you”. Then water turns into wine. Then embarrassment turns into self-confidence, then life’s questions find answers.
