MOTHER MARY - OUR INTERCESSOR

A REFLECTION ON MOTHER MARY AS OUR INTERCESSOR

SUMMARY OF TEACHING GIVEN BY BR. DOMINIC D'SOUZA 


The Wedding at Cana    John 2:1-11

- A wedding celebration in the times of Christ went on for about a week.

In this Gospel passage we read of the embarrassment of bride and groom when they discover that they had not made provision to have enough wine to last the entire length of the celebrations.

The problem was brought to Mary's attention whose immediate response was to take the difficulty to her Son.

Mary teaches by example that we are to intercede for one another.

We learn to approach Mary with our problems.  We do not stand alone all we need to do is ask her to help us.

Jesus acted in response to Mary's request.

We learn from this brief incident narrated in the Gospel of John that Mary had perfect trust in her Son.   All she said was, "They have no wine."

Mary the sinless one teaches us to avoid sin and strive for sanctity as this is the surest way to Christ.  We can be certain we will be heard when we take our problems through Mary to Jesus her Son.

Jesus manifested His power through this sign by changing water into wine.

There were six stone jars  for purification. 

John 2:5-6:.............. There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons.

Ritual purification was very important under the Laws of the Old Covenant.  We know that these jars held "holy water" because John tells us that they are stone vessels not the usual fired pottery vessels that held wine.  Holy water was kept in stone vessels.  Using the symbolism of numbers, John may be calling attention to the number 6 as just short of perfection, which according to tradition is the number 7.  The Old Covenant rituals of purification were not complete or perfect but were only a preparation for the purity and perfection promised in the New Covenant.


Mary turned to the servants and said, "Do whatever He tells you."  

Question: What is it about Mary's directions to the servants that indicates her understanding of Jesus comment to her in 2:4?

Answer: That she has understood from Jesus response to her that He will solve the problem of the wine.  She has confidence that her Son will fulfill her request and so she instructs them to do exactly as He tells them.  This is the same advice Mary gives to all her spiritual children in the family of God: to do as her Son tells them'to be obedient to the will of God in their lives. *

John 2:7-9  Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' and they filled them to the brim.  Then he said to them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the president of the feast.' They did this; the president tasted the water, and it had turned into wine.  Having no idea where it came from'though the servants who had drawn the water knew..

Since this event took place part way through the feast some of the water had already been drawn out of the jars for the purification of hands before the meal.  Now Jesus instructs the servants to make sure the jars are filled to the brim, which emphasizes the superabundance and magnificence of the gift produced by the miracle. *

Mary draws us into the realm of her intercession with Christ and thus unites us with through her to Him.

- She puts herself in our place and presents our problems as if they were her own.

- Mary is the new Eve..  Through her perfect obedience she leads us to the new Adam and He manifests His glory.

- She asks us for obedience to her Son.

Question: In order for the miracle to be performed Mary stressed to the servants that they must be obedient to Jesus' commands. What does that suggest to us?

Answer: It suggests to us the importance of obedience to the will of God in even the smallest details of our lives.

- Mary is the Mother of the Church.  Jesus gave Mary, His Mother to the Church and He gave the Church to Mary, His Mother.

- The Church has recognized from the start that next to her Son, Mary is our most powerful intercessor.