John 2:4
His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you."
Have you ever purchased a meal or maybe a bottle of wine and after you tasted it, you were disappointed? How about buying a container of ice cream or butter only to discover after opening it that it was not completely full? You were probably thinking, "they can do better than that," and you might not buy the same brand again. How does this relate to this Sunday's gospel from St John? We find Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana. He's there with friends and his mother. As is Jewish custom, Mary and the other women were attending to the guests. Mary soon discovered that they had run short of wine. If you have every hosted a party and run out of food or drink then you can probably imagine her worry. She told Jesus that they had no wine. He, like a son probably would tell his mother, paraphrasing, "this is not my problem…I'm just a guest here." She tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them. As a good son, being always obedient to his mother, despite not being his problem, instructs the servants to draw water into the jars all the way to the top and he'd take care of it. He then turned them into wine. Scriptures do not say how…there was no prayer, waving of hands or anything. It just happened. And it was not just any wine, it was the good stuff. It was not half full, but all the way to the top, probably 120 gallons or more. That's how Jesus is with us. If we are obedient sons and daughters, as Jesus was to his mother, and as the servants were to Jesus by obeying the command, "do whatever he tells you," then we will be blessed in tremendous ways. Like the miracle of loaves and fishes, Jesus creates an abundance. And not just in abundance, but it's the best stuff. When you really think about it, Jesus has blessed all of us in tremendous ways. Some things we readily recognize, other little things are subtle, but all miracles nonetheless. If we are obedient to God, we will be blessed more that we can ask or imagine. But we have to ask, and for some, that is humbling and difficult. It takes courage. As we migrate into the new year, ask Jesus to come into your heart and build that relationship with him. Take your prayer life deeper. Mediate on the mysteries of his life by praying the rosary. Try to attend Mass during the week. But start with prayer, asking "Jesus, what do you want me to do?" Listen to your heart, and courageously do what he tells you.
