Mary in the Gospel of John: Part VIII: Feast at Cana:
Do Whatever He Tells You
Fr. J. Patrick Gaffney, SMM
With this issue, we close the series on Mary at the marriage Feast of Cana. Having examined at some length the deeper meaning of the wedding feast and the dialogue between Jesus and Mary, we now study the well-known command of Mary: “Do whatever he tells you. ” This installment presumes the studies made in the last several issues of THE QUEEN.
The First Level Meaning: The Persistence of Mary
The words of Mary to the servants seem out of place. Jesus has just told his mother: “O Woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Mary’s response to this attitude of Jesus is not to withdraw her implicit request for Jesus’ intervention, (“They have no wine”) but to persist in her plea. In fact. she presumes that her Son will respond to the lack of wine for she tells the waiters to do whatever Jesus will tell them. She has, therefore, no doubt whatsoever that her Son will remedy the embarrassing situation although she apparently does not know how he will do it.
What appears, then, to be a negative answer of Jesus (“My hour has not yet come”) does not daunt Plan. How is it possible that she not only persists but is absolutely confident that her Son, in spite of his apparent refusal, will intervene? To declare that the tone of Jesus’ voice, or his smile, etc., made Mary know that he would do something, is to add to the sacred text what is not there.
On the historical level, we can compare Our Lady’s attitude with that of many others who persist in a request even though Jesus does not appear to be willing to answer. Matthew 15:22-28 is an example of persistence which leads to a miracle. The Canaanite women begging for a cure for her daughter is first met with no reply whatsoever: “But he did not answer her a word.” Moreover, the disciples are annoyed by “her crying” and wanted to chase her away. The brave woman persisted, only to hear Jesus say twice that her plea was not his concern. However, once the woman continued to exhibit such amazing trust, Jesus answered: “0 woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And does not Jesus Himself declare after narrating the parable of the persistent friend (Lk. 11:5-8), “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence (the New English Bible uses the term “shamelessness”) he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”
Painting: Feast at Cana: Bartolome Esteban Murillo (c: 1675)
Mary in the Gospel of John
The Queen presents a series of articles of Mary in the Gospel of John.
We beg the Lord to be granted the supreme gift of holiness; that plea must be not only sincere but persistent even when it appears we are getting nowhere, even when we fall into sin.
Our Lady’s request is heard, it could be said, because of her trusting persistence. Saint Louis de Montfort, basing himself on these examples, tells us: “God loves to be importuned!” To beg the Lord for help is not only to trust in his mercy but to acknowledge his loving almighty power. Those who ask once and then become discouraged because it appears that Jesus does not answer, are people of little faith. Persistence in the face of refusal is a barometer of the sincerity and depth of our plea. We beg the Lord to be granted the supreme gift of holiness; that plea must be not only sincere but persistent even when it appears we are getting nowhere, even when we fall into sin. Saint Louis de Montfort tells us that only those who persevere in living his Marian spirituality will enter into its fullness. Perseverance, persistence, are virtues which move the Heart of Christ.
The Second Level Meaning: The Woman of Faith
However, on the deeper, theological level, is there another interpretation of these words of Our Lady, “Do whatsoever he tells you.” In previous installments, we saw that the marriage feast of Cana is a symbol of that banquet of the Lamb of God with the Church. Mary, similar to her role at the Annunciation narrative in Luke, is begging for the overflowing wine of redemption (poured out only at the “hour” of Jesus on Calvary) for all those called to the banquet, for all people. She, the Woman of the proto-evangelium (Gen 3:15), the Woman of the Apocalypse (Rev 12). She is the new Eve who undoes the knot formed by the disobedience of the first woman.
It is on this spiritual level that the words of Mary, “Do whatsoever he tells you,” take on a new meaning. It is, first of all, an expression of Our Lady’s faith. When she asks for a miracle as “the mother of Jesus,” nothing is accomplished, for flesh/blood relationships of themselves do not count in the kingdom of God. It is only when she requests as a woman of faith, as a disciple, that the water is changed into wine. John is teaching us that Jesus is not moved by anyone who would claim to be “his mother and his brethren” (cf Mk 3:31-35) but only by those who are members of his faith-family. And His Mother is preeminent among those “who hear the word of God and keep it” (cf Lk 11:27-28).
On this deeper level, there is another dimension to these words of Mary. “Do whatsoever he tells you” is a compendium of her being. She seeks nothing for herself, as Saint Louis de Montfort constantly insists, but everything for the glory of God. Her words to the servants are a command to all people of all ages: “Do whatsoever He tells you.” Jesus is the Center. Jesus is the Lord. The only task Mary accomplishes—and what a magnificent one!—is to direct us to her Son. Montfort correctly insists that devotion to Mary is and can only be, devotion to Jesus. Consecration to Mary is consecration to Jesus. Mary directs us to Jesus, Mary facilitates our life in Christ. She is the easy, short, perfect path which the Lord took to come to us; can we dare think of a more perfect path to go to Him? Living in Mary, how certain we can be that we are living intimately in Christ Jesus.
The Next Issue of The Queen begins John’s discussion of Mary, At the Foot of The Cross
