


User’s Guide to Sunday, Jan. 19
Sunday, Jan. 19, is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass readings: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11.
In this Sunday’s Gospel passage of the Wedding Feast at Cana, there is a theological portrait of both Mother Mary and prayer.
Notice the model of prayer that Mary gives when she sees the wine running short. She said to Jesus, “They have no wine.” Mary becomes a powerful intercessor! She is praying to her Son for others. There are four qualities to her prayer. First, she discerns the problem, even before the couple does (mothers often do this). To this, we can add her diligence. Mary prays. Rather than merely fretting and being anxious, she goes directly to Jesus, beseeching her Son. And note too her deference. Mary does not tell Jesus what to do, she simply points out the need: “They have no wine.” She observes the problem and places it before her Son in confidence. He knows what to do and will decide the best way to handle things. Finally, notice her determination. At first, Jesus seems reluctant to get involved in the problem. But Mary does not seem discouraged. She has confidently left the matter in the hands of her Son and turns to the waiters saying, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Mary is the quintessential paragon of prayer. Not only does she intercede for us, but she also teaches us how to pray and confidently put things in the Lord’s hands. She is willing to pray with us and for us. So go to her in prayer, and let her lead you to her Son in confidence. Her prayer brought forth an abundance of wine for the couple that day. What will her intercession do for us?
Also notice in the Gospel that Jesus addresses his mother in an unusual way — for a scriptural reason. He calls her “woman.” By this, he is teaching us that Mary is the “woman” prophesied in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall crush your head, while you strike at his heel.” And if she is the woman, then Christ is the Messiah and Savior promised that day by God.
In this sense, Mary is also the new Eve. Remember that we got into trouble by a man, a woman and a tree. Now, Jesus is the new Adam who undid Adam’s “No.” Mary is the new Eve who undid Eve’s “No.” And the new tree is the cross. It is significant that Jesus also calls Mary “woman” when she is at the foot of the cross. Jesus alone saves us, but just as Eve was present and integral to original sin, so Mary the new Eve is present and her “Yes” to God at the Incarnation was also important in Jesus’ act of salvation.
Finally, notice that because of Mary’s action at the wedding feast, the text says that Jesus was glorified and that many of his disciples began to believe in him. This, too, is always Mary’s role: making sure that her Son be glorified and that we more deeply believe in him.
Ave Maria!