We pray the Luminous Mysteries, the Mysteries of Light, on Thursdays. We meditate on the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary from the Baptism of Our Lord to the Last Supper. During the second decade we meditate on the Wedding Feast at Cana.
Imagine the joy and celebration, the laughter, the good food (probably a fattened calf saved for this occasion). Music is loud, laughter more so. It’s a time of love. Saint John teaches that God is love (1 Jn. 4:16). God was there in Cana in His Spirit and in His Son. As huge as love is, it is never too big to take the tiniest good deed or kind word under its name. Love is feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, being attentive to children, and solicitous to the sick. Such common acts of love toward others equal love of God. The two loves blend and mutually encompass one another.
After a time of eating and drinking, Mary heard panicked whispers: “We’re running out of wine!” Anticipating the host’s and wine steward’s embarrassment, Mary makes her way to her Son. Taking him aside, she quietly states “They have no more wine,” then steps back into the throng of guests. Out of the corner of her eye, Mary notices Jesus signaling some servants to fill large water jars holding about twenty gallons each. Expecting a cheaper vintage, the chief steward was surprised at the exquisite quality. Mary and Son caught each other’s eyes and marveled at the wondrous mercy of God.
On the next day Jesus, along with his mother and disciples, walked to Capernaum. Along the way the disciples talked about the elaborate wedding: “The wine! The best I ever tasted! Hey, Jesus, did you ever taste anything so good?”
