Gospel: John 2:1-11
At that time, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, where the mother of Jesus was present; Jesus and his disciples were also invited. They ran out of wine, and then Jesus’ mother said to him: “They have no wine.” Jesus replied: “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ mother then said to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” There were six stone jars there, each holding about a hundred liters, used by the Jews for their purification rites. Jesus said to the servants: “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. Then he told them: “Now draw some out and take it to the steward.” So they did. When the steward tasted the water now turned into wine, not knowing where it came from (only the servants who drew the water knew), he called the bridegroom and said: “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then the inferior; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This was the first sign Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee; he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Fruit: Contemplate how God works: He waits for my cooperation, and once He has it, He gives generously and abundantly.

Guidelines for reflection:
This gospel scene is one of the luminous mysteries of the rosary. Why? Because it shows us how Christ illuminates the lives of men, and how Mary also plays an important role.

1. Jesus and his disciples were invited
Jesus attended this wedding not because he was a great rabbi, but as the son of Mary. She was invited, and along with her, the Son and his first disciples. A casual event, or rather, providential. The wine ran out, for unknown reasons, and a wedding at that time without wine was not really a wedding. What shame the bride and groom would have suffered, during the wedding and for the rest of their lives, if rumors spread that there was no wine left! The drama was just around the corner, but in that last-minute guest, the son of Mary, lay the solution.

2. They have no wine left
Mary, like women of her time, was probably serving at the wedding, preparing the food or bringing it to the guests’ tables. A woman, in those days, never enjoyed a banquet. This situation made her realize the impending crisis as the wine shortage became apparent. Trusting as a daughter, she turns to God, her Father, incarnate mysteriously in her Son, to intercede for the newlyweds. Her confidence is so great that she only needs to say: “They have no wine left.” And I, do I have wine left? Not the red, white, or rosé wine; but the wine of joy, of enthusiasm for spiritual goods. We have just celebrated Christmas, that feast of deep joy, commemorating that the Son of God becomes one of us, close and similar in everything but sin. Let us turn to Mary, the trusting Virgin, so she may also intercede for us, as she did in those times for these newlyweds. Surely she will present a prayer to her Son for us, and what good son does not grant his mother what she asks?

3. The jars were filled to the brim
Jesus performs the miracle, but he does not like to act like a magician, who pulls the solution out of nowhere. Jesus wants to help us, he wants to give us his wine, but he also performs the miracle based on what we give him. He has chosen to feel the need for our water, our effort, “The grace of God—reminds Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the brightest minds in history—does not destroy human nature, but elevates it.” God wants to perform the miracle, he wants to give us the wine of illusion, but he needs us to present the water of our effort, our daily work. The well-known adage is: “God helps those who help themselves“; this is what the servants at the wedding did. They filled the jars to the top, not halfway or a little, but to the brim. They put all their effort into it, and without knowing how, Jesus performed the miracle. When we cooperate with grace, God does wonders. The evangelist confirms that Jesus’ “miraculous” wine was much better than the wine bought by the bride and groom, which is always of the best quality at a wedding. God gives, and gives generously, as long as he finds sincere cooperation in us.

Purpose: Today I will be generous with acts of charity that you ask of me, Lord.