Meditation on the Marriage Feast of Cana
Richard Salbato

Before Each Hail Mary

1. Jesus went to Cana in Galilee with Andrew, Philip, Nathaniel and Peter. In Cana, the Virgin Mary was helping her mother, Anne, prepare for the wedding. The bridegroom was the cousin of Anne, and the bride was from a wealthy merchant in Cana. Lazarus, Martha, Mary, Obed, Jonathan and Veronica were also at the wedding, and it was Lazarus who paid for most of the feast. There were over 100 guests and the celebration lasted three days. They played games, danced and sang songs while feasting and drinking.

2. On the third day the entire wedding party and guests marched down the street towards the synagogue for the marriage ceremony. In the front of the synagogue the priest exchanged rings,  wrapped the marriage scroll around their left arms, and pronounced them man and wife.

3. Going back to the party for the final banquet, the bride and bridegroom danced and partied with the guests. Before the sun went down they had consumed three large vats of wine. These vats were over three feet tall and about two feet in diameter with two handles each. After three days of celebrating, they were out of wine and the banquet was not yet over.

4. The Virgin Mary came to Jesus and said: “They have no more wine.”

5. Jesus looked at His Mother in silence for a moment. Then, in the voice of His divinity, and speaking as God, He said: “What is that to our agreement, woman? What is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come?” In this, He was saying that He waits for her to tell him that She is ready. Ready for Him to begin his Fathers Business.

6. Mary thought back to the time she found Him in the Temple, and He had said that He must be about His Father’s business, but She had prevented Him from starting his mission. That was 18 years ago.

7. Christ looked at His Mother with sympathy and love, because He knew what He was asking and so did She. Tears streamed down Her cheeks as She knew that She now had to let go of her Son. She knew that He would go out to preach His Kingdom and that He would lay down His life as the new and final sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind.

8. Suddenly, Her heart was struck with an excruciating pain, and in that moment Her role in suffering with Christ as mediatrix of all grace had begun. With tears on her face, She turned to the head server and calmly said: “Do whatsoever He tells you.” In those five words Mary, Jesus Mother let go. She let go of Her Son, and She knew what awaited Him in His future.

9. At Jesus command, the waiters brought the six vats full of water to Him. He put his hands over them and said a silent prayer. He told the head waiter to draw out a cup of wine from the vats and give it to the chief steward. He was shocked at how good the wine was and all were amazed.

10. This was the first of Christ’s miracles. Jesus left Cana and started collecting his apostles and disciples. He started with James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and then Peter and then the rest of the twelve. After 18 years of waiting for His Mother's permission to save mankind, He now was starting His three year march to His Crucifixion.