Our Lady's Intercession
by VP
Posted on Sunday January 19, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sunday Sermons
Wedding at Cana, Jacques Tissot
"And the Mother of Jesus was there."-JOHN ii. 2.
1. The incident of the marriage feast.
2. How like a Mother was Mary there.
3. The same loving Mother is she to us.
4. Her intercession for us cannot be refused by her divine Son.
"A plain, simple, but very consoling lesson is taught us in this Gospel, for it reveals to us the thoughtful, tender kindness of one who is not only the Mother of Jesus, but our own blessed Mother too. Recall the incident. Our Blessed Lord has just called the Apostles. The day after our Lord had been baptized, John the Baptist, as the Gospel tells us (John 1. 36), saw Him walking, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." And two of his disciples, who heard this, followed Jesus. St. Andrew was one of them, and he brought Peter to the Lord. And the following day he brought Philip, and he brought Nathaniel. And the third day there was a marriage at Cana of Galilee, "and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage.”
Our Lady was a simple guest there, but, whilst others were enjoying themselves, she, with that tender mother's heart of hers, was thinking of the comfort and happiness of others. She noticed that the wine was running short, and unbidden, uncalled for, just simply to prevent the confusion and shame of the bride and bridegroom, she quietly tells Jesus that they have no wine. In spite of His remonstrance that His hour had not yet come, in spite of a seeming refusal, her simple request obtains the favour of His first public miracle. Unnoticed by the others, she quietly tells the waiters, "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye." "Jesus saith to them, "Fill the waterpots with water". And they filled them to the brim. And Jesus saith to them, "Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast". And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew, who had drawn the water; the chief steward called the bridegroom, and saith to him, "Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."
This was His Mother Mary's doing! It is this same loving Mother that we pray to so often! If, without a prayer, and just for kindness' sake, she obtained the working of this first great miracle, what will she not do for us? There was no need for her to have done it. She was not bound to do it. She was not asked to do it.
How, then, can she refuse us or "despise our petitions in our necessities," when she did this, unbidden, just to prevent shame and confusion to others? Our necessities are so great. It is a matter of life and death to us eternal life, eternal death - that we should not give way to temptation, remain in sin, die in sin; can our Blessed Lady refuse to deliver us from such dangers? Even without our turning to her she is anxious for us; how much more, then, if we pray to her! If we cry to her for help, to avoid sin, to repent, to give our hearts to God, to endeavour to persevere day after day, can our Mother turn a deaf ear to our supplications? Oh! Mary, Mother of the Saviour, remember thy kindness at Cana, and be to us the same loving Mother now. Your request was granted, although His hour had not yet come. Ever since He has been listening to you, and never yet refused you, for He wills that all grace should come to us through you, O blessed Mother.
What daily, hourly prayers should we offer to our Lady; what confidence and trust we should place in her love and her power! Obtain for us, blessed Mother of God, the grace always to turn to thee-like little children to their mother-in all anxieties, fears, and dangers.
"And the Mother of Jesus was there." Let us impress those words on our soul, and endeavour to make them true in our own regard at all times, day after day.
In life, oh! may Mary Mother be there. At Baptism, when we became children of God, our souls had Mary there then. And she remained with us during our childhood, till, perhaps at last, some sad day, we drove our Mother away by mortal sin. But when we had repented, and received Holy Communion, again the Mother of Jesus was with us. How patiently she remains with us, guarding us, helping us, as we battle with temptation, beginning again after failures, rising after little falls, doing our daily duties with a good intention. This is the way to holy perseverance, which we must endeavour to obtain with Mary our Mother's constant help.
And at death-the time of all for a mother to care for her child - oh! may the Mother of Jesus be there.
Then all the prayers of our lifetime will intercede for us; the good habits formed in life will come to our aid; in our hearts, when voice may fail, we shall call upon her to stay with us. How safe shall we be in the arms of our Mother, how blessed the end!
And when we stand before the Judge, please God, may "the Mother of Jesus be there." For the last time she will plead for us, and may it be her happy privilege then," after this our exile is ended, to show us the blessed fruit of her womb, Jesus." Oh! that glorious, never-ending day of eternity in heaven, and Mary the Mother of Jesus will be there." Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year By Rev. Francis Paulinus Hickey, O.S.B. 1922 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
