Encouragement
Cana has always been my next favorite place after Jerusalem when I set foot in the Holy Land years ago. The beautiful cosy Church emanated a warmth parallel to the kindling of a firm red flame that left a tingling to really imagine the actual wedding feast of Cana taking place at the moment when we were there with the presence of Jesus and Mary.
The Cana Wine available there also adds to the ethereal feeling.
The Gospel reading of the wedding feast at Cana has always been another favorite passage which I enjoyed listening to. However, it was only last week when I attended a prayer service and the preacher interpreted this Bible passage from a completely new perspective which I had never pondered over before that I realized I had missed the underlying meaning that was actually so evident had I given closer thought to it.
The Preacher went on to explain that at Cana it was through the Power of Jesus that the Miracle of water turning into wine took place. While Mother Mary's powerful Intercession and intervention in requesting her Son and prompting him to perform this miracle also played a huge part, it was the servants co-operation, willingness and faith in Jesus that helped this miracle to reach its desired goal. They were the silent co-workers.
They readily agreed to fill six large empty stone jars with water where each had the capacity to hold around twenty to thirty gallons. Their perseverance in filling the jars and obedience in drawing out the water and taking it to the Master of the Ceremony are definitely noteworthy.
When Jesus told Mary that His hour had not yet come, he meant that first these workers had to do their part, live their faith and then He would move in and do the rest.
Back home, I dwelled on the meaning of this passage and realized how it applied to each and every one of us in our daily life as well.
When we are unwell, we rush to the Physician. At that time, we pray to Jesus and Mary. While Mary intercedes for us and Jesus alone heals us, it is through the co-operation of the Physicians, the silent co-workers who aid in with their part of treating us, caring for us and writing out the prescriptions. They too help us in having our faith rewarded through Jesus when we put our complete trust in His grace to heal us.
Similarly, Cathechists do their part in bringing up children and moulding them for the Kingdom by imparting the Gospel values to them. They too are silent co-workers and God's aides on earth.
Another line that caught my attention was that while at Cana, Jesus told Mary that His hour had not yet come, we see later in the Gospel of John how Jesus declares just before His suffering and death how the Hour had come and asked the Father to give glory to His Son so that the Son may give glory to Him. Jesus then prayed in special for the the ones the Father gave him out of this world and who had obeyed his word and knew that everything that was given to the Son came from God.
Just as Jesus placed his hope in the Father to see Him through the Agony of the Cross, He who had the power to take away his cup of suffering but yet Jesus chose to drink from this cup in order to fulfill what the Father had sent Him for on this earth.
We read in John 12:27; "Shall I say, Father, do not let this hour come upon me? But that is why I came - so that I might go through this hour of suffering."
The disciples too became the wonder co-workers after Jesus rose from the dead to bring the good news of Salvation to the ends of the world.
St. Paul tells us in Romans 5:2-5 that we boast of the hope that we have of sharing God's Glory. We also boast of our troubles, because troubles bring endurance, endurance brings God's approval and God's approval creates hope. This hope does not disappoint us for God has poured out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit which is God's gift to us.
May we all place our hope in the Lord and give him our full co-operation be it in joyful times as the wedding feast at Cana or in times of sorrow and grief. May we hold fast to the promises of the One who promised to free us from all pain when we willingly give it all to Him who alone can provide the comfort and consolation that will help ease the difficult patches in our life.
When we work together hand in hand with the Lord, we can expect great miracles to happen!
Maria Franco
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