Praying the Gospel through the Rosary: the Wedding at Cana

Submitted by Deacon Jim Krupka

The Second Luminous Mystery, the Wedding at Cana, gives us Jesus’ first miracle. In the context of Jesus’ miracles, it is mysterious why he chose this occasion to reveal his divine power. Jesus’ miracles usually involve healing and things as powerful as bringing someone back to life. Mary and Jesus were at a wedding in a part of Galilee called Cana. Mary went to Jesus and told him they had no wine. Such an event is quite embarrassing. Jesus responded, “Woman, what is that to me and to you? My hour is not yet come.” Mary did not respond. Instead, she went to the waiters and told them, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus instructed the servants to fill large jars with water. They obeyed and were amazed to find that the water had turned into wine. The evangelist John says Jesus’ first miracle “manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11).
Miracles are extraordinary signs that accompany the preaching of the Good News. The early part of John’s Gospel is referred to as the “Book of Signs.” John brings a series of miracles to build and strengthen faith in Jesus. In the miracle at Cana, we see an act of power and kindness. As John tells the story of the wedding at Cana, he begins unveiling Jesus as the Savior of humanity. The other Gospels do not give us this Cana account. But John, writing later than the others, uses this event to methodically provide an understanding of Jesus as fully human and divine. We see the human Jesus as a compassionate man who loved his mother and acted to help others. We see the divine Jesus as one with the power to act beyond the usual order, able to comfort and cure, even cure embarrassment.
As you meditate on this mystery, think about how things don’t always make sense within the limits of our human minds. With wonders before us, let go to faith and see miracles in our days. We can find God in ordinary things. The things of everyday life can become extraordinary when we see God’s action in them. As our faith grows, we see miracles before they happen. Mary saw that in Jesus at Cana. For the disciples, seeing this miracle solidified a faith that was already a work in progress.