Day 195: New Wine, New Life

I am Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast where through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world.

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This is day 195.

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Today we will be praying with and meditating upon the second luminous mystery, the wedding feast at Cana.

All right, to begin, we'll go ahead and call to mind again some of what we have already reflected on pertaining to the wedding feast at Cana.

And of course, the gospel account that correlates to this mystery comes from John chapter 2, verses 1

through 12.

And one detail that we noted that I'd like to highlight again are Mary's words.

Right?

Mary sees that they're out of wine.

She goes to Jesus, tells him the situation.

They have a conversation.

And then Mary's last contribution in the context of that conversation, the last words she speaks, are: do whatever he tells you.

Do whatever he tells you.

And these are Mary's last words in scriptures.

These words that we want to continue to like echo in our minds, in our hearts.

Do whatever he tells you.

Do whatever he tells you.

And how great these words are when we are perhaps experiencing temptation.

How great these words are when we feel like our lives, our situations have run out of wine.

We can't necessarily solve the problem.

Like in the context of the wedding feast, we can't

provide wine out of nowhere, but we can do whatever he tells you.

And so we can just sit and receive those words again, whatever context we find ourselves in.

Mary's saying to us do whatever he tells you

I think a second really important note to highlight again about the wedding feast of Cana is we see the newness of Jesus being revealed Jesus as the new bridegroom who gives us the new wine

we have the imagery of of the six jars being turned from water to wine and we see Jesus being this living if you will seventh day this living fulfillment as six water jars are are filled with water and they become wine.

These six days of creation that are going to be fulfilled with the seventh day, with the Sabbath.

We see Jesus foreshadowing the new creation,

Jesus, the new temple.

He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Like, he is the new one, right?

And this is what is being revealed in this second luminous mystery, like where we see the kingdom revealed in Jesus.

Jesus is here, he is fulfilling, he is doing something new.

New hope.

New creation.

New wine.

New bridegroom.

Or new access to God and Jesus.

Now, also during our time of Lexio Divina with John chapter 2, one of the themes that came to the surface from our prayer with the wedding feast of Cana,

was just this reminder, the reality that Mary and Jesus, they see us, right?

Like at the wedding feast of Cana, they're in conversation about you.

They're concerned.

They're invested.

They know your name.

They know your needs.

And they're already doing something to respond to your needs.

And so an invitation for prayer is just to be there,

to be where you are.

And to experience, to call to mind

both Mary and Jesus being together,

you, talking about your needs, responding to it.

For me, this is a great source of both consolation and comfort.

Like we're not in it alone.

You're seen in your situation and also comfort because you're not in it alone.

Like they're coming, they're acting, they're responding to your needs

in the best way possible.

And then lastly, for our review today,

which touches touches on a similar theme of what we've talked about, is during our time of prayer and reflection, starting with the painting of the wedding at Cana by Carl Block.

What I noted is just that Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana, when he changes the water to wine, he doesn't make a spectacle of it, right?

He's not doing it as some sort of like magician or gesture or showman.

Like, it happens subtly and behind the scenes, where only a few people are aware of what actually has happened.

Why does he do it?

It's an act of love.

It's an act of concern for this particular wedding, but more particularly for the bride and the bridegroom.

And because he desires

this wedding, this feast to be celebrated with the fullness of joy possible.

This points to this theme at the wedding of Cain of Jesus being the divine bridegroom, bridegroom, the one who loves his church, who provides for us because he loves us,

who comes to heal us because he loves us, who does miracles because he loves us, who lays down his life because he loves us,

desires to give us joy, and desires to bring us into intimacy with him for all of eternity.

So, now as we start to transition into our time of prayer today, we can bring to prayer one of these themes.

Experiencing Jesus and Mary looking at you with love and concern as a source of consolation or comfort.

Hear Mary say to you, and whatever your situation is, do whatever he tells you.

We can meditate upon Jesus, the divine bridegroom, who acts in our life and in our world,

out of love for us, to draw us into intimacy with Him, or perhaps another topic or theme,

which is on your mind and heart today.

So, as we linger here,

go ahead and ask these questions.

So, what is the grace?

What is the truth being revealed that you are being invited to receive?

How can you respond?

What is the grace that you need?

What is the the grace that you'd like to request,

particularly at the service of this response?

And then rejoice,

give thanks,

praise the Lord for this time of prayer,

for the graces given, and the life shared.

And now, together with Mary, let us pray.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Our Father,

who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen

hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee

blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus

Holy Mary Mother of God

pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

All right.

Thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Poco, Poco, friends.

God bless y'all.