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Reflection by Deacon Mark Kelly;
Pope Francis celebrated the first Mass of his 2015 Latin American trip in Ecuador’s Semanes Park. The Pope’s homily focused on the role of Mary in the Gospel story of the Wedding at Cana (see John 2:1-11), inviting the audience to “journey with her to Cana.” The Pope chose three characteristics of Mary to meditate on – her motherhood, her prayerfulness, and her willingness to act.
“Mary’s motherhood is seen when she pays attention to the needs of the newlyweds at Cana, noticing when they have run out of wine for their guests. The Pope noted that wine is a sign of “happiness, love, and plenty,” and that many families today have also run out of “wine” due to loneliness, unemployment, illness, and other difficulties. He highlighted the plights of youth, women, and the elderly when they experience difficult family lives. Mary, an “attentive and concerned” mother, shuns self-centeredness to realize when others no longer have wine in their lives.
Secondly, Mary exhibits prayerfulness when she “approaches Jesus with confidence” to make known the newlyweds’ problem to Him. The Pope said that the family is a school of prayer where people are reminded that they do not live in isolation but must be concerned about the well-being of loved ones around them. In the family, “we are one and we have a neighbor close at hand.”
Finally, Mary’s willingness to act is seen as she turns to the servants at the wedding feast and tells them to follow Jesus’ commands. Mary’s words are also directed at us; we should do what Jesus tells us, that is, give our lives in the service of love. The Pope emphasized the family as a place where people can serve one another in love. All in the family deserve this love; “no one is rejected, everyone is worth the same.” (Pope Francis June 6, 2015)
